Ten Great Educational Gifts for Homeschooled Children

When holiday shopping for homeschoolers, educational toys and games often come to mind as preferable gifts. Homeschooling is not the cheapest venture in the world, and educational toys and gifts are welcome by parent teachers due to the fact that they enrich the learning process for their children. Some of the best gifts for learning don’t look educational at all.

1. Museum Membership – A membership to a local museum or zoo is a great educational gift because it offers a year’s worth of learning memories. Parents can plan field trips over the year to go along with lesson plans and curriculum units. Kids won’t know they’re learning as they explore the museum’s exhibits or look at the animals in their established habitats. Most museums and zoos offer family memberships at a reasonable cost which include free or reduced-cost admission, discounted purchases from gift shops, and special member benefits.

2. Scrabble – The timeless classic word game has been used for years to teach children spelling and problems solving. Be sure to include a dictionary so that contested words can be looked up.

3. Blocks – Geometrical games like Mister Sabio, Discovery Toys Playful Patterns, Mandala Magic, and the Supermind series contain plastic or wooden shapes similar to those used in Tangrams. Klikko and Magnetix magnetic block sets are a twist on standard construction toys, using new angles and new connection methods. These blocks are uber cool.

4. Three Dimensional Puzzles – Puzz 3d and similar puzzles are more like models than puzzles, but the result is confidence and a nice item for the child’s room. An alternative, dollhouse kits and model kits, both require time spent constructing the items and following instructions.