My holiday gift contemplation and shopping are underway for this season and I’m sure yours is too! Each year, I ask myself what I can get my grandkids that will cultivate a love of nature, encourage imaginative play, and help them develop their interests.
My grandchildren always have lots of ideas for me when I ask them what they think a good gift would look like. While I do listen to their lists, I seldom get what they suggest. This is because most of their ideas come from they’ve seen at a friend’s house or in a sales ad. These toys are often flashy and don’t serve my goals of helping these little ones gain experience or knowledge about the world around them.
Often, the toys they request have a short life span. They are items that will not hold a child’s interest very long and are all flash and no substance. This means the toys are destined t0 be discarded quickly. They don’t serve the kids; they don’t teach them anything new or stretch their imaginations.
My focus these days are to provide experiences or items that help them learn about the world around them while helping them discover their unique talents and interests. Here are some of the items I am considering for this year:
Gifts that lead them to an appreciation of nature:
- Sleeping bags
- Binoculars, metal detector, or a telescope
- Zoo, museum, aquarium or planetarium memberships
- Trips or campout certificates
Gifts that help them explore their talents and interests:
- STEM science kits exploring electricity, construction, or chemistry
- Art supplies and idea books
- Cooking equipment and cookbooks
- Gardening supplies and books
You’ll notice that lots of these options allow opportunities for me to spend time with my grandkids. This might be a little self-serving, but ultimately, I think this is one of the things that makes these gifts the most valuable. Spending time with the kids allows me to connect with them, support them in their interests, and encourage them to explore. I love hiking in the woods looking for birds with them or going to a museum and watching what captures their attention. Enjoying an art project or walking them through a recipe is also great fun! These all help create wonderful memories for all of us.
So as you’re planning out your gifts this year, think about what you can give the young people in your life that will help get them outside, interacting with nature, while helping them explore their own wonderful talents. If we really want our youth to respect and protect the world around them, we must give them the opportunities to learn how special our world really is. The gifts we give this holiday season can help accomplish that.
Two of my grandkids in a leaf pile we made together!
Happy Holidays to all! I hope this season is filled with peace and wonder for you and your loved ones.
