Sampa: A thoughtful, heart-warming gift for the family

Top Educational Toys for the Holidays

Sampa Candid snapshots of important milestones, carefully crafted letters, and thoughtful tidings scribbled on holiday cards. With Sampa, you can create a private space on the web, sharing all these photos and memories with distant family members. Sampa users choose between a personal website, baby website, or family website. What sets Sampa apart from other blog platforms? You can share your page with anyone on the web or keep it private. Sampa offers other fun features: a place to create a family tree, a photo album with easy photo uploading, a guestbook, and more. Overall, a Sampa site makes a sentimental treasure for parents, spouses, or a cyber time capsule for children as they grow. Sampa Benefits: Allows easy photo upload Includes a number of fun designs Choose between a private or shared webpage Make a free family website with Sampa

My First Discovery Box: Full of Engaging Activities for Ages 2 and up

Discovery boxes make excellent first learning toys for toddlers. They teach children motor skills and stimulate tactile senses with colored beads and dials. Read on and find out why we picked the My First Discovery Box for number 6 in our educational toys countdown.

Top Educational Toys for the Holidays

My First Discovery Box The My First Discovery Box features five sides of fun learning activities. This discovery box is compact, eco-friendly, and absolutely adorable. And what child could resist that funny fish face? This little box is full of educational benefits. One side has an abacus with four rows of colored beads that help tots learn to count. The rainbow clock introduces kids to new color combinations. And those googly fish eyes actually help improve motor skills as kids turn the dial to make the eyes roll. Learning benefits: Kids learn colors and counting Improves motor skills Stimulates tactile senses Teaches cause and effect Ages: 2 and up Learn More about My First Discovery Box

Mancala: A marvelous math game for kids ages 6 and up.

Top Educational Toys for the Holidays

Deluxe Wood Folding Mancala The word Mancala means to transfer in Arabic and that’s the premise of the game. Players pick up “seeds” (brightly colored glass gemstones) from their pit and drop them one by one into each pocket counter clockwise around the board in an action called “sowing.” Depending on the last hole sown in a lap, a player may capture stones from the board. The object of the game is to capture more stones than the opponent and the player who empties their side first wins. We recommend the Deluxe Wood Folding Mancala because it comes with a sturdy, oak-finished wood board that stands up to child’s play. Fast-paced and fun for the whole family, Mancala puts the glee back into strategy. Mancala does have one drawback: it’s pretty easy to lose (and…ouch… step on) those tiny glass marbles. But replacement marbles are readily available and the board lasts for years. Learning benefits: Teaches kids how to count Improves strategic thinking Helps with concentration Develops math and logic skills Ages: 6 and Up Learn More about the Deluxe Wood Folding Mancala

Melissa and Doug Underwater Puzzle: A Challenging 48- Piece Jigsaw Puzzle for Ages 3-5

Melissa and Doug Underwater Puzzle

Melissa and Doug Underwater Puzzle Jigsaw puzzles have enormous educational benefits – most notably, they develop logical thought, problem solving skills, and spatial awareness in a fun environment. With a vibrant illustration of sea life, this cardboard jigsaw puzzle visually appeals to most kids. Children learn dexterity, problem solving, and matching skills as they put the 48-piece floor puzzle together. When the child places the final piece in the puzzle, they gain an amazing sense of accomplishment. And no batteries necessary! Fun Learning benefits: Develops dexterity Encourages problem solving Fosters independent thinking Improves spatial awareness Ages: 3 – 5 Learn more about the Melissa and Doug Underwater Puzzle.

Blokus Classic: Fun Learning Game, Lots of Learning Benefits

Top educational toys for the holidays

Blokus Classic If you’re going to get your kids (ages 7 or older) a game for the holidays, give them Blokus. Blokus helps develop strategic skills and logic, plus it’s fun to play (even for parents). Blokus starts with a simple premise: each player has to fit as many of their pieces on the board as possible. Kids use logic and strategy as they try to “block” their opponents from expanding territory. When one player gets all their pieces on the board, the game ends. DreamBox Learning isn’t the only one that gives Blokus a stamp of approval; Blokus won the Mensa “Best Mind Game” award in 2003! Learning benefits: Promotes healthy brain activity Teaches strategic thinking Improves logic Develops tactile skills