Homeschooling Knowledge at Your Fingertips

Even though we try to remind our children that the real reason for the Christmas celebration is to remember the birth of our Lord and thank God for sending His his only son to save us, we still have to be realistic. They’re still expecting gifts under the tree! Gift giving is a wonderful way to grow together, enjoy special moments, and even to remember Jesus, who is the greatest gift of all.

We all want to spend our gift budgets wisely, but the battery operated toys are often what’s on our little one’s lists. How can we make Christmas fun and meaningful? Educational toys! It’s possible to encourage learning and fun at the same time through play. The added bonus, many toys give you the opportunity to incorporate play into your curriculum and offer more creative, hands-on alternatives to teaching your child.

We asked some Bridgeway moms and counselors what they’re favorite educational toys were this Christmas, and these where some of their favorites:

Science

• Young Scientist Club Kits: If your homeschooler loves science, they will go absolutely wild for these activity kits. With over 8 kits to choose from, you child will have endless fun diving into science topics like Recycling, Matter, Bacteria, Minerals, and more!
• Neon Light Writer: This toy might seem like all fun at games at first, but learning about electronic circuits and lighting technologies will excite your child’s imagination!
• Skeletons in the Closet game: Does your homeschooler want to grow up to be a doctor one day? This fun skeleton game pits players against each other to learn the names, locations, and relationships of all the major bones in the human body.

Math

• Math Dice Jr: If you’re looking for a simple activity to keep your homeschooler’s mind busy during the summer months, math dice is a great way to keep their mind active and reinforce basic math skills.
• The Discover! Math Kit is a great way to encourage playing with math problems. The kit includes over 200 pieces of visual math manipulatives that bring math to life.

English

• Make A Story Journal: Is your child a budding writer? The Make a Story Journal gives your child tons of space to create their own stories and color in their settings. It’s an easy and fun way to get your child into the habit of keeping a daily journal.
• Alphabet Floor Puzzle: Make learning your ABC’s fun with this hands-on floor phonics floor puzzle. This is great for little ones who are just starting and excited to learn.

Building

• Crazy Creatures Wacky Wigglers: For hands on learners interested in building and engineering, this crazy creature will bring to life their curiosities and help them hone their logic and sequence skills.
• Tummple: If your homeschooler likes building with their hands, this build and topple game will give their curiosity a whole new dimension!

Music

• Band In A Box: If your homeschooler is a budding musician, or simply interested in the sounds and music, this band in a box will inspire them to follow their passions.
• BeatBox: Unlock your inner rock star with this fun Beat Box. You can create and produce your own music with three settings including electronic drums, the human beatbox, or bass melodies.

Trivia

• American Trivia Board Game: Pop quiz! Can you name the 5 Great Lakes? Who was the 3^rd American President? With over 2,000 questions covering geography, history, arts, and general knowledge your kids will be super citizens in no time!

Memory

• Simon: This classic toy, upgraded with new LED lights and score counter, is a timeless way to improve your child’s memory with three addicting “beat the color” games.
• Flip to Win Memory Game: Who says you need to be at home to play games? This great memory game from Melissa and Doug comes with 7 different double-sided game cards that go where your child goes. Great for long car rides!
• Mind Benders: Test your critical thinking and reasoning skills with these fun word, math, and logic puzzles from Critical Thinking Press. Fun for all ages and a great way to encourage family time!

Spend your money wisely this year by encouraging playful learning. Do you have any fun educational toys you use with your homeschooler? Share it with us in a comment!