Christmas Gifts: Unique and Educational Toys for Kids

Whenever I have to purchase a gift for a child, I always try to find something unique and fun at the same time. I like to give a gift that I know they don't have and that will also expose the child to something they may not otherwise be exposed to. Here are a few suggestions for unique toys and gifts for children that will surely open them up to new and exciting worlds.

1. "Treasure Chest" with Foreign Coins. This year for Christmas, I am purchasing two of these unique treasure chests for my young cousins. They are available at seventhavenue.com for around $30 and include a wooden treasure chest filled with 100 authentic coins from all over the world. Some of the coins are no longer in circulation and some are historical currency. The chest even comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. This is surely a unique gift that will entice children young and old alike.

2. Eyeclops. For children too young for a microscope or even for those who aren't, the Eyeclops is a great toy to satisfy young curious minds. Available for about $60 at mindware.com, the Eyeclops magnifies anything in its viewer up to 200x and puts the image on your television screen via the A/V jack now conveniently placed on the front of most standard televisions. Children will enjoy searching for new things to explore with the Eyeclops, from bugs to hairs and anything else they can think of!

3. Discovery Rainbow in My Room. This amazing gadget found at shopping.discovery.com actually creates a real rainbow in your child's room. For about $30 this item will use LED light to create a real rainbow on any wall or ceiling. It even comes with a detailed instruction book full of facts about rainbows. Also available is the Moon in my Room found at shop.nationalgeographic.com. It's a light that hangs on the wall and looks just like the Moon. Also priced at $30, this Moon features a remote control, a timer setting and can be adjusted to depict any phase of the Moon.