Choose Gifts That Spark Learning, Creativity

posted 12/4/19 -- It can be so disappointing to purchase a toy that your child asks for, only to find it tossed aside shortly after opening. Often the latest toys don’t offer the countless hours of fun that were advertised.

If your goal is to find things that your child will return to again and again, perhaps even for years, the answer is to look for open-ended toys.

Open-ended toys are ones that have multiple uses, can be used multiple ways, and can be used by children of all ages. Different children could be given the same toy and each of them would find a different way to play with it.

These are the toys that will foster creativity and imagination, and are probably among the things you remember most fondly from your own childhood. Wooden blocks, dolls, pretend cooking items, playdough, and Legos® are some of the best open-ended toys.

Preschool rooms are filled with open-ended toys. Ask your child’s teacher for the things that interest him or her the most if you are having trouble selecting things that will stand the test of time.