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Imaginative Gift Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Special to The Truth
Whether you’re celebrating
your own child’s big day or shopping for a friend’s birthday
party, some of the best gifts for toddlers and preschoolers
are those that inspire imaginative play.
“Gift-giving for this age
group should reflect the tremendous opportunity that play
time offers for supporting early childhood development,”
says Dr. Lise Eliot, early brain development expert and
member of the Expert Panel at VTech, a world leader in
age-appropriate and developmental stage-based electronic
learning products for children.
With that in mind, here
are some fun gift ideas that will add value to children’s
play time.
Arts and Crafts
Inspire creativity and
foster fine motor skills with gifts for budding young
artists. Watercolor sets, finger paint, stencils and markers
are great age-appropriate selections. Just be sure any art
supplies are non-toxic and washable. A great gift set idea?
A blank smock and fabric paint -- kids can design their own
artist’s smock, which will inspire them to do even more art
projects in the future. Offer to hang or frame your
children’s favorite creations so they can proudly see them
on display.
Thoughtful Toys
Choose toys that are safe,
fun and engaging. For example, the Go! Go! Smart line of
toys from VTech features its innovative technologies that
bring the toys to life, letting children explore cause and
effect relationships while teaching first words, letters and
more.
Consider the Go! Go! Smart
Wheels Treasure Mountain Train Adventure, which allows kids
to discover spatial play by building train tracks, and
features its first motorized train that can climb hills on
its own. When the train is placed over one of the nine
“SmartPoint” locations on the playset, it will respond with
lights, sounds and music.
Toddlers can create a
whole kingdom featuring princesses, princes, fairies and
unicorns with Go! Go! Smart Friends playsets, encouraging
children to discover through imaginative play while building
motor and language skills. Even more stimulating activity is
encouraged with the turning telescope, swinging hammock, and
secret trap door found in the Go! Go! Smart Animals Happy
Paws Playland. For more information, visit vtechkids.com.
“The vehicles, animals and
characters spark children’s imaginations while keeping them
engaged, promoting listening skills and encouraging their
fine motor and cognitive development,” says Dr. Eliot.
Learning Experiences
The big wide world offers
plenty of opportunities for fun and learning, so consider
gifting an experience to the birthday boy or girl. Whether
it’s a puppet show, a day of exploration at the zoo or
aquarium, or hands-on learning workshop at a children’s
museum, the experience will not soon be forgotten!
For young children, make
birthdays and special occasions count. Great gifts can be
both educational and fun.
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