Thank you to Educational Insights, and Hand 2 Mind for the samples. All thoughts are my own.

Christmas break will soon be here, and while I know my kids are ready for some time at home, I'm not sure I can say the same. Don't get me wrong, I love being home with my babies. I can be difficult, however, to keep them entertained for 2-3 weeks without constantly having a TV show or movie on. When I was growing up, the television was always on in the background, and it wasn't until I became a mom that I realized how much too much screen time can play into behavior.

I've already been looking for fun and educational holiday gifts that my kids will love and want to play with. I enjoy gifting games, crafts, and activity sets because they really get their wheels turning. When they're away from school and out of their normal routines and learning environments, it's up to me to make sure we're continuing that learning path at home.

I have some awesome educational gift ideas for ages 3+ that you're definitely going to want to consider for the holidays!

Gifts that encourage a love for reading

Bob Books and Versa Tiles Sight Words ($29.95, Hand 2 Mind)

I'm blessed to have an excellent young reader in my house. My son B (8 years old) is a 2nd grader, and he is an advanced reader. We have always read to him (even when he was in the womb), and he's always enjoyed books and spending time reading with all members of our family. I made it a priority to read to him when he was a toddler so that he would develop a love for reading. I used phonics techniques to teach him how to sound out words, and recognize letters. When we really started to buckle down around age 3 with reading (I wanted him to be able to read before entering Kindergarten), we turned to BOB Books to help keep us on track and to give B the right tools to be successful in his early reading journey.

Now that we have a two-year-old in our daughter, Bean, we're repeating the cycle. She also loves to read, and is just about the right age to tuck into a new Beginning Reading System from Bob Books in partnership with Versa Tiles!

Reading fun for little learners!

Bob Books readers introduce letter sounds in this set. Children add on more and more letter sounds until they have learned the alphabet (except Q). The first book in the set is called “Mat.” In this book children are taught four, letter sounds. This set includes 12 books in the popular Bob Books Collection.

Alongside these books, children can practice the skills they are learning by doing activities in their VersaTiles workbook. This tried and true practice system creates a hands-on way of reviewing what they are learning in their Bob Books. Simply line up the puzzle-like answer case on top of the page in the book, and line the tiles up on top to start. Pick up each tile 1-8 and answer the question underneath it. Once each tile is placed, close the case, flip it over and see if the pattern matches what is on the bottom right corner of the workbook page. This practice is what helps children to comprehend what they are learning and gives them confidence in their reading abilities.

Engage your beginning reader with a fun puzzle-like way to practice reading!

Let's Play a Game!

The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game, ($21.99, Educational Insights)

This is the perfect game to help kids develop game strategy, with strategic thinking skills! They'll love spinning the spinner and taking turns to collect the acorns for the squirrels. This game also helps kids work on sportsmanship and social skills.

Your forest friends are hungry and they need your help! Spin the spinner, squeeze the matching colored acorn with your Squirrel Squeezer, and place it into your log. Be the first to fill your log with delicious acorns and you win! You could also spin “pick an acorn,” “steal an acorn,” or “lose an acorn,” so be strategic, little squirrel!

Psst…They’re Learning!
Reinforces color learning
Develops strategic thinking, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and pre-handwriting skills
Encourages social skills and turn-taking
Practices memory and attention skills
Cut to the Chase
Color matching game for all ages
Designed to teach matching, sorting, counting, and simple math skills
Great first board game for a child
Quick, fun game that can be played continuously in a short time
Easy setup and cleanup

Bath Time Just Got Even More Fun!

Little ones will love creating scenes in the tub with Bright Basics Bath Blocks ($19.99, Educational Insights).

Construct a floating castle with foam pieces that stack on the included base and stick to tub tile
Set features 20 floating foam pieces including 4 sea creatures and a floating play base, and parent activity guide
Stacking develops fine motor skills, balance and sensory awareness. Construction builds creativity and imagination. Creative play develops communication skills and vocabulary.
Hands-on, tactile play enhances learning!
Floating base measures 11.5" L x 11.5" D
Designed for little learners ages 2–5 years
Part of Educational Insights’ award-winning line of products



For the Big Kids- the Ultimate 2-Player Challenge!

Rubiks Race, ($9.88, Amazon)

My 8-year-old is semi-obsessed with Rubiks Cubes, so this amazing Rubiks Race is the perfect game for him and other kids his age. It'll have them using their noggings to win the race and keep them entertained and learning!

Shake it - Slide it - Solve it! Competitive Rubik's Race from University Games is a head-to-head puzzle challenge
Be the first to match the pattern on the scrambler and shut the frame
Shake the scrambler and then race to slide your colored panels to mimic the pattern
Contains game base, center frame, 48 colored tiles, scrambler, 9 colored mini-cubes and instructions
For 2 players, ages 7 and up





Want them? Get them!

All of these amazing, educational games can be purchased on Amazon. Visit Educational Insights, and Hand 2 Mind for more information.

Special thanks to Educational Insights and Hand 2 Mind for allowing me to share about these wonderful educational games this holiday season! Be sure to look for them in our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide!

Which of these games would your kiddos love most?