Educational Homeschool Gift Guide for Kids
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Looking for a birthday gift or a holiday gift for your favorite homeschool child? I got you! This homeschool gift guide is full of gift ideas that are both educational and unique.
When it comes to selecting either birthday gifts or holiday gifts for my kids, I always try to make sure there’s some sort of educational aspect to them. Luckily, doing just that isn’t so difficult because, if you think of it, there are learning opportunities practically everywhere. While stacking wooden blocks, kids can learn about shapes, engineering, cause & effect, & measurement. While completing a craft project, kids can learn how to follow a sequence of instructions, differentiate colors and textures, practice fine motor skills, and more.
Opportunities for learning surround us each and every day, so might as well encourage those experiences through birthday gifts and holiday gifts, right? There are plenty of ideas over in our homeschool supply article, but, if you ask me, the suggestions coming up are more “out of the box” and exciting!
Look through the following list and see if there’s something a child in your life could enjoy! If there’s an item that you believe should be on this list, but isn’t, send over an email! I’d be happy to include your suggestions!
Homeschool Gift Guide
Mobile Microscope
After using this uHandy mobile microscope at a homeschool class, it was pretty apparent that this was something we needed to add to our arsenal of homeschool materials. Attach it to a mobile device or a tablet, and get ready to experience 10-100x magnification. It’s really amazing and, if you ask me, pretty budget-friendly. I also love that it’s small enough that I can just throw the device in my purse in case if we see something we “need” to inspect while we’re out and about.
Rock Tumbler
If your kids are anything like mine, they’ll always find a rock that they “need” to keep while we’re out running errands or walking on nature trails. It’s inevitable, right?! Whether the kids supply their own rocks or they use the rocks that come with the set, a Rock Tumbler is a great option for a unique & educational gift.
Antsy Pants Building Set
We bought a set of Antsy Pants poles & connectors a few years ago at our local Target and, let me tell you, they have been played with almost every single day since (absolutely no exaggeration!). The base set is basically “just” a set of various lengths of poles and connectors. That doesn’t sound very interesting, but, with a little imagination and some some trial & error, kids (and adults) can build almost anything!
My kids have built structures like tents, store fronts and obstacle courses – Antsy Pants are fabulous for pretend play! The pieces are durable and easy to store (we store ours in a tall kitchen trashcan without the lid) and, without a doubt, some of the most played with toys in our home.
(note: there are plenty of “no name” options out there for poles and connector play sets. They may be a little less money, but, from what I can tell, the quality just isn’t as great as the name brand Antsy Pants. We’ve had other sets and they’ve broken pretty quickly whereas my kids have been playing with their Antsy Pants sets for years and years.)
Universal Yums
You may have read the Universal Yums article I wrote and, if you haven’t signed up for a subscription yet…you should! A Universal Yums box is a great unique educational gift for a birthday or the holidays. They offer a variety of subscription options, so this homeschool gift could work with just about any budget. It’s hands-down one of our most anticipated monthly deliveries because it’s not only delicious but also educational!
Original AirFort
I’ve heard so many great things about the Original AirFort. We don’t have one yet, but we totally want one! Just attach the fabric to a box fan (not included), turn it on, and you’ll have an inflatable fort in your living space within minutes.
It fits both kids and adults and serves as an unconventional space for learning, pretend play, and, let’s be honest, it should be a nice, cool hang-out space in the warm summer months! They have a bunch of different prints, so you’re sure to find an Original AirFort that’s just right for the kids on your shopping list.
Books!
Hear me out! I know books aren’t necessarily the most wished-for gift, but there are SO many cool books out there that I had to include this suggestion. The Guinness World Records books and Ripley’s Believe it or Not books are always a favorite in our home. My kids have spent hours upon hours reading about amazing facts in those books, so I’ll definitely continue buying them!
Books from DK Books are some of our favorites, too, because their photographs and graphics are always on point and they’re filled with interesting bits of information. (Can you tell we’re all about non-fiction over here?)
My elementary-age kids also enjoy The Last Kids on Earth series, The Who Was series, and the I Survived series.
LEGO books are always a hit in my family because we certainly enjoy LEGO over here, too!
In addition to encouraging reading & learning with a gift of a book, you might also wish to tell the gift recipient that they could earn free pizza from Pizza Hut, too!
Snap Circuits
Another favorite in our home, Snap Circuits sets are a great educational option for a homeschool gift! These sets are hands-on, encourage STEAM learning, and…to put it simply, they’re FUN! The Snap Circuits sets can be used over and over again to create so many projects that you really do get a pretty great bang for your buck with this homeschool gift option!
Walkie Talkies
Walkie Talkies will be under the Christmas tree for my little homeschoolers this year! The parents in my homeschool group have recommended them as an option to give the kids a way to communicate with me while they’re on the playground and I’m off to the side. I’m thinking of them as a step before purchasing a full-blown cell phone for them, so they’ll certainly save some money on my end!
In addition to being a functional communication tool for parent & child, they’re also fun! I can totally picture my kids chatting with each other from either end of our backyard with walkie talkies and using them for so many imaginative play scenarios.
