24 Best Educational Toys To Gift Your Kids This Year

Gift Guide: 24 Cool Toys for Kids

As a parent, one of the biggest dilemmas for every birthday and holiday season, is what gifts to buy for your kids. Recently, it's become a trend to give kids gadgets, but always giving the gift of technology is proving detrimental for your kids well-being of our future adults. Instead, why not invest in something that's both educational and enjoyable. This way, your children will develop and grow into well balanced adults and still have fun along their childhood journey.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

For More Help
Buying presents for infants and toddlers is even more difficult than for older children. Luckily, there are many websites and blogs to guide you with gift ideas and recommendations. Snugbaby is one such helpful blog. From reviews about the best strollers for your young ones to life-saving advice for new struggling parents, Snugbaby.net has it all. So, be sure to check it out for more helpful gift reviews and advice on parenting little ones.

0-1 year olds Educational Toy Gift Ideas

Melissa and Doug Shape-Sorting Set
This classic toy is a popular educational toy for kids and comes in a variety of themes. See the farm sorting set pictured above, It gives a basic introduction to shapes and colors, as well as, problem solving skills and manual dexterity.  Kids have to insert the blocks into the correct shape.

VTech Musical Rhymes Book
This colorful book with baby-friendly pages engages your toddlers with nursery rhymes while providing a fun way to learn the rhymes.


Skoolzy Rainbow Counting Bears with Matching Sorting Cups
Another simple game, it's an excellent way of teaching colors and simple math skills. Here, toddlers learn to put the bear in the matching colored cup. They also have to count the number of bears available to fill each cup, which makes it a helpful lesson in mathematics.

Download our counting math activity printable to use with this game.

VTech Sit to Stand Learning Walker
This popular toy encourages 9-month-olds to walk while engaging them with colorful activities and sound, thus developing their sensory skills and coordination.

1-3 years (Toddlers)

Learning Resources Alphabet Island Game
Using the classic ABC rhyme doesn’t have to be the only way to teach kids the alphabet. Make learning fun for your toddlers while they go treasure hunting for the alphabet.

Sensory Alphabet Activity

Learning Resources Fine Motor Hedgehog
The spikes on the hedgehog are color-coded and easy to grip, making it a great game for kids to play to  enhance motor skills, color coordination, and sorting abilities.

LeapFrog Scribble and Write Tablet
What a great way to introduce letters and numbers before your kids start preschool. Kids trace the letter or number using the tracing tool without the need for writing with crayons or pencils.

The Learning Journey: Match It! Spelling
Visual learning is a great method to teach kids. Linking words with images helps children learn more quickly. Moreover, the puzzle nature of the game also develops kid’s dexterity.

VTech Smart Shots Sports Center
This game is a great way to introduce an active toddler to sports. The Smart Shots Sports Center comes with a net and two balls. It teaches counting by scoring hoops for points and also teaches shapes, songs, and simple words.

ehome Toddler Musical Instrument
People of all age groups enjoy music, kids are no different. This set contains various musical instruments, so parents don't have to worry about which instrument to buy. Encourage your kids to try out playing the different instruments. Who knows, you may have the next Michael Jackson in your house. These also make a great gift for Easter baskets!

3-5 years (Preschool)

Magnetic Drawing Board Mini Travel Doodle
There's nothing wrong or right when it comes to art. This is the basic concept behind this old, yet popular toy. Give your kid free reign over the board and let the pen do the rest. It's fun for trips with family too!

Tips for Family Travel

Learning Resources Pretend and Play Doctor Kit
Playing doctors is still just as popular as ever. The doctor kit is a great gift for aspiring doctors and it's also a great way to teach kids to be kind, helpful, and patient.

ThinkFun Zingo Bingo Board Game
This award-winning game is a fun family activity. Essentially bingo with tiles that have labeled images, it teaches kids word-picture association, and it's also a great way to teach preschoolers new words.

