Holiday Gift Guide for the 5-11 Year Old! Educational Toys for Boys and Girls

It's hard to keep track of what kids like these days. Of course most of them like video games and watching tv, but is there anything out there that's more educational? Of course. Toys R Us has tons of toys for the young boy or girl that wants to learn this season. Fun and educational, these toys are a great break from all the Barbies and race cars!
1. Leapster Learning System: Green/Silver, Leapster Learning System: Metallic Pink/Purple $59.99

- kids can play action-packed games that teach essential skills for preschool through 4th grade
- Multiple learning levels
- children are learning essential skills while playing the video games that they love

Top Games:
Leapster Cartridge: Disney Pixar's Cars The Movie
Leapster Educational Game: Disney Princess Enchanted Learning
Leapster Software: Scholastic Animal Genius
Leapster Software: Backyardigans

I think every kid could use one of these Leapster pads. They are educational but use games and other fun activities to introduce math, science, reading, and more to kids. It shows them that learning can be fun and that there are many ways to learn. It also shows that many educational topics are part of their lives and are important. Many of the leapster programs feature popular cartoon characters so the kids are willing to try them out.

2. Thomas & Friends Conductor's Figure 8 Set with Track Pack- $39.99

- Includes exclusive stone bridge, conductor's shed, tree, stop sign, signal, and Sir Topham Hatt
- Durable wooden track and trains
- Includes Thomas, box car, and caboose

Top Accessories:
Thomas & Friends Figure 8 Expansion Pack
Thomas & Friends Gold Mine Mountain Set
Thomas & Friends Gold Prospector 2 Car Pack
Thomas & Friends: Aquarium Cars
Thomas & Friends Spencer

I used to watch the Thomas Tank Engine show all the time and I think these toys are great. They are educational because you have to put the tracks together with takes matching and building skills. All the different cars, cranes, mining sets, and other accesories teach mechanics and movement. The Thomas toys are good for many kids because there are many different train pieces and accesories that you can pick based on your child's interests. There are also movies featuring Thomas and his friends that talk about things like sharing and friendship. There are books based on the shows and movies as well.

3. IlluStory Book Kit- $19.99

- The IlluStory kit includes markers and special book pages for creating an original story
- Each book features up to 12 pages with 20 typeset words, and includes a Title page, Dedication page and a special "About-the-Author" page
- choice of six cover colors to choose from

This is a great toy idea. I would've loved to have something like this when I was a kid because I love writing and drawing. The books they create can be given as gifts or kept as keepsakes in the family. This is a great gift for the kids who love to write and make up stories. It encourages their creativity and motivates them to practice writing skills.

4. Eyewitness Kit: 19" Tyrannosaurus Rex Dinosaur Casting Kit- $12.99

- Kit for casting and painting the skeleton of a tyrannosaurus
- Includes casting material, paint, magnets, glue, mold and educational book

Also available- Eyewitness Kit: 15" Triceratops Skeleton Dinosaur Casting Kit

These are good presents for the kids interested in dinosaurs and history. There are many different species available, including models of other animals from present times. Kids can start with the easy ones and move up creating a great collection of animals they have learned about. Each kit comes with a book that talks about the animal or dinosaur, what they ate, where they lived, and more. These could also be painted for more fun.

5. I Spy Memory Game- $19.99

- 2 ways to play: memory matching and memory and riddle solving
- Includes 60 memory cards, 15 riddle cards and game instructions
- 1-6 players

Awards:
Dr. Toy
Oppenheim
Parenting Magazine
Parent's Choice
National Parenting

These are great products to improve memory and perception. It encourages creative thinking and finding ways to see beyond the pictures to find certain items, as well as solving riddles. This game has won many awards from parenting magazines. It is versitle because it can be played alone or with the entire family or with brothers and sisters. There are also Ispy memory books and puzzles.

6. Deluxe Band-in-a-Box 10-piece Set- $19.99

- Made of wood and metal
- Contains 10 musical instruments
- Sturdy wooden storage box holds all pieces
- Encourages music appreciation and ability

Also available:
Learn-to-Play Piano
Musical Hands Mat

Music promotes learning and it has been studied that kids involved with music have better grades in school. So any toy that encourages music is a good one. There are many different types of toys out there from drums to flutes to tambourines so you can try many different ones with your kids and find out which ones they like best. They may end up taking up the instrument in marching band or something when their older.

7. 40-piece Wooden Beginner Pattern Blocks- $19.99

- Wooden building blocks
- Set includes 10 blocks with 30 removable shapes
- Wooden storage case
- Teaches toddlers shapes, colors and more
- For ages 2 and up

Similar- 130-piece Wooden Pattern Blocks and Boards

Toys like these teach younger kids shapes and colors. They can see how some things fit together and why others do not. There are many different activites parents can come up with using these types of blocks. They can have their kids build certain shapes or pictures like houses. They can also have the child sort the pieces by shape or color and more. Many of these sets come with pattern pictures to show kids what they can make from the shapes.

8. 48-piece Deluxe Underwater Cardboard Floor Puzzle- $9.99

- easy clean surface
- 2 x 3 feet

Other puzzles:
48-piece Deluxe Land of the Dinosaurs Cardboard Floor Puzzle
100-piece Deluxe Rain Forest Cardboard Floor Puzzle
24-piece Deluxe Construction Cardboard Floor Puzzle
48-piece Deluxe Fairy Tale Castle Cardboard Floor Puzzle

Puzzles are good for any age group. It shows kids how smaller things can go together to make larger picture. They encourage creative thinking and problem solving skills.

9. Wooden Kitchen & refrigerator- $139.99

- Assembly required
- 8Hx21Wx48-1/2D
- 3 years suggested minimum age, 8 years suggested maximum age

- pink refrigerator and freezer are frescoed with a water and ice dispenser, a clock , a phone and a notepad
- doors that open and close for pretend food and utensils to be stored

Accessories:
Just Like Home: 11 Piece Stainless Steel Cookware Set - Pots, Pans, Lids, Strainer & Utensils
Deluxe Wooden Play Food 12-piece Set

Although this one is pink, other places sell these toy kitchens in many colors, encouraging both boys and girls to learn about household skills as well as cooking and cleaning. These types of toys show that being in the kitchen can be fun. Play food has kids pretending to cook and come up with their own dishes and meal ideas and can be used to reinforce proper nutrition ideas. The child may develop an interest in helping their parents in the kitchen and cooking.

10. Wooden Shape Sorting Learning Clock- $9.99

- Includes 12 sorting blocks
- Helps teach how to sort shapes and tell time

Other math/time products-
Math Mat Challenge Game
Pretend & Play Calculator Cash Register
Twist & Shout Classic: Addition
Count & Learn Math Desk

Math skills are something more and more kids are lacking these days and that can put them behind the peers in school and can lead to acedemic trouble. Toys that teach and reinforce math ideas are important for all kids. Toys that teach time, addition, subtraction, and how to make change provide the basis for learning these skills the fun way.

Hopefully this list helped you find a gift or gave you some more ideas! Remember all these toys can be found at:
http://www.toysrus.com/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=2285728

Happy holidays!