Shopping for a toddler? Whatever the occasion, the best ways to maximize fun are with gifts that inspire the imagination and help kids learn.
Consider these age-appropriate gift ideas to delight the tots in your life.
Scientific Discovery - Give curious kids opportunities to explore the what, why and how of the world around them through scientific exploration. Many age-appropriate science kits exist for little ones. From planetariums to chemistry sets to crystal growing kits, these are fun ways to delve into scientific disciplines like astronomy and geology at a young age. Plus, many such science kits are a great way for young kids to develop motor skills.
You can even consider pairing this gift with a field trip to a children’s science museum or the zoo to make scientific fun even more engaging with an interactive experience.
Fun on Wheels - The colorful, interactive Go! Go! Smart Wheels playsets from VTech, a leader in developmental stage-based electronic learning products, will spark toddlers’ imaginations and encourage creativity, while helping them explore concepts of cause and effect.
Kids can go for a ride with Gavin the Go-Kart on the Go! Go! Smart Wheels Race & Play Adventure Park. Children can improve their motor skills by cranking Gavin up the playset’s hill, launching him with the catapult and racing him down the track into a 360 degree loop. Gavin will also respond to SmartPoint locations with fun sounds, phrases, songs and melodies, helping children reach language, physical and motor milestones.
Likewise, the Go! Go! Smart Wheels Press & Race Monster Truck Rally, encourages creative play by giving kids a chance to race and jump with Mark, the Press & Race Monster Truck, around rally tracks and off a podium launcher while listening to him play fun phrases, sounds and melodies. They can engage in jump competitions by launching Mark off a stunt ramp to encourage creative play and discover cause and effect. Mark will also respond to the SmartPoint locations throughout the playset.
Active Imaginations - For little ones who are ready to dive into imagination and exploration, the Go! Go! Smart Friends Shimmering Seashell Castle is a fun choice. Kids can play with the sandcastle, dance with Mermaid Pearl and her sea friends, the seahorse and dolphin, or pretend to play dress-up at the vanity. Kids can hear playful phrases and sounds by placing Pearl on any of the MagicPoint locations.
Get Cooking - Even toddlers can develop a foundation for kitchen skills they can use later in life. Cooking and baking is not only fun, it introduces kids to numbers and measurements, helping develop coordination and fine motor skills. Consider a cookbook featuring easy recipes designed for kids and parents to follow together.
When shopping for toddlers, don’t get stumped. Let one simple rule guide your efforts to make special occasions especially special: seek gifts that fuse fun and learning.