Is your child under 10 years old? Well, pretty soon it will be time to ask Santa Claus for something special. And, for the moment at least... we'll assume the little tyke has been nice rather than naughty.
We contacted one of his helpers to ask what would be some of the best Christmas present suggestions for children under the age of ten. Since there are literally thousands of toys available, this was no easy task. But, to his credit... the little elf came through for us.
If you are trying to find something for a new baby this Christmas, you should look for toys and games that are designed with bright colors. It's also a good idea to get items that play soothing music and are cuddly. Play Mats and Gyms have high parental satisfaction because they encourage babies to kick, while learning how to coordinate their hands and feet.
For babies from 0 to 11 months old, our elf narrowed it down between the Boppy Entertain Me Play Gym and the Skip Hop Funky Farmyard Activity Play Mat. His final vote went to Skip Hop, which can be found at Amazon for under . The animal patch work looks great and the hanging animals are eye-catching for the child.
For instance, the sheep plays a musical song when pressed, the cow has a mirror, the rabbit is attached to a rattle and the pig has a whimsical chime. Plus, it comes with a matching Tummy Time Pillow which is extremely beneficial for strength development. There are 12 easy-to-attach loops for the 5 hanging toys. It can be used in a variety of ways and is machine washable in cold water.
Preschool children need to have quality toys for pretend play. The Play-doh Burger Builder is an excellent toy that encourages children to make their own burgers... with pretend onions, lettuce and condiments. Just be aware that parental assistance might be needed because some of the molds probably won't be obvious to the little ones... heck, maybe even to the adults sometimes. Nevertheless, this toy is both fun and educational for them to make pretend fries and set up their own burger bar. For less than , this is a good way for young children to interact and develop speech and language skills.
When children start going to school, they are typically acquire better concentration skills. This means their toys and games should be more challenging. Our next recommendation introduces your child to using a home computer to design and then create their very own stuffed pet.
With the Printies Pet Design Studio your child can create something unique and watch it come to life as a soft, cotton toy. They can design the pet they want with any shape or design using the art tools. Once they are printed on to Printies Fabric sheets using printer ink, they are finished by joining the sheets together. At less than , this is well worth the time it takes to monitor the project with your child. The learning experience is excellent. But, word of caution... do not under any circumstance get these things close to water because the color will spot or run without exception.
When our little Christmas elf recommended the next product I thought he was joking. After all, Monopoly has been around for decades... but, not this one. The updated version of this timeless game is called Monopoly City and is available for about .
It's a game that lets you create the perfect city using 80 3-D buildings. Then, you develop your properties and watch your fortune grow. You can build industrial complexes, schools, skyscrapers, stadiums... whatever. The choice is yours. This is really a great Christmas game for the entire family.
As your child approaches the age of 10, they begin to lose interest in traditional toys. They now enter a whole new arena... the arsenal of electronic toys. Favorites range from the multitude of Play Station inventory to dozens of Wii Games with all their different add-on features.
One game that has quickly become a winner is the Mega Bloks Battle Strikers Tournament Set. Battle Strikers are a new take on the classic battling tops theme of toys. The Battle Strikers Tournament Set comes with 2 tops, 2 launchers, the arena, plus the addition of 2 controllers. This is the ultimate battling play set and, of course, smaller children need to be cautioned about the potential of the tops hitting them in the head.
All in all, this is a good game for the above 8 group. Most likely, you will need to buy extra tops, which can be purchased later on, if your child really shows interest in them.
I hope these tips from our friendly elf have given you some helpful ideas about Christmas presents for your kids. Each year it seems to get more confusing as new toys and games are developed. Whatever you decide to do... make sure you buy from a reputable manufacturer. By the way, don't forget those extra batteries!