90 Gift Ideas (for Kids) that aren’t a waste of money [2021 Edition]

While the toy of the moment gives our kids a temporary thrill, I like to give my kids gifts that will result in more long-lasting joy. Something that they will play with over and over again. And if they learn something along the way…awesome.

Many of these ideas will be great to allow kids to explore on their own. Or you could add some fun to your homeschool by incorporating these gifts into your days. For example:

• Make Friday a Fun Friday to focus on arts and crafts.
• Dedicate a workbox drawer to Art or Fun and pop coloring books, drawing books, painting and cutting pages in there.
• Look at your lesson plans and write in the use of a particular gift (like puzzles, books, kits).
• Establish reading time each day for independent reading of whatever they want, or give them a day a week when they must read whatever they want for a certain amount of time. They’ll likely read for longer and fill up a reading log in no time!

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Educational Gift Ideas for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are learning all the time as they’re playing and observing the world. However, it doesn’t hurt to have a few activities on-hand that have educational value. Specifically, activities that encourage an interest in books (preparation for reading) and that help them to develop their fine motor skills (preparation for writing) are helpful.

Fun picture books are great gifts for preschoolers. They’ll want you to read them over and over again, and that’s good! Repeated readings helps them to develop their language skills and maybe even to start recognizing words if they follow along with you. If your child has already started to sound out words, some very basic early readers (like Bob Books) would be delightful for them.  (You may be interested in my review of Bob books.)

Creative hands-on activities help your preschooler to develop hand strength. Activities that require your child to use their thumb and index finger together (pincer grasp) help them to get ready to develop the correct pencil grip for writing.

Educational Gift Ideas for Preschoolers

Educational Gift Ideas for Readers

The bookish kids in your life will love and adore anything book-related: bookmarks, booklights, e-readers, but especially – ESPECIALLY – an entire box set by a favorite author. The anticipation of diving into a box set is also a gift.

While reading itself is an educational activity, you can up the educational aspect by choosing books with a historical setting or with a setting in a different country.

Educational Gift Ideas for Readers

Educational Gift Ideas for Kids that Think They Hate Books

Before kids can learn to enjoy reading, they need to get to the point that they don’t hate the sight of a book. My gift idea choices below may be just what the book-hating child in your life needs to begin appreciating books.

Educational Gift Ideas for Kids that Think They Hate Books

Educational Gift Ideas for Kid DIYers

Hands-on projects are a fantastic way to help your kids develop their fine-motor skills. They’re a great way to sneak in some learning about shapes and colors with your younger kids. And learning to follow step-by-step instructions during a project in which your child is interested will give them practice for learning in subjects like science and math, where following step-by-step instructions are necessary for learning.

Educational Gift Ideas for Kid DIYers

Educational Gift Ideas for Kids that Love to Think

Your brainiacs will love activities that work their minds. All manner of puzzle books, science-y kits, logic games…the brainiacs in our lives make educational gift-buying so easy! Brain-challenging activities encourage kids to focus on an activity/problem for a longer period of time, which is a skill and practice necessary for succeeding in math and science.

Educational Gift Ideas for Kids That Love to Think

Educational Gift Ideas for Kids That Love Games

You can sneak a lot of learning into game-playing. Games for preschoolers can incorporate learning about numbers, colors, and shapes. Games for older kids incorporate strategy and critical thinking skills. Cooperative games encourage <ahem> cooperation. And games for all ages incorporate practice in good sportsmanship.

Educational Gift Ideas for Kids That Love Games

Educational Gift Ideas for Kids That Love to Work with Their Hands

Some kids (and people of all ages) connect more with activities that require physical involvement. That hands-on aspect may be necessary to connect the dots mentally. With that said, the gift ideas I’ve included below are educational in various ways. Some are great for fine motor skills. Many involve critical thinking. A couple encourage scientific exploration.

Educational Gift Ideas for Kids That Love to Work with Their Hands

Educational Gift Ideas for Little Athletes

Besides working gross motor skills, I find that my kids need physical activity throughout the day in order to stay calm and be focused. When my kids were small, they were constantly running around and didn’t need a lot of encouragement to be active. But as they get older, I’m finding that they need more of a reason to be active. So I try to find activities that they’ll enjoy and that will encourage them to be more active.

Educational Gift Ideas for Little Athletes

Educational Gift Ideas for Budding Scientists

There are so many amazing kits available that encourage scientific exploration. And kids love them!

Educational Gift Ideas for Budding Scientists

Homeschool families spend quite a bit of money on educational supplies, often not leaving much money left for the fun stuff. But who says that gifts can’t be both fun and educational? Being mindful in choosing gifts that bring joy to our kids while also sparking imagination, creativity, and curiosity make both kids and parents happy.

Anything I missed? What gifts (that have educational value) have your kids loved?