Elementary aged children may seem easy to buy for. At this age, they know what they want and ask for it. Sometimes though, I feel like we can get overwhelmed with TOYS. There is nothing wrong with buying toys for this age group, but you may want to think outside of the box when purchasing a gift.
Here is a list of different and educational gift ideas for the elementary aged child, anywhere from 5 to 11 years old. These are great gift ideas that foster learning and give the child a new experience!
1. STEM Kit
Students in elementary LOVE STEM projects. There are so many STEM kits available for children. Usually, STEM kits comes with everything you need to make something fun. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Usually STEM kits are geared towards engineering and kids love building and creating!
One of my favorite STEM kits is this kit from Giggleway. This is the Electric Motor Robotic Science Kit. Included in the kit is three different robots for your child to build. Once the robot is built, children can play with the robot in different ways. All robots are motorized and teach children about electric circuits. Everything you need, including the screwdriver, is included in the kit.
If you want to learn more about this STEM kit, visit our post on this kit here.
2. STEM Subscription Box
Another STEM option is a STEM box that is delivered every month or every few months. This is like a gift that keeps giving! Children will receive a new box in the mail every month to build and create. Below are a few different options for this!
Bitsbox is a coding subscription box for kids ages 6 to 12. This will send a box every month with a coding activity. This is great for kids that like computers or video games. It teaches kids how to code for apps, games, simulations, and more! This is like real computer programing that kids will enjoy!
Another subscription is the Club SciKids Labs. This STEM subscription box is for kids age 7 and up, although it can be used for younger children with adult help. It is more focused on science concepts like geology or biology. This box is great for kids that love all aspects of science! Some boxes include making a laboratory, building a microscope, and learning about being a doctor, the solar system, and rocks.
If your child is more into art, this STEAM box from Green Kid Crafts is great. It includes experiments and an art project every month. This box is great to include both science and art! This box is focused on ages 5 to 10.
3. Experiences
Another great gift idea is to give the gift of an experience. Purchase tickets to a museum or a fun activity. When giving the gift, you could present it on a piece of paper that states when you will go! Here are a list of some of my favorite educational experiences for children! Keep in mind the age of your child, but these could be fun for any age!
Science Museum
If your child loves science, a science museum is a great place to go. Science museums usually offer great learning experiences through play and self discovery. I love COSI located in Columbus, Ohio. It is a fun “museum” that kids can play and discover all kinds of science topics. There are also other great science museums just like COSI all over the United States. Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is another great option.
History Reenactment or Play
If your child loves history, take them to a history museum. Other great activities include historical reenactments or even plays or movies on historical topics. Another great option that is a lot of fun is to just explore historical areas where you live. It gives children a different perceptive on their hometown.
Art Center or Make Arts
If your child loves the arts, take them to an art museum to walk around and view art. Art Centers or Museums sometimes have fun activities for kids or even art classes that you can sign your child up for! Another fun activity is finding a place to make art. I have been to pottery making places where kids can pick a piece of pottery and paint it themselves and come back and pick it up when it’s ready!
4. OSMO
The OSMO is a great educational gift for children. It hooks up to an iPad and offers fun activities and games that also teach different things! I really love the Genius Starter Kit for kids aged 6 to 10. This kit includes games for building words, numbers, and tangrams. These interactive games have pieces, like number tiles and word tiles, that children can manipulate. There are also many extra games that you can buy for the OSMO based on the age and likes of your child.
This is a great gift that children can use for a long time and it is fun, but also they are also learning!
5. Books
Books are a great gift for any child! Reading to children and children reading on their own is so important! Get your child a book that they are interested in and reading will be fun. Below are a few of my favorites for elementary aged children.
If you are looking for great chapter books for third grade to sixth grade students, check out this list here.
If you want to give informational books, I love the “I Am” and “Who Was” books. The “Who Was” books are written about famous people in a chapter book form. These books are great for a little older kids. The “I Am” books are great for any age. It is more like a picture book!
6. Board Games
Board games are great for children to learn many different skills. Math skills and reading skills are used for just about any board game. A lot of kids don’t play board games, but it is a great skill to have. Also, the strategizing and taking turns are other great skills kids need. Any board game is great! Some board games are more geared towards math skills, but even classic board games are great!
Proof! is a mental math game for ages 9 and up. This game is great to practice mental math skills for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Mental math is a great skill for children to learn and master!
Tiny Polka Dot is great for counting, arithmetic, and logic that includes 16 games for kids to fall in love with numbers. This game is for ages 3-8, but there are some more challenging game ideas for older children. Young children can match up numbers, color match, and count. This is a great first number game for children and a great game to teach logic even for older children.
I also love classic board games like Monopoly and Scrabble. These games are great for math and reading skills, along with logic and strategy. Sometimes these games may be a little advanced for elementary students, but they make Junior versions for ages 5 and up so young children can learn to love these games!
7. Gravity Maze Marble Run
Gravity Maze Marble Run is a game that teaches logic and it is a STEM toy. It teaches spatial reasoning and planning skills for ages 8 and up. The game includes 60 challenges from beginner to expert. This is a really fun and engaging game for children!
8. Snap Circuits Jr.
Snap Circuits is a great activity to teach children the science of circuits. This is a fun way for children to work to make circuits to make a flashlight or siren. All needed materials are included and can used over and over again. This kit for children ages 8 and up.
9. Math Flash Cards
This may not seem like a “fun” gift but mental math skills are so important to build in young children to be successful in higher maths. Also, you can make flash card practice be fun by making a game out of it. I love just basic flash cards for addition, subtraction, addition, and subtraction. I also really like this electronic flash card game called “Minute Math” that may make practicing math facts a little more fun.
10. Arts and Crafts
Children should be given opportunities to be creative! A great gift idea is just an art set to allow children to draw and be creative. Children can create and illustrate their own books or draw items around them. I also really like DIY kits, like a sewing kit or building a race car, that allows children to follow directions to make a product, which is a great skill to have. Below are a few art and craft projects I really like!
I hope you enjoyed this list of great educational gifts for elementary aged children!
If you are looking for educational gifts for toddlers, check out our post here!
If you are looking for educational gifts for middle school age children, click here!
If you are looking for teacher gift ideas, click here!
Thank you for Continually Learning with us!
Kyle and Sarah
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