The holidays will soon be upon us, and it can be challenging to find fun yet educational, non-electronic gifts for school-aged children.
Traditional toys stimulate the mind in ways electronics can’t by incorporating the senses, exercising cognitive creativity and problem solving, and encouraging the development of interpersonal dynamics with peers and caregivers.
When an extended family member wishes to buy gifts, they may ask you for ideas, leaving you drawing a blank at recommendations. That’s why we’ve listed ten of our favorite educational toys for elementary-aged kids that will guarantee smiles and plenty of mental stimulation.
- LCD writing pad (all ages): Reading is one side of the literacy coin, and writing is the other. An exciting way to write is to do it in vivid colors! This LCD writing pad is great for kids of all ages. Switching up surfaces from lined paper to something more colorful is a simple way to encourage kids to write more. The writing pad could also be used for art, math, noting science observations. Its flexibility makes it one of our favorite giftable items.
- Phonics & Language Skills Folder Game Library (Kindergarten-Grade 2): With a library of ten colorful and super-appealing games, children can pull ready-to-play folder games to learn skills like identifying vowel teams and decoding words with prefixes and suffixes. Foundational reading skill development has never been more fun!
- Tubelox (all ages): Being able to reproduce what you see in your imagination is a powerful skill. By handling and manipulating three-dimensional objects, children learn critical spatial awareness skills. Mastered early, these skills can translate to increased ability to think abstractly and concretely — helpful and important components of later success in STEM subjects.
- Kingdomino (Grades 3-5): This best-selling game combines the classic game of dominoes with a kingdom-building adventure. In this simple-to-learn yet high strategy game, lords and ladies will use prediction, reasoning, imagination, and verbal expression skills to rule their kingdoms.
- Alphabet Robots (Kindergarten-Grade 1): Many kids love to build and reshape items, and Alphabet Robots are perfect for kids who are hands-on, creative learners. They will be learning fundamental literacy aspects through tactile exploration while playing at the same time.
- Lite-Brite (all ages): This is a classic that has made a comeback! Children will spend hours creating brightly illuminated designs while flexing their fine motor skills and creativity. An excellent activity for self-guided play or working with a friend, this toy is sure to bring smiles for years to come.
- Speak and Spell (Kindergarten-Grade 3): This 80s retro game is perfect for kids just learning how to spell. Kids who love their tablets will find Speak and Spell a fun way to learn phonics, language, and spelling. Parents may find themselves playing with this blast from the past, too!
- National Geographic Glowing Marble Run (Grades 3-5): Kids will love this adventure game! The National Geographic Glowing Marble Run can be played alone or with friends. Problem-solving, conversation, and cognition are all packed into one fast-rolling building game.
- Magnatiles (all ages): Children become the architects of their imaginations with these magnetic tiles. While they construct for hours, they will exercise fine motor skills, social skills, problem-solving, and creativity.
- Hedbandz (all ages): Any game that must be worn on the head is bound to attract the eyes of youngsters. Kids will exercise their reasoning, processing, and questioning skills in a silly game that is excellent educational fun for the whole family.
When children play and explore, they learn in the most natural ways. At Apollo Academy, our students use all of their senses to understand concepts and use them in real-world ways. For more information on our engaging approach, which blends modern technology, real-world projects, the Socratic method and a learner-driven environment, please schedule a call today! We are currently accepting applications and enrolling families to join us for the 2022-2023 academic year.
