Kiddipedia
The beginning of a new year is always a great time for parents to stop and take stock of just how much their children and grown and changed, and what evolutions the year ahead may bring. If you have preteens or tweens, 12 months and a whole school year can really make a world of difference after all. Our little learners keep on learning – both about the world and about themselves, and their own interests.
And if your kids have birthdays coming up, chances are you’re thinking critically about their interests and how best to give them gifts that spark their curious minds. Well thankfully today, we’ll be outlining our top picks for the best educational kids gifts to ensure that 2024 is a year of learning and exploring. So read on to unearth all our top educational gift ideas and hopefully even streamline your 2024 birthday shopping plans in the process.
Some YA Fiction Books
If you’re looking to encourage your kids to embrace the wonders and joys of reading, then we highly recommend that you give them a few brand new YA fiction books (or perhaps even a whole book series or two) to read over the next few months. The summer holidays are the perfect time to get lost in some fantasy fiction or other kinds of books so your kids are guaranteed to find hours of entertainment and learning opportunities with this great gift idea.
When shopping for books, try to take advantage of sales like ‘Back To School’ sales. Use any rewards programmes or cashback offers that may be available to you (pro tip from us: you can earn Qantas Points when you shop at Booktopia or other retailers via Qantas Shopping).
Educational Board or Card Games
Kids love to play board and card games, and these recreational activities can also be a great bonding activity for the whole family to enjoy. But Monopoly is such a thing of the past these days, as there is a wide range of educational board and card games on the market now.
Some games aim to build literacy, numeracy, general knowledge, and even science or STEM skills. One of our top recommendations here has to be Oom-Pah. This competitive speed game is great for fostering musical skills in your children.
Buy Them a Learn to Code Class
Coding lessons, or ‘learn to code’ classes, are another excellent, experiential gift idea for any curious young kid. There are a variety of coding classes available. Still, the most engaging ones for kids typically teach them how to code simple scripts – mainly to create video games or useful apps. If they’re Minecraft or Roblox mad, this is a great idea. This tremendous educational gift idea could be great for setting them up for a lucrative career in IT, software development and engineering, so it will be money well spent.
It’s also worth noting, however, that these specialised classes can run during the school holidays, as an after-school activity, or even online via Zoom. So be sure to find a coding class scheduled at the right times, in the right settings, and with the perfect course materials for the child to take full advantage of.
A Robot Building Kit
A ready-to-build robot kit is another top educational gift idea for a techie child. These fun kits are usually designed to contain all the materials they’ll need to build their first robot, including detailed instructions with diagrams.
When building their new robot pal, your kids will learn all about circuits, robotics, and the basics of practical electronics – all while having heaps of fun bringing their robot to life. Then, once it’s finished, they’ll have their own robot. What an achievement! This gift will instil a love of building and robotics in their life and will assist them to develop valuable STEAM skills.
A Subscription to a Cool Tech or Science Magazine
Do you want to encourage your little learner to read more and reduce their screen time? Then, you could gift them a subscription to a tech magazine, such as Wired or beanz magazine. These publications include all the latest and most excellent innovation news in the world of technology, so it will make a great gift for a budding techie.
If you’re concerned about the environment, you can buy a digital subscription to reduce paper waste. This might not reduce their screen time, however, so choose what you think is best.
A Leapfrog
This is an excellent gift idea for younger children who are starting to learn to read, write and do basic sums. A Leapfrog is an electronic tool that can assist a kid in learning how words and numbers work and are put together. These battery-powered interactive books allow your kid the opportunity to learn through gameplay, with Leapfrogs being filled with mini-games that help develop their literacy and numeracy as they go through the activity.
As Leapfrogs are also designed to look like laptops or tablets, these techie educational gadgets can make a good gift for kids who are interested in technology but may be too young to have their own PC or iPad.
Lego Gadgets
Lego is always a fantastic gift idea for kids that encourages problem-solving and lateral thinking. And if you want to take this already educational gift one step further, you can opt for a Lego gadget set rather than a general Lego building kit.
A Lego gadget set contains Lego pieces with building elements such as gear wheels, pegs, pulleys and more. These more STEM-oriented Lego kits also come with instructions designed to help your kids build a variety of machines that move. If your kids are interested in robotics or engineering, they’re sure to find plenty to love about some Lego gadget kits over 2024.
With all these educational gift ideas outlined above, you should have plenty of inspiration to secure all your kids’ birthday gifts across 2024. So get out there and hit the stores (or the sites) to find all the best educational gifts that your kids will be sure to enjoy this year.