Ideal My First Magic Set
Magic is always fascinating to kids, and what better way to teach your kids confidence, social skills, and self-discipline than using this fun magic game? The 25 tricks in this set, which comes with props, instructions, and online videos, make a great Christmas gift for children.

Back To Nature Outdoor Toy Set
For little explorers, this set includes a flashlight, binoculars, compass, and a magnifying glass. Make the game more fun by making a map and preparing a treasure and set your kids out treasure hunting. Can you imagine a memorable childhood play experience?

5-12 years (Elementary School)

Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Exploration Kit
Does your kid love tinkering around with electronics? This is the perfect gift for engineers in the making. The color-coded circuit components come with a guide and after they have mastered the basics, watch your kids build their own circuits!

See our Snap Circuit Activity for Homeschoolers.

Melissa and Doug Fashion Design Activity Kit
Science isn't the only subject of educational toys. Let your child's creative side flourish with this attractive fashion design kit that contains fashion plates, pencils, and crayons.

Scientific Explorer Mind Blowing Science Kit
This kit is equipped with 11 fun activities that will entertain your little ones’ inquisitive minds. Build curiosity for new things and a love of science with this science experiment kit that's easy to clean and will quickly become your kid’s next favorite toy.

Grow ‘n’ Glow Terrarium
A unique toy that even adults have fun playing, is this gardening terrarium game. Kids plant the Chia seeds in the terrarium. The kit also comes with glow in the dark stickers and resin figurines to decorate.

IQ Builder Building Toy Set
This building toy set, featuring various shapes and sizes, challenges your kids to expand their creative boundaries in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Equipped with a storage box, this must-have STEM toy, barely takes any space in your room. 

ThinkFun Gravity Maze Marble Run Logic Game
Develop strategic thinking skills with this innovative game. It uses blocks arranged in different ways to  creatively work around the effect of gravity. The difficulty level increases as the game gets more complex.

Scharkspark Telescope For Kids
This birthday, gift your kids something out of this world. This wonderful telescope helps kids realize the beauty of our vast universe. Introduce your kids to the amazing world of star-gazing and also teach them to take care of their toys with this real working scientific instrument.

National Geographic Break Open Geodes
For the little James Huttons and Florence Bascoms who love scavenging and exploring, this amazing geology set is the perfect gift. Watch your kids squeal in delight when they discover beautiful gems after breaking open the included rocks.

Thames and Kosmos Candy Chemistry Kit
Inspire your kids love of chemistry with this fun game that rewards kids with handmade sweet treats. Sweets and science have truly undeniable chemistry together, a match made in heaven.


Summary
Parents spend a lot of money and time trying to give the best educational toys for kids. From toys to education, parents try not to compromise anything for the sake of their children. However, the best gift that parents can give their children are good values and a strong support system. Always encourage your children to try new things on their own and give their best effort. Eventually, your little one will grow to guide you on the journey of life, instead of the other way around. 

Good luck on your journey of parenthood; you'll need it!



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Sensory Play Ideas

Best Pet Beds for Medium and Large Dogs

Comfy Pet Bed for Dogs

If you are looking for a great dog bed, the Runyon Deluxe Pet Bed from Brentwood Home is one of the best pet beds for medium and large dogs. It is roomy enough for two medium sized dogs or lots of little ones. We were given this super durable, comfy pet bed for review. Guess what? We've got one for you too. Scroll to the bottom of this post for details. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Best Pet Beds for Medium and Large Dogs.

Cat Food Reviews: Purina® Pro Plan® Savor Shredded Blend

The Cat Food You Pick is Important

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PawsToSavor #CollectiveBias

We claim that we have four cats. We have one original, one adopted stray, two inherited brothers, several neighbor cats, and a feral cat on the property. That's a lot of mouths to feed. So, when it comes to recognizing a hangry cat, we know the signs! A hangry cat will eat most anything, but a hungry cat has time for a more refined palette. If you are looking for cat food reviews, you've come to the right place. Today, we share how much our cats love Purina® Pro Plan® Savor Shredded Blend and how much we love our cats. Enjoy!

