Mention "kids + learning" to a parent - especially a parent of young ones - and they'll all agree that it's something they want their children to be doing. Learning opportunities are all around us, from our entertainment, to our relationships, to our homes... and beyond. But yet it's still something that many parents struggle to incorporate naturally into their kids' activities, because too often we feel confusion about choosing the right mix of fun and learning.
Gift-giving time, like on major holidays or birthdays, can amplify this confusion and parents can find themselves standing before a wall of toys or hesitating to hit "ORDER" for an online purchase because they just aren't sure the item will tick the boxes of being both educational and fun enough that kids would want to engage.
We think we can be of service here, fellow parents. Here are five ways you can ensure your choices provide age-appropriate, enjoyable, learning activities for your kids - and the kids you give gifts to!
3+ Years
The period where kids are out of the younger toddler years, but not quite ready for school, can be challenging for gift-giving, especially when you are looking for play-based learning or educational gifts. Many kids this age - most, actually - are not yet reading, but they may be moving towards recognizing letters and a basic phonetic understanding of how sounds and words work. One super fun way (and adorable, we must say) to help kids aged 3+ to hone these developmental skills is with the LeapFrog Go-With-Me ABC Backpack.
Children interact with the alphabet in a tactile way with this portable learning system, and the 26 letters of the alphabet become a puzzle on the vibrant LCD screen. (Don't worry, parents; despite being portable and easy to pack up, this backpack is built to last and durable enough for even enthusiastic toddler hands. And all the pieces fit inside, so it really is an all-in-one!)
There's even an introduction here to writing skills, and the backpack’s resident cheerleader "Mr. Pencil" helps kids master the curves and lines of letters with step-by-step encouraging instructions. All in all, this portable learning centre is an enjoyable learning toy at heart, while still showing kids how much they can achieve with any of the pre-programmed 7 activities.
6+ Years
Kids love to emulate what they see their parents do - it's what helps them eventually start sleeping in their own beds and brushing their own teeth! Email is a great way to let kids feel a bit "grown up," and as long as the proper safety measures are in place, it can be a great learning tool.
You can set your kids up with a personal email address to which you have full access and filtering ability. You can take the reins on creating the contact list and set parameters for access. And bonus: by choosing an email address that can "grow" with your child, this can be a once-and-done effort. (With an older elementary aged child, I am realizing that they actually NEED their own email addresses, since mine has become flooded with all manner of news from schools, classmates, loyalty-card emails, gaming updates, etc.)
Take some time and talk about how email works as well as discussing some safety rules and principles surrounding online communication. Then, start corresponding! Email can also be a great way to "talk" to your older child when you need some distance or emotional space for topics that usually garner an eye-roll.
2-7 Years
We all learn in different ways, and the LeapStart 3D Interactive Learning System is perfect for auditory and visual learners, making a great learning toy choice for just about any child aged 2 to 7. (That's a great range, and means the developmental toy grows with them and their new, developing abilities.) And because there are over 400 activities available across the LeapStart library, those years can be filled with great, new fun - not the same activities over and over, because what's the challenge or fun in that?
The LeapStart 3D helps with more than just reading, and reaches into the worlds of math (STEM), problem-solving skills, social skills and more! The base platform includes a sampler book and comes in around $59.99 CAD making it a really great gift option, and then you can give again each holiday with a new book or book set - and with over 25 books in the library to choose from, that pretty much takes care of the stress you'd encounter over the next few years of lists! (You're welcome.)
We can't think of another toy that packs so many options for learning into one system as the long-loved LeapStart 3D learning system - with its multi-levelled learning from preschool to grade two, and 50+ skills to practice, this fun activity will keep kids engaged and involved in their own learning, and the best part? They'll be having such a great time, they won't even know it.
2 Years and Up
You'd be hard-pressed to find a household now without streaming abilities; Netflix, Crave, Hulu, and YouTube have all become the new network TV and in many ways, this has opened great new possibilities for learning. Now, instead of waiting for 4:30 pm every Tuesday for a specialized French children's program, you can watch on YOUR clock! This is a boon to parents whose children are learning a second - or even third - language. There are so many fabulous non-English programs available on streaming services, that finding one is simply a click away.
Programs on most streaming services have easy-switch options, where you can watch a show in English, then in French or Spanish, and then again with language subtitles! Honestly, if reinforcing secondary language learning was this easy when I was in school, I may have been typing this in Italian right now!
There is an abundance of programming available with this second/third language switch option, making the choices vast and varied, and this allows your kids to really pick the ones they want to see, which helps to keep them engaged and learning.
6 Months and Up
Living is learning and that means from day one, infants are reacting and responding to their environments. (They don't make hundreds of crib mobiles in different styles for just fashion!) Babies as young as 6 months and up can get in on the fun and learning with the LeapFrog Safari Learning Station - a developmental learning toy that quite literally changes as quickly as your baby.
Smaller babes in arm can lay down and get tummy time while investigating all of the Safari adventures this durable arch offers, or, raise it up for crawler and scooter babies to respond with. Then as babies learn to steady and stand, the Safari Learning Station can be set fully upright for standing behind to play with all the colourful, interactive buttons and activities.
This interactive learning toy has a multitude of possibilities as varied and interesting as each individual baby who uses it. There are sounds to be heard, surfaces to touch and be tactile with, and fun introductions to ABCs through songs and music, making it a truly interactive experience - something babies love. The Safari Learning Station's light-up piano will fascinate a little one and there are balls to drop and watch roll through the monkey's tail - honestly; it's as fun for parents to watch baby play as it is for baby!
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