Just over 5 weeks to go until Santa comes down the chimney!
It can be really tricky to think of different Christmas gift ideas for our children and adults. A useful approach can be to take a step back and think about different types of play and their benefits. So, in this blog I have put together a list of categories I’d recommend and some suggestions under each one. Hopefully this will make life easier when searching for what to put under the tree!
Pretend Play
Encouraging children to pretend play from a young age helps to develop important skills. Here is my go-to list of ideas:
- Pretend Kitchen/microwave
- Pretend washing machine/microwave
- Pretend hoover
- Dolls house & dolls
- Trains, cars and tracks
- ASDA supermarket & trolley
- Baby & Pram
- Figurines
Physical Play
To help burn off some energy and incorporate movement breaks into your child’s life, you could consider the following:
- Trampet
- Scooter
- Bike
- Swing
- Peanut Ball
- Sit ‘n’ Spin
- Building blocks
Sensory Toys
For those who enjoy the feel of different things and getting their hands dirty:
- Playdoh
- Kinetic Sand
- Water Beads
- Slime
- Fidget toys
- Bubbles
- Play foam
Cause & Effect toys
Mainly for younger children, here are some great toys that are often a hit:
- Pop up pals
- Jack in the box
- Light up wand/maraca’s
- Glow spinner
Board Games and Puzzles
You can use these games to teach your child to take turns as a family or some are great to teach to play independently.
- Inset puzzles
- Jigsaw Puzzles
- Buckaroo
- Pop up Pirate
- Monkey Blast
- Snap
- Hungry Hippo
Arts & Crafts
You can never go wrong with some art and crafts. Of course, some are messier than others!
- Paint/paint sticks
- Stickers
- Water Pen & Mat
- Crayons/Pens/Pencils
- Craft boxes
- Glow pad
Each of these toys will provide valuable learning opportunities for your child or adult, whether it’s teaching them the name of the item so they can request it, teaching them to play independently, play with others or teaching motor imitation.
I hope this helps to take away some of the pressure of Christmas shopping and brings smiles to faces!