Our cats, all four of them, stick to us like glue. Wherever we go, they follow. When we walk laps around the pond, two of the cats walk with us no matter how many laps we  do. Our youngest kitty runs around the pond stopping for us to catch up with her.

Our Pete, the Cat.

When we play in the yard, they interrupt. When we try to do work, they try to stop us. When we sit in a chair, they sit on our laps. These cats are more like dogs. When we pull into the driveway, the run to greet us at the car. They show their love for us in so many ways. Our job is to protect them.

Pete and RePete at play.

How do you make sure your kitties don't fight over the food? First, you make sure no kitty is hangry. You know, he's so hungry that he is angry. A hangry cat will spit, slap, and attack anyone anyTHING that tries to take his food. Our two, inherited older brother cats, Pete, and his brother, RePete, (insert LOL) often find themselves locked up inside a barn, garage, or even our RV.

They are sneaky and determined. One winter, Pete was missing for 3 weeks! We later found him in our barn. Hopefully, he had lots of mice to eat. RePete was missing for a fews weeks the next winter. We found him in the RV. Boy oh boy, was he hangry (and happy to be found). When they are hangry they fight the feral cat, the raccoon family, and the opossums.

Lots of growling ensues.

If they come into the house, they fight the innocent indoor cats who are just guarding their food bowl from would be thieves.

This is RePete, he was at the food bowl enjoying Purina® Pro Plan® Savor Shredded Blend, when Tigger decided to come over and have a bite to eat. RePete says, "You may be bigger, but I'm older and that makes me the boss!" Tigger obliged, RePete was clearly hangry.

When your cats are hungry, they love you more than ever. They rub against your legs, purr, and request that you feed them. It is a special moment to cherish, but when cat's fight over the food it can be stressful.

Timid Tigger, testing out the Purina® Pro Plan® Savor Shredded Blend.

RePete hogging both sides of the Purina® Pro Plan® Savor Shredded Blend.

So, what can you do? Well, first, make sure you never have a hangry cat. Feed them well and often. Hungry cats will growl to protect their food. Hangry cats slap and hiss! If everyone is hungry at the same time, what can you do?

Every morning, we have hungry cats crying in the kitchen and hungrier cats crying at the front door. We've been testing cat foods to find a food that everyone likes. That's right, you know cats can be snooty and too good for the cheap stuff.

One of our cats is too good for people food. Which is good, because we don't advocate feeding your cat people food. It's just funny. If something drops on the floor he races the other cats to get to it. Then, he proceeds to bat it around as if it were a cat toy. It isn't fun to find rotten food under the stove or the couch. That's Tigger.

Another one of our cat has seizures. If we feed her cheap food with lots of gluten, her seizures get worse. It took a long time to realize that cat food played a role. We have to be extra careful with food and flea products. That's Buddi.

This is Pete. Listen to our happy, hungry kitty eating Purina® Pro Plan® Savor Shredded Blend.

How to Keep Cats from Fighting Over Food

Step One: Give everyone their own bowl.
This is the best solution. You can pour food in the bowl and let the cats fight it out, first come first serve. That's what most of us do, right? Your cats will have a better chance of getting their fair share if you give everyone their own bowl or at least their own side of the dish. Just don't invite RePete to the party!

Those darn cats won't sit still for a picture with the bag of cat food.

Step Two: Feed an awesome food.

Head to PetSmart and purchase some Purina® Pro Plan® Savor® Shredded Blend. If you hurry, for every $15 you spend, you'll get $15 off your next purchase. SPEND $15 on any Purina® Pro Plan® product between 5/31/16–7/5/16 and SAVE $15 on your next purchase of 10.5-lbs. or larger Purina® Pro Plan® Dry Cat or Dog Food or Litter by 7/31/16. They'll enjoy their dish of food so much that they'll forget everyone else has a dish of delicious food too.

