Here Are The Best Educational Toys & Gifts [Updated]
by TeachThought Staff
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We worked hard on this list. Though we’re still updating it (with more info, age recommendations, etc.), we tried to collect various ‘widgets’ that teachers and parents might find useful when shopping for children. To that end, we’ve got everything from horticulture kits to video games to books to microscopes, engineering kits, and more.
If you’re still shopping for Christmas gifts, birthday gifts, or any other holiday or celebration that involves children, we hope this list is useful. We’ll update it regularly so that you can find value in it not just for the holidays, but anytime throughout the year.
Editor’s Choice: 50 Of The Best Educational Toys & Gifts
1. 100 Thought Provoking Conversation Starters for Great Parent-Child Relationship Building
2. K’NEX Education: Intro to Structures
With 207 pieces and 13 different models, kids have a variety of ways to experiment with building structures and exploring their creativity.
3. Wildcraft! An Herbal Adventure Game
A cooperative board game that explores healing herbs.
4. IQCREW Microscope & Camera Kit
The upgraded all-metal frame microscope has high-quality optics to make viewing easy for your child and with multiple magnifications, two light sources, and color filters your child can view all types of specimens with this one microscope.
This card game will aid in teaching children how to express their thoughts and feelings with a variety of issues, including changes within the family, trauma, grief, anger, fears etc.
6. Periodic Table Playing Cards
A double deck of regular playing cards that are designed to not only teach them the Periodic Table of Elements but also multiple languages at once. These cards feature the element in English, Spanish, and French, the atomic number, the category, the mass, the boiling and melting points, period and group, natural state and common usages.
8x slow-mo and 5K resolution? This one is a bit pricey, but if you’re buying for a child that will actually use this camera, they can film almost anything, anywhere, for any reason.
Compatible with all GoPro mounts, this high-quality video camera is waterproof, small and lightweight, and is (mostly) user-friendly. Quikcapture mode turns your camera into a one-button camera, too.
8. LEGO Architecture Skyline Collection 21043 San Francisco Building Kit
This wood art set comes with 142 pieces to let creativity flow. The wood case conveniently stores every piece in a perfectly organized way.
10. AeroGarden Harvest-Black Indoor Hydroponic Garden
11. Nancy B’s Microscope and Activity Journal
Bring hands-on science experiments to life with this dual-microscope and a twenty-two-page journal. The microscope has a light and zoom features.
12. LEGO Super Mario Adventures with Mario Starter Course 71360 Building Kit
Kids can learn about history in an all new way with 21 activities designed to make learning fun.
Nintendo’s latest gaming console (Nintendo —> Super Nintendo —> Nintendo 64 —> Nintendo GameCub —> Nintendo Wii —> Nintendo WiiU—> Nintendo Switch), the Nintendo Switch is focused on gaming that can happen anywhere—in the living room or on the go. Nintendo’s systems never have the wide range of games enjoyed by Sony PlayStation or Microsoft’s Xbox, but the quality of the games for these systems is generally high—and less violent, aggressive, and ‘competitive’ than other systems.
We’ve linked to the version of the Switch with the uber-popular Animal Crossing but any version of the Switch will work. (Note: there are two versions of the Nintendo Switch–the standard version shown in the image and the ‘Lite’ version, which is less expensive but, among other changes, cannot be played on television and is used as a handheld device only.
You can read more: What’s The Difference Between The Nintendo Switch And Switch Lite?
15. Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch game)
16. Mastermind for Kids – Codebreaking Game With Three Levels of Play
Miko 3 is an ’emotionally intelligent’ robot that uses playful, conversational learning to educate, engage and entertain kids. It has an adaptive personality, dozens of emotions, and millions of topics and themes to learn from.
18. Holy Stone HS210 Mini Drone RC Nano Quadcopter
This is a great drone for beginners we’ve flown for dozens of hours ourselves. With three batteries, you can fly for around 20 minutes. And with a rugged design, it can withstand a decent amount of abuse before breaking (at least in our experience).
19. Same Here Sun by Silas House
In this extraordinary novel in letters, an Indian immigrant girl in New York City and a Kentucky coal miner’s son find strength and perspective by sharing their true selves across the miles.
20. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
Roald captured a world that captured the imagination of millions, and a boy who captured their hearts.
21. Mini-Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
Start a mini-farm on a quarter acre or less, provide 85 percent of the food for a family of four, and earn an income. Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family’s food on just a quarter acre.
22. Ourlife Kids Camera, Selfie Waterproof Action Camera
24. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Standing Easel
Multi-use easel to inspire painting, drawing, and countless ways to play creatively.
25. The Way Things Work Now by David Macaulay
Macaulay updates the bestseller, “The Way Things Work” to capture the latest developments and technology trends that most impact our lives.
26. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of the World
Help kids explore the world. Packed with more than 100 colorful photos and activities to get them exploring and thinking, this book is sure to spike curiosity.
Easy-to-use design helps kids all ages explore the earth and insects around them.
28. PLUSINNO Kids Portable Telescopic Fishing Rod
29. Shrimp Bubble Aquatic Ecosystem
Self-sustaining, semi-closed bubble ecosystem comes pre-assembled and ready for live marine shrimp.
Learning drum set has three drum pads and cymbal each with its own unique sound for sensory development.
32. 4M Green Creativity Pressed Flower Art Kit
Fully functioning, 6” brass telescope with a wooden box!
34. Code and Go Robot Mouse Activity Set
This set turns coding into a hands-on analog activity for tactile and visual learners.
35. Osmo – Detective Agency: Solve Global Mysteries (Ages 5-12)
36. Melissa and Doug Suspend Family Game
An exciting balance game, fun for the whole family that will have everyone “hanging” on the edge of their seats.
A marble run and logic game all in one. With 60 challenges, there is sure to be hours of fun.
38. Minecraft Stop-Motion Animation Studio
Bring the Minecraft world into your own. Create in a whole new way with a smartphone app and your imagination.
Build 10 different moving machines with LEGO.
Suitable for everyone on your Christmas list, this large magnifying glass can bring illuminated clarity to any project, lesson, or reading material.
41. The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel Game
This game can help with learning colors, matching skills, and fine-motor skills. The first to collect 5 acorns wins!
42. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
A popular choice got young male readers, follow the adventures of Greg Heffley from Kinney’s imagination. This time, Greg goes electronic free and tries the “old school” life.
Take Minecraft to a whole new level with a story that you create.
44. National Geographic Geodes
Complete with a learning guide and 10 different rocks to break open, this kit will surely inspire the scientist within.
45. Kids First Science Laboratory
This kit has 24 tools and 10 illustrated learning cards to help your little scientist discover the world around them.
46. The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
Deborah helps kids turn frowns upside down in this rhyming bestseller.
47. Little Kids First Big Book of Space
National Geographic helps kids explore space in a colorfully illustrated and fun way.
Help kids explore electronics with over 100 projects to create.
Let children discover the magic of science with their own at-home chemistry set.
51. Underdog Games Trekking The National Parks – The Award-Winning Family Board Game