Buying birthday gifts for your child can be a difficult task, particularly as everything seems to cost so much more these days. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead, so you can buy a brilliant gift without blowing your budget.
If you’re looking to raise a well-rounded child, you may wish to buy at least one present with an ethical and/or educational spin to it. Here are some ideas:
Lego
No matter your child’s age, whether they’re 7 or 17, there’s a lego kit for all. Lego is therapeutic and calming for adults, it teaches children patience, problem-solving, and critical thinking, as well as dexterity and ‘fine motor control’. Fine motor control, as opposed to gross motor control, is the act of moving smaller items skilfully, a physical ability required for most everyday tasks as adults. Just make sure your child tidies up after themselves, though! Otherwise, you’ll be forever treading on rogue bricks in the living room.
If you have a teenager and think they may be too old for Lego, check out the lego architecture website for some of the amazing Lego-brick buildings – complex, iconic structures, that require fantastic hand-eye coordination & planning skills to build.
Meccano
Meccano is basically an introduction to engineering and product design for children. It is a system created from metal, where pieces can be fastened together to form structures, whilst rods and gears can be used to produce mechanisms.
Meccano can be approached in 2 ways – you can either just jam and fasten together as many different parts as possible until something ‘functional’ comes to pass, or you can study some of the literature about gears and engineering etc. and have a pre-planned project to undertake. If you want to take things to the next level, you can even create a visual plan of your model, using computer aided design.
AirFix
AirFix is a fantastic range of iconic aeroplane model kits, including military aircraft, helicopters, and civilian aircraft, available in a range of scales for different levels of ability and ages.
Educational Video Games
Video games enable children to experiment, solve problems and think creatively to overcome certain obstacles. Games, such as Minecraft, now have educational editions that are specifically designed to promote creativity, problem-solving ability, and even project management in an immersive environment.
Charity Gifts
Charity gifts can be a great tool for building compassion and creating a bit of ‘perspective’. Christian Aid, for example, offers a range of gifts under £10, including school books, bags, and pens for children in Bangladesh.
The Aspinall Foundation, amongst other animal charities and Safari Parks, offers the opportunity to adopt one of their beautiful animals. You can even include a 1-hour zoo-keeper experience as part of the adoption gift set. Zoos and Safari Parks are a great place for educating children about animals, nature and wildlife.
Fair Trade Products
“Fair Trade products” is really an umbrella term nowadays. You can buy sugar, gold and flowers that are bear the Fair Trade badge. With over 4,500 products available, you could even find yourself with too much choice! Browsing some online shops that specifically stock fair trade products might be a good place to start.