Magna-Tiles
Another educational gift option that has entertained my kids for years are Magna-Tiles! Not only do they encourage littles to strengthen their fine motor skills, but they also allow for creativity, shape and color recognition, and so much more. These fun magnetic tiles are available in quite a few set sizes, but this 32-piece Magna-Tile set is a great option for a starter set or for expanding a collection.
Fidget Game Board
I got this one for my kids and have SO many ideas for it! Fidgets are super popular these days, so might as well try out a fidget game board, right?! This specific option comes with 2 dice and is divided into 2 sections (making it perfect for siblings!). Each section has 6 rows of 10 fidget bubbles. This game board is bound to be a hit with kids of so many ages!
Celestial Buddies
If you’re shopping for someone that loves all things outer space, but also appreciates the soft snuggle of a stuffed animal, you have to check out Celestial Buddies! They’re super adorable and educational all at the same time, so I consider that a homeschool gift score! One of our homeschool friends has the entire collection and recently use the Earth, Moon, and Sun plushes to teach our group a lesson about how the sun and moon orbit around the Earth. It was so cool!
Plasma Ball
Did you spend a part of your childhood touching these balls of electricity, too? I’m telling ya, it was pretty much a right of passage, right? They’re so cool. Filled with wonder and excitement, we have a similar plasma ball and my kids could stare at it for hours if I let them. If you ask me, this is definitely one of those holiday gift suggestions that will be a hit!
Bonus tip: make sure your phone/camera is all charged up when this gift is opened because there’s a good chance someone’s hair will be sticking up in the air soon after touching the plasma ball!
Newton’s Cradle
Just as mesmerizing as the previous suggestion, a Newton’s Cradle is just as much fun to watch and manipulate. The kids can learn about energy, momentum, mass…who knows, you might end up having a physicist in your family!
Side note: Are you a Big Bang Theory show fan, too? I can totally picture Sheldon having one of these on his desk!
Pin Art Board
I wanted one of these SO bad when I was little. Now, my kids have one and they (understandably) can’t get enough of it! Not only are Pin Art Boards fabulous for providing a bit of sensory input, they’re also great for demonstrating cause & effect, visualizing shapes and space, and creating temporary art pieces. Did you know that Pin Art Boards have also been used to help create animation? *Mind Blown* Hello, potential future animation career!
Cook Books
Now, the suggestions for this one will certainly vary depending on age, but my family is very much a “foodie family,” so we’re all about learning culinary skills and trying new foods (hence the Universal Yums suggestion towards the top of the article!). My 10 year old son cooks, with minimal assistance, from these two cookbooks: The Complete Cookbook for Young Chefs: 100+ Recipes that You’ll Love to Cook and Eat and (since we’re also very much a Disney family) The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook: From Delicious Dole Whip to Tasty Mickey Pretzels, 100 Magical Disney-Inspired Recipes.
LEGO
I mean, I couldn’t publish a list of educational gift suggestions without including LEGO options. That would’ve just been impossible. As you probably know, there are TONS of options out there, but their Architectural Skyline Collection serves as a fabulous way to build and learn a little bit about history, geography, and such at the same time. Score! I’m especially partial to the London Skyline set because I’m a huge Beatles fan (and…shhh….Harry Styles is pretty awesome as well).
Memberships or Experience
Oh, you thought this article was going to be all suggestions for actual “items.” Nope! If someone asks me what they should get for my kids for a gift, I will almost *always* suggest a memory-making experience of some sort. Consider giving the gift of membership to a local museum, zoo, swim club, live theater or even a theme park! If a membership might be too costly, consider gifting a session of indoor rock climbing, time at a local trampoline park, or even movie tickets. Definitely Check Groupon for any deals and consider purchasing through Rakuten to earn some cash back, too!
Craft Supplies
When it comes to craft and creative supplies, I will tell you there’s no such thing as too many. Although my kids and I do like art kits that have a specific end result in mind, I do like giving my kids random art supplies and just telling them to “make something!” Having supplies with no specific “required” end result encourages creativity and critical thinking and we’re all about that!
These craft sets include a variety of different materials that the intended child can use all year long. As a parent, I can attest to the fact that sets like these are amazing to have on rainy days and days when we’re just in need of an extended brain break.
As you can see, these are just a few (of many) suggestions for educational gifts! Whether the child you’re shopping for is homeschooled or not, I’m willing to bet they’d appreciate whatever you select!
As I mentioned, if you know of a great educational gift item that should be on this resource, but isn’t…definitely send over an email so I can add it to the list!
Until next time, stay safe and enjoy quality time with your family,
Elizabeth Dukart is a proud Georgia-based born and raised Jersey Girl, wife, and mom of 2 human boys & 1 canine boy.
Created in 2021, Elizabeth owns and publishes That Homeschool Family: a free resource for homeschooling parents and beyond! A seasoned blogger, Elizabeth previously published a popular location-specific family resource blog, but decided to “Pivot!” her blogging focus after she started homeschooling her two boys in 2020. In addition to this blog, you can follow Elizabeth’s homeschooling and family adventures on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.
When she’s not busy taking over the world or homeschooling, Elizabeth can be found listening to music (especially The Beatles & Harry Styles!), being silly with her boys, watching movies with family, shopping, or traveling!
Have a question or want to work with Elizabeth? Send her an email!
