Brilliant Christmas Gifts and Activities That Awe Your Kids - How to make your Christmas a meaningful one.
Christmas is a special time for family gatherings and creating great memories after a hectic year. However, have you felt overwhelmed with Christmas gift ideas for your family members, especially your little one? Let’s check out some great Christmas gift ideas for kids and make Christmas a more meaningful celebration for your family this year.
Preparing gifts
First and foremost, don't worry about the size and the price - sometimes simple presents work the best. A handmade postcard or simple art-and-craft ideas can often say more than any luxurious items ever could.
We've compiled a few tips to help you choose the right gifts that are age-appropriate, meaningful and will be used well beyond Christmas. Here are some of our recommended presents for children separated by age:
1. 6 months + : Rattles
Children at 6 months+ are sensitive to the surrounding world and start to perceive things through listening, seeing and touching. A wooden rattle could be the finest toy for kids to learn about grabbing and holding things. Holding the rattle and making some sound out of it can also help children learn a little about cause and effect concepts.
Natural Wooden Rattles - Sensory Play - Wooden Baby Rattles Australia
2. 12 months+ : Musical Instruments
For kids at this stage, a gift that encourages them to explore or helps develop multiple perceptions at the same time is a choice. If you have the same thought, we have a recommendation - musical toys.
At 12+ months old, kids are highly attracted to sound. Hearing helps kids to imagine and to perceive the surrounding world together with seeing and touching. Wooden musical toys produce no clashing sound and can be freely played in any way. This helps children develop their creative thinking skills as well as their ability to focus and concentrate. Some high-quality wooden musical instruments: music box train, pat bell, spinning bell, music kit, etc.
Spinning bell - Melli’s Kids
3. 2 years + : Simple Puzzle Games and Busy Board
Little ones will love toys that allow them to hit, touch, or respond to their actions, like popping up some characters or shapes. For toddlers, puzzles with small details and easy-to-grip shapes are the most suitable such as vehicle puzzles, wooden jigsaw puzzles, and leaf puzzles. Another choice is a busy board, an especially great learning tool for toddlers which helps promote their motor skills and hand-eye coordination. For older children, some slightly harder puzzles could keep the excitement going on since older children are keen to be challenged with new and complex things.
Montessori Wooden Leaf Puzzle - 4 in 1 Nordic Style Leaf Set
Montessori Wooden Busy Board
4. 3 years +
As young preschoolers begin to use problem-solving and critical thinking skills during activities, they need much more sophisticated toys that can motivate their cognition., such as stacking toys, building blocks, or vehicle toys. Toys with more details, shapes, open-ended, and high-difficulty levels will stimulate children's mental development... In addition, toys for this age should provide more variations, allowing kids to test their imaginations while playing, such as making 2 different houses using the same materials and blocks.
Some suggestions for parents: rainbow stacker, building blocks, balance stones, cross buckle.
Stacking toys - Melli's Kids Montessori Wooden Rainbow Stacker
Spend time together
Aside from gift giving, Christmas is a time for celebration, relaxation and spending time together. Children can have joyful moments with their new toys, but we need to teach them that Christmas is also about appreciating what they have and spending precious time with their beloved ones. You could encourage and help your kids make some handmade gifts, such as art-and-craft idea postcards for their family members.
Children are all excited about what’s their Christmas gift, aren’t they?
Moreover, you and your kids can enjoy Christmas in many ways such as participating in some fun activities like board games, puzzles,..., having a phone call with distant relatives or telling them stories about family traditions. Then, when the night comes, laying on the bed with all your kids, telling them some folktales about Christmas and spending the night together would be delightful.
From ours to your family - we wish you a meaningful and magical Christmas.