Christmas Gift Ideas for Preschool & Elementary Kids from Veritas Teachers

It's become a yearly Veritas blog tradition that we gather suggestions for Christmas gifts from our faculty to help parents with ideas for educational, developmentally-appropriate gifts that are not only fun, but also enriching. After all, these teachers are spending nearly seven hours a day with your children, investing in their holistic growth, and so they have a firm handle on what kinds of gifts will enhance these children's learning experience.

If you're looking for some last-minute inspiration to round out your family's Christmas gifts, here is our updated annual Christmas gift ideas list, organized by grade level (with a bonus Chess section at the end!).

Preschool: Ms. Kayla Holod

• Melissa & Doug create timeless modern classics, and these pattern blocks will keep your little one busy and engaged.
• Floor puzzles are fantastic, and some favorites might be this world map with animals or this traffic jumbo jam.
• Animals are always a hit at this age, so this Little People A to Z Learning Zoo playset - which combines alphabet learning and imaginative play - will be a hit.
• Start a family game time tradition this coming year and invest in some educational and fun games to bond over. Some great ideas include The Honey Bee Tree, The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel, and Sound Bingo.

Kindergarten: Mrs. Jackie Lake

• Kindergartners love the Bob Books, and this is a great set that will help them build their reading skills with confidence.
• They love learning to read, and this game - which combines sight words and popcorn - helps them do just that.
• ABCs and 123s go together, and these kids enjoy their numbers too. Foster that love of learning with this fun game that helps them polish their addition and subtraction skills.

First Grade: Mrs. Sharon Strawbridge

• Many of our students love drawing, so art supplies would make great gifts. Consider:

• Crayola Crayons (my favorite)
• Art paper or sketch books
• Coloring books

• Books are best! Here are some of our favorites:

• Early Readers (the "I Can Read"publications)
• Bob Books
• Dr. Seuss
• I SPY books
• Poetry books, such as Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neill, The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (selected by Jack Prelutsky), and Lavender's Blue (nursery rhymes: Kathleen Lines)
• Carolyn Haywood's Betsy books
• Books that cover topics we discuss in class, such as Pennsylvania history, Indians, planets and solar system, or Bible stories.
• A new "real" Bible (ESV or NKJV may be easier to read)

• Music/CDs

• Judy Rogers' Why Can't I See God or Teach Me While My Heart is Tender
• Steve Green scripture memory songs Hide 'Em In Your Heart

Second Grade: Miss Deb Chapin

• Second graders will likely love some of the exploratory and educational toys from the National Geographic website, such as:

• National Geographic Shut the Box Game
• Around the World Touch-Pad Quiz Game
• All-in-One Adventure Multi-tool
• Voice Changer

• Games for second graders::
• Smart Games IQ XOXO
• Classic Yahtzee
• Backseat Bingo
• Qwirkle from Mindware
• Some books that they might enjoy include:

• An Uncommon History of Common Things
• Ultimate Weird But True
• Atlas
• LEGO Chain Reactions Book & Kit
• Sequels to our literature study books, like The Boxcar Children and LIttle House on the Prairie

Third Grade: Mrs. Katie Zappitella

• Students who are more artsy love Greek and Roman coloring and activity books. There are a number of fun and inexpensive options to choose from, like these for starters:
• Greek and Roman Gods Stained Glass Coloring Book (Dover)
• Greek Gods and Goddesses Coloring Book (Dover)
• Life in Ancient Rome Coloring Book (Dover)
• Life in Ancient Greece Coloring Book (Dover)
• Ancient Greece Dot to Dot
• For students who enjoy building things, ancient Greek and Roman architectural sets are a great option. Students can also use the blocks to create their own buildings.
• Guidecraft Greek Block Set
• HABA Coliseum Architectural Wooden Block Set
• Roman Arch Building Block Set
• Some fun games for families with Classically educated third graders are:
•  Zeus on the Loose!
• Santorini, a strategy-based board game
• There are fun ways to practice grammar as well! Try these:
• MadLibs are an excellent way to practice parts of speech. History of the World MadLibs includes information on ancient Greece and Rome!
• Silly Sentence Starters gives students hilarious ideas for writing stories.

Fourth Grade: Mrs. Emily Fischer

• Fourth graders love fun games and strategy, so here are some ideas to help them rise to the challenge:
  
• Ticket to Ride: Europe (Stategy game), which coincides with our study of Europe in the Middle Ages History.
• Carcassonne game
• They also love science—especially if it helps them throw things!  Try:
• Tabletop Trebuchet
• Leonardo da Vinci catapult 
• Some might enjoy toy soldiers, outfits, and medieval buildings.
• Medieval Toy Soldiers
• Great Princess Outfit
• Castle Playset
• Cathedral Puzzle
• Finally, the Franklin Institute has a Viking exhibit running until the end of March! Tickets to this special exhibit would be a delight for your students!

Sixth Grade: Mrs. Patty Ploutz

• Books
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (Book on WWII, Jews in Denmark)
• Watership Down by Richard Adams (A timeless classic)
• Building Sets
• Several sixth graders enjoy building geo-shapes in math. Perhaps a good supply of colorful cardstock, glue, paperclips, and a book on building geodesic 3-dimentional shapes.
• Space shuttle and Nasa Transport model kit 
• Wright Flyer model kit 
• WWI or WWII era fighter planes 
• Geodesic puzzle DIY lampshade project 
• Games
• Rush Hour (Railroad version)
• Settlers of Catan (board game)
• Chess with Civil War theme (Amazon)

From the Veritas Chess Coach

• Chess Fun for the whole Family: Giant backyard chess sets
• If you can't play chess but your kid does: Solitaire Chess Brain Game
• Put the screens away during holiday travels and get out Magnetic Travel Chess
• Who says chess has to be black and white? Designer Colored Chess Sets

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