6 Creative Gifts Your Kids Would Love to Play With

It is easy to hand kids a tablet and have them cruising videos for hours, but we know that more than one hour of screen time a day can be detrimental to a child’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Tablets and phones are alluring because they are addictive, but if we want the best for our children, it is better to surround them with toys that can ignite their creativity and spark a love for play rather than sitting in front of a screen all day.

Creative gifts come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. The child’s age is a huge determinant of what to choose, but one thing to keep in mind is that you do not have to spend a large sum of money to turn your kid into a creative force. Children are innately creative. A toilet paper roll and an empty cardboard box can be just as valid as top-of-the-range toys. Sometimes more. Getting your child to enjoy play can be challenging if screen time has been a massive part of their everyday life. If you struggle with transitioning your child from less screen time to more creative play, consider the following six toys that speak to your child’s creative nature.

1. Modern Construction Toys

Construction toys have long been a staple in boys’ houses, but these days, both genders can enjoy hours of imaginative play with the help of different vehicles and regular blocks. For an added boost to get your child interested, consider remote control construction toys. These vehicles come with different sounds and music. The kids can move the vehicles with a controller for better imaginative play. Remote-control construction toys are great for outdoor play. If you hope your child gets more time outside, these toys are excellent for playing in the street, at the beach, or in a garden where props like sand, pebbles, soil, and dirt are.

2. Trivia Games

Trivia games will give your kids’ brains some much-needed exercise. Trivia games are great if you want your kids to play together or have more family nights spent together. There are thousands of different trivia games, but if you want something your kids will love, go for a theme they know well. From Disney trivia games to National Geographic, there are plenty of options to suit your kids’ interests.

3. Magnet Theaters

Magnet theaters are these ostensibly simple box sets packed with creative potential for your kids. Generally, these toys come with two stages and several magnets (there can be 50 or more). The idea is for the child to use the sets and create a story with the magnets. Great for a long flight or a rainy day, magnet theaters can ignite your child’s imagination and help them fall in love with storytelling. It is an excellent toy for your kid to create problems and figure out how the characters overcome such obstacles.

4. Kitchen

Toy kitchens have been around for a while, but their creative potential has always remained. Even with so many gadgets and distractions everywhere, toy kitchens remain alluring for today’s kids because they allow them to feel like adults in control of their homes. Get your kids a couple of empty containers, cutlery, and some play dough, and watch them navigate their daydreams as they cook, clean, and do the simple things they watch their parents do. Toy kitchens teach kids about being responsible, cooking, and prepping for other family members and get them moving and delegating in a way that videos on TikTok can’t.

5. Lens Blocks

Blocks have given millions of children worldwide across decades the opportunity to feel empowered as they build and create whatever they imagine. Lens blocks take this creative opportunity to the next level by adding color screens to the blocks. A Montessori toy, lens blocks are blocks with plastic-colored screens attached to them so children can build and learn about colors and shapes.

6. Origami Kits

Let’s face it; most kids are not as gentle as we would like them to be when playing with their toys (or handling the furniture around the house, for that matter). However, some children have an innate sense of gentleness about them and treat toys carefully. These are the type of children that can handle and may enjoy playing with an origami kit. Origami is a delicate paper-handling craft that even some adults can’t bother with, but for the right children, an origami kit can help them learn how to be slow and patient when creating something. The art of origami teaches children how to celebrate the small steps and focus on the present task.

Conclusion

We all want the best for our kids, but sometimes, we can go over the top with our intentions because we mistakenly think that if we do not give them certain things, our children will suffer. As one wise Ted Talk speaker once said, we owe our children love and chores. Nothing else. Our homes and toys are enough to spark our children’s imaginations. We must give them some time to get bored so their creative juices can flow.