“Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!” – Dr.Seuss
Christmas is upon us and many parents already have an idea as to what they will be buying their children. This is largely attributed to the long wish list we so often receive from our little ones. I usually find myself in a ‘present purchasing’ catch-22. On one hand, I want to buy my children what they want, and on the other, I want to buy them what I think would add value to their playtime.
I’ve often found that these novelty toys are the “Buy me that, mommy” purchases – you know, the ads that are constantly running on all the kiddie channels, falsely advertising dolls, cars and a myriad of other things that really don’t swim like mermaids or race and do air flips on their own, “as seen on TV”. Now, I do understand that they ‘could’, but I don’t think that the catch-phrase, “batteries not included” or “all parts sold separately” adequately conveys the “imagination not included” message.
With that said, lately I’ve opted to find a balance between novelty toys and value added toys. By now you know what I consider to be novelty, but here are my thoughts on value added toys.
Value added toys, does just that – it adds value to the gift that one wouldn’t usually find lurking amidst a box of dolls or racing cars. Value added gifts are more about giving your child a gift that will challenge them on different levels, and involve the parents, to some degree. The results and excitement that goes with these gifts are phenomenal and the memories created are priceless.
Here are a few of my favourite value added gift ideas
“Imagination is more important than knowledge”
“Logic will take you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” – Albert Einstein
“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” – Mary Lou Coo
The beauty of these gifts is that they are fun for all ages, whether you’re a boy or girl. There are so many things that kids can make or recreate, such as paintings, clay sculptures, trinkets, models and so much more.
“Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained, and delighted.”
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”– Dr. Seuss
Although it can be hard to fit stories in before bedtime, I believe that it beats one more cartoon, hands down. Not only does it help with word comprehension, spelling, reading and articulation, it also taps into a world of imagination, while encouraging children to question the world they live in, thus improving communication between parent and child.
Board games, like video games, are a great way of keeping the kids entertained for hours. It also challenges them to think critically and that teaches them how to work as a team. Other benefits include satisfying their competitive urges and help them to master new skills and concepts. It is, therefore important to adhere to the board games’ recommended age requirements.
“Nine tenths of education is encouragement.” — Anatole France
“Educating the mind, without educating the hearts is no education at all” – Aristotle
When children are encouraged to learn new things through play, it never seems like a lesson, although they always learn. And although sometimes expensive, it’s always a good investment.
Puzzles present a myriad of benefits for your child’s development, such as stimulating their cognitive and emotional skills. Children learn how to solve problems through puzzle building, and that patience and perseverance is rewarded once they’ve completed the puzzle. Puzzle’s are a good gift, regardless of the child’s age.
I couldn’t find a positive quote online for video gaming – that’s really sad, considering that an educational genre does exist. And although, I am all for children playing in the great outdoors, and having good ol’ clean fun, video gaming can be fun too. Video games are often portrayed as being brain cell killing, psycho moulding, lazy-parent nanny systems, and a myriad of other things, but what Nintendo Wii and Xbox have taught me, is that gaming can be fun and a great way for families to bond and learn more about each other. It can also be a great way to keep active, but more importantly a great system for controlling what your kids play, and for how long.
These categories are a general guide when it comes to buying toys and activities that will best aid your child’s development, but essentially every parent knows what makes their children “tick” – whether its an X-Men action figure or Barney the Dinosaur.
Happy Shopping!