Our indoor cats are good about sticking to their own side of the dish, as long as everyone has the same thing.

Step Three: Distract.

Who is the least hungry or the most intimidated by the others? Remove that kitty from the food. Entertain them with a toy or some scratching behind the ears. Kitty bonding time! For us, this is Tigger. He is the biggest, but not the baddest!

Step Four: Evict.

If someone doesn't want to play nicely, evict them. Grumpy Gus can eat last. So, this step is usually handled by the other cats. In fact, we tried to get a picture of all the cats happily eating out of their own dish, but someone always got evicted for being greedy. They even got evicted for just being near the food.

Step Five: Feed them separately.
They are cats not dogs. Cats do what they want. How do you make sure your cats don't fight over the food? You realize you don't have control. Move their food bowl to another place. In the end, we had to feed everyone separately. A little growl here, a hiss, a dirty look, and the younger cats walked away. I could almost hear them say, "I'm not that hangry!"

This is Buddi. She likes to play outside, she doesn't like to cooperate for pictures.

Aww... poor kitty, come get some love while you wait, let's savor this moment in time.   

Purina® Pro Plan® Savor Shredded Blend has its own aisle at PetSmart.

Pete helping with homework.

Pete helping play with toys. You can see, Pete is our resident dog. He loves to go for walks.

 Like Purina Pro Plan on Facebook.

This is a great choice for cats of all ages and body types. Purina® Pro Plan® Savor® has the advanced nutrition cats need to help live a healthy, active life, along with a sensory experience that will have them loving every minute of it. Shredded blend adult dry formulas has a combination of crunchy kibble and tender shredded pieces for a taste and texture that cats love.

No ingredients are unnecessary. For sensitive cats, be assured that real poultry or fish is the #1 ingredient in all of the dry formulas. There are over 20 different flavorful wet entrees that are protein-rich, with accents like pasta, rice, cheese or vegetables. All formulas provide omega fatty acids for a healthy skin and coat. Prebiotic fiber helps promote digestive health. 

Now is a great time to try it, spend $15 or more and get a coupon for $15 off of your next purchase. In the meantime, let us know how you keep your cats from fighting over their food. What do your cats do when they are hangry?



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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

April Showers? Color an Umbrella Craft for Kids

April showers! Spring Umbrella Craft for Kids

Finally, after all the April snows, Mayhem was able to color her
ALEX® Toys - Craft Color A Yumbrella. It took Spring forever to... er sprung- and patient she ain't. Anywho...

Coloring an umbrella with permanent markers.

This cute umbrella craft comes with permanent markers. We used some of our own Sharpies too. She colored one triangle, got tired, and took a break for a week. Now, she can color whenever she gets bored. The craft that keeps on giving! 

You know, she'll be modeling this with her latest rubber galoshes. What am I saying? It's Mayhem, she'll probably wear ballet flats when she goes skipping in the rain.

Mayhem colors a lollipop on her Yumbrella.

The Umbrella is decorated with cute, yummy sweets.

Recommended Reading:


Let It Rain*

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What to Expect When You're Expecting Book Giveaway

You've probably heard of the book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting", but did you know they have a website with pregnancy and parenting tips? It's a great resource for New-Moms-to-be. You can track your babies growth, see celebrity moms, and find Mommy Blogs about pregnancy and parenting.

Follow @whattoexpect on Twitter and Facebook/WhatToExpectWhenYoureExpecting 

Check back next week for your chance to win the trilogy! 

Pre-Pregnancy

You're Expecting

The First Year

We'll be giving away copies on our next Pin it! Online Scavenger Hunt on Pinterest.
Tweet

JAWS?

Just Add Water System

With all the messy crafts and kid's cooking projects we do on a regular basis, I could start my own landfill with empty bottles of cleaning supplies. So, when the opportunity arose to review a greener alternative landed in my inbox, I jumped on it. I'm so glad I did!

