This is a continuation in our series of posts on how to find the best gifts for kids. In our previous post on this topic we discussed about finding right gifts for 1-2 year old children. In this, we will focus on 3-5 year old kids. We will follow the same 4 step process as we had discussed earlier.
Understand the profile of kids in desired age group
Children in this age bracket of 2-5 years are highly mobile, full of energy and zest. Its practically impossible to keep them in one place. They are much more aware of their surroundings through TV, comics and friends. They watch cartoons and even have their favourite super-heroes. They have their own liking for clothes, toys, accessories and colors. They have started going to play schools and are most probably enjoying the environment outside of their homes. They are very imaginative and to them nothing is impossible. Laws of physics are not for them. Superman can fly, Pluto the dog can keep its tail straight up and Donald-duck despite being a duck can speak clear English. They enjoy this free environment without limits of logic that we adults impose on it.
Define objectives and explore options
Their are clearly a lot more creative choices of gifts for kids in this age group. But because the kids in this age group are so aware, choosing the right gift is also very difficult. Their is a high chance that your gift may face outright rejection if it does not meet the mark and will never get played with. Here the most appropriate gifts for kids are those that combine the latest trends amongst kids e.g. popular cartoon character, with utility and learning elements. Again ask the question "what should a good gift do for the child". Here are some possible options
Help them exercise and build strength: 3-5 year old kids are growing very fast. They are growing in height, weight and physical dexterity. Games and toys that will help them exercise and grow could form very useful gifts for kids. Examples of some such gifts are...
- Knock-me-down dolls
- Ball games
- Tri-cycle / bi-cycle
- Roller skates
- Swimming equipments
Help instigate curiosity and facilitate learning: They are exploring their environment and everything is very new to them. Toys that help maintain / grow their curiosity and support building knowledge are...
- Electronic toys e.g. moving robots
- Lego kits
- Animal figures with sounds
- Magic slates
- Card-games on animals, places
- Puzzle sets
Help them go out and play: TV, video games and board games are keeping kids in-doors. Anything that supports going out, playing in teams, interacting with others is an excellent gift in my opinion
- Mini cricket kits
- Mini football
- Mini badminton kit
Foster creativity and imagination: Academics and physical performance is something that can be observed. But creativity and imagination is not something that can be visually observed or tracked on a daily basis. It is important to get our kids to explore their creative sides. There are various toys available today that will help them in this.
- Color books
- Magic slates
- Musical instruments
Ensure safety
As with 1-2 year old kids, it is important to keep safety in mind when buying gifts for kids of 3-5 years of age. There are several aspects to it and will need to be considered based on the age and learning curve of the child.
- Sharp corners / edges: Ensure that the toy has smooth rounded edges and there are no sharp corners
- Projectiles: Things that emit projectiles e.g. shooting guns, bows and arrows etc are a strict no for kids of this age group. There is a strong chance of them injuring themselves or others with such toys
- Strength and build quality: Ensuring a good build quality and strength is high importance here. More so, because the kids will take their toys out and play with a larger group of kids and sometimes without supervision of elders
The next step is to Explore, personalize and choose so that your gift is not just most useful but also most fun. You can find more information on how to personalize gifts and tailor them to the needs of your kids on our website. You can also look for articles on finding gifts for kids of other age groups as well as on other topics related to kids education, learning and growing up.
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kunal_Gandhi
