Great Gifts for Fun and Learning

Regular LEGOs for older children

 When birthdays and holidays come around, grandparents want to give special gifts little ones. While there are many expensive, electronic and mechanical toys available, often the lasting favorite toys are simple and easy to use. Good toys for young children encourage discovery, learning and creativity. They are sturdy and easily handled by little fingers.Here are some gifts recommended by teachers and parents who have seen these toys in use at home and in preschool.

Teacher Recommended Gift Ideas:
All kinds of art/craft supplies like pencils, drawing paper, crayons, washable markers and paints (with supervision), child scissors, glue, colored paper.
Play-dough (store bought or made at home) and little rolling pins, cutters, etc.
  Large plastic connecting pieces like giant Legos, Duplo 

Large LEGOs or Duplos for smaller children

(Regular sized Lego blocks have too many little pieces for very young children.) About age four kids are ready for regular sized Lego pieces.
  Easy wooden puzzles, bath toys, magnetic alphabet letters and number (with supervision) and easy to catch balls for inside and outside. Inflatable beach balls work well inside during cold months.
   Large cardboard building blocks—perfect for stacking and making all sorts of roads, towers, etc. (Search  for Giant Building Block sets by Imagiday, Imagibricks or Melissa Basic Cardboard Blocks.)
  Sandbox and snow toys—plastic pails, shovels, diggers, trucks, etc.,

Easy wooden puzzles

simple to move cars and trucks.
   Baby dolls, simple musical instruments like whistles, drums, horns;  play tools, things for playing dress-up, magnifying glass, piggy banks (Savvy Pig), inside play tent, a snugly blanket, and stuffed animals for imaginary play.
Books Best
  The number one recommendation is BOOKS!  Children need to be read to several times each day if they are to become readers,
  Look for books that introduce the alphabet, colors, shapes other beginning concepts in a creative way like  “Now I Eat My ABCs” by Abrams, “Pets ABC” by Dahl,  “Achoo! Bang! Crash! “By MacDonald, “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” by Martin, “Click, Clack” by Cronin and “Mouse Paint” by Walsh “10 Little Rubber Ducks” by Carle, “Counting Kisses” by Katz, “Shapes” by Crowther, “Too Big, Too Small, Just Right” by Minters,  “I Stink!” by McMullan, “Yes” and other books by Alborough , and “What Will Fat Cat Sit On?” by Thomas, “Llama, Llama” by Dewdney, “Can You Growl Like a Bear?” by Butler, “Sheep in a Jeep” by Shaw and Apple, “Chickens to the Rescue” by Hillelman, “Corduroy” by Freeman, Moon books by Asch, “Very Hungry Caterpillar” and other stories by Eric Carle,  word books by Richard Scarry, “Where’s Spot?” by Hill,  “Go Dog Go!”, “Put Me in the Zoo” and other titles by Seuss.
  Check book lists at your library, the All-Time Best Books for Preschoolers, Top Books for Toddlers at "http://www.parents.com" www.parents.com, or Trelease-on-reading.com.
Sketches: Mark Nowicki
Photo: Fran Darling, fdarling fotos
More Ideas and Activities....See the authors’ book “Learning Through the Seasons” at area bookstores and grandparentsteachtoo.org. For more help to prepare young children for success in school see the authors’ web site: www.grandparentsteachtoo.org. Also check our audio Podcasts WNMU Radio, 90; Youtube video activities; and join us on Pinterest