JAWS is awesome. You get an empty bottle, an insert-able cartridge, and a refill pack. Jaws doesn't have an offensive odor and it hasn't irritated my allergies like other products do.  When you've cleaned all those messes and need more cleaner just head to your local Marsh for a new cartridge to insert into your old bottle.  Just add water...

I'm giving away a full-size bottle of all the products with refill cartridges!

Comment below for 1 entry.

For 2 entries Like Kids Creative Chaos on Facebook.

For 3 entries Like Jaws on Facebook.

For 4 Entries Like Playconnection on Twitter.

Dudley's Spin an Egg Art Easy way to Color and Decorate eggs: Best $5 Ever Spent on Easter Egg Kit

"Dudley's Spin an Egg" is truly the best $5 I ever spent on Easter Egg Coloring Kits: How to Decorate Eggs

It is so easy to color and decorate eggs and make them beautiful. Learn How to decorate Easter eggs with this fun Easter egg coloring kit. These eggs are the best ever. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Dudley Spin and Egg Easy Decorating Kit.

This is so cool! The kids had a blast and I loved it! It is the good, old faithful Dudley brand, "SPIN an EGG," I got mine at Meijer for $5. Look for them on clearance, so you can have a couple for next year. It is so easy, and there is virtually no clean-up. My kids all give it 2 thumbs up (the teenager too)!

Easy way for Toddlers and Preschoolers to color Easter eggs.

How to Decorate eggs for Easter

Boil your eggs, the old cook books have a recipe for how to boil eggs. I am terrible at it. My eggs always crack or are underdone. Let the eggs cool in the fridge for about an hour, then wipe them dry with a paper towel before coloring.  

Decorating Easter Eggs with Preschoolers with no mess.

'Dudley Spin Art' comes with several coloring packets and the box has color mixing instructions for all your budding little Picassos. If you run out you can make your own Easter egg dye with food coloring. The recipe is at the end of this post.

Start with a clean dry egg. 
This is essential for the dye to properly adhere to the egg.

Cut open a pouch and drop 8-10 drops in the spinner or use homemade Easter egg dye. Add the room temperature, dry egg, place the lid on top, and have the kids push the button to watch it spin! Kids love to watch the process.

Marbled Eggs with Dudley Egg Spinner.

The kit comes with a Dudley "Puppet" (or use a plastic baggie) to retrieve the eggs from the spinner. Between colors, just wipe the spinner with a paper towel to remove excess dye.

Voila! Beautiful one-of-a-kind decorated Easter Eggs.

Look at these beautiful, shiny eggs. Imagine laying them in a homemade nest for a glorious table setting. You can buy perfect nesting material at Walmart. It comes in various colors. It is a string-like, candy substance (looks like colored coconut). The package describes it as edible Easter grass. It would be the perfect complement to these artsy, marbleized Easter eggs. 

How to make homemade Easter egg dye (not die) for Dudley refill 

Can you use food coloring for Dudley Spin an Egg Art? Of course,  you can!

You need: Food Coloring, Vinegar, Water
Optional: White Crayon

In a ceramic cup, mix together 1/2 C. of room temperature water, 1 Tbs. vinegar, and several drops of food coloring. Neon food coloring works best for vibrant eggs. You will need several drops for maximum color. You can also experiment with Kool-aid packets. Use a white crayon to draw circles or shapes that will resist the egg dye.

Use 1 Tbs. of color in your Dudley Egg Spinner or Spin Art kit. 

Recommended Reading:

Crafts For Easter (Holiday Crafts for Kids)*

175 Easy-to-Do Easter Crafts: Creative Uses for Recyclables (Easy-to-Do Crafts Easy-to-Find Things)*

Easter Egg Games for a kid's party

Get your own Dudley Spin an Egg Art*
















ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)