Holiday Gifts for Gifted Children
This holiday season, adults are scrambling to find presents for gifted children that will be fun, help them to grow intellectually, and have lasting value. If chosen appropriately, board games, card games, construction toys, books, puzzles, and computer software, will serve these needs in a most satisfying way. When looking for gifts to give at the holiday season or any time, look for items that
- require higher level thinking and reasoning
- encourage creative thinking
- teach new facts or ideas
- can be used over and over again
Quality toys and activities usually require seeing patterns, making plans, searching combinations, judging alternative moves, and learning from experience.
Sometimes it is difficult for parents to find good sources for these great educational materials. Here are a couple of organizations for the parents of gifted children that have compiled links to many worthwhile sources.
The
Smart Toys for Gifted Kids section on Hoagies’ website, where you will find numerous sources for classic wooden puzzles, toys, and board games for the family.
The Davidson Institute
section on games. Scroll down the page almost halfway until you get to the section on catalogues.
Remember that your children--no matter what their ages--will enjoy your active role in playing with them and solving puzzles together. Much of the learning experience comes from discussing the various possible strategies used--what works, what doesn’t work, and why.