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November 11, 2019

21 Comments

The countdown to Christmas has well and truly begun, and for many parents this means the search is on for suitable gifts, both for your own children and for others.

Choosing the right gift can be a difficult process, as we want to make sure our children don’t just accumulate endless piles of stuff, that either never get used or are used once and then pushed back to the back of the closet.

The good news is that there has been a shift in recent years when it comes to gift giving. Educational Christmas gifts have been increasing in popularity, with the global edutainment market worth AU$3.4 billion in 2018,  and investment in the Edutech sector increasing by 30% to AU$14.1 billion in 2017[1]. As children grow, it’s important to provide them with educational toys which allow them to learn, develop and grow as they play.

With the rise of technology in our everyday life it’s important that children’s screen time is nourishing and educational, rather than just mindless play. Educational online games promote key skills, important for life both online and offline. Specifically, online educational games encourage your child’s growth.

Online games reinforce the growth mindset through their treatment of failure. A child who fails at a game immediately tries again and eventually succeeds, so the idea of growth through practice is reinforced.

Alongside learning a beneficial life skill, educational gifts can illuminate a future career path. With STEM jobs growing 1.6 times faster than the growth rate in non-STEM jobs[2] educational games can play a role in opening this pathway for your child’s future. Researchers have suggested that improvements in spatial skills predicts achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.[3]

Online educational games such as Matific Galaxy develop your child’s spatial skills through interactive episodes fostering an environment to understand and remember relationships between objects and maths concepts. Matific Galaxy is an innovative game-based learning program, designed by education professors and curriculum experts, which features creatively engaging situations, so children are taught maths skills without fear or anxiety. Parents and children can download Matific Galaxy on desktop and via android and iOS devices, so it’s super easy to use.

Gifting an online educational game to your child won’t only be beneficial for them, but also for the environment. Typically, during the Christmas to new year period Australian households will generate 30% more waste contributing to our 125,000 tonnes of plastic packaging waste every year.[4]

These days there are many great educational gifts on the market to choose from, many that promote good screen time. So, when looking for a tech related gift that you can feel happy about and that your child will love, take time to explore the market.

[1] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190906005198/en/Global-Edutainment-Markets-2017-2018-2019-2027—ResearchAndMarkets.com

[2] https://www.employment.gov.au/newsroom/stem-jobs-are-growing-faster-other-jobs

[3]http://www.oecd.org/officialdocuments/publicdisplaydocumentpdf/?cote=EDU/WKP(2017)10&docLanguage=En

[4] http://sydney.edu.au/environment-institute/blog/considering-christmas-footprint/

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  • My daughter is too young for tech gifts but that time will come in a couple more years.

    Reply

  • An interesting read. I always tried to make smart choices for gifts for my kids, but I also know I gave a fair bit of junk to add to their ever growing piles of stuff.

    Reply

  • This article did make me giggle! It reminded me of the time my partner was trying to talk me into letting him buy a game console. He said it would be great to teach the kids hand eye co-ordination etc. I laugh now like I laughed then. Of course, the kids barely got a look in with dad around! Sadly, we were burgled not long after finalising payments for that console and it was stolen.

    Reply

  • I’m still sharply limiting my kids’ screen time, so no tech gifts yet.

    Reply

  • We have so many undated things now. Next year think we will tell family members to put 5 or 10 dollars each towards 1 bigger gift they want.

    Reply

  • Dang, wish I read this before Christmas. Ideas for next year or birthdays tho

    Reply

  • I get my 4 y/o booms to encourage her to read, write and use phonetics.
    It suits her as she loves learning.
    Its a lifetime skillset tbat should start at home.
    Educational toys are great, too…

    Reply

  • Anything non screen is great. Gives the kids free play with loads of imagination

    Reply

  • I will always prefer non-screen based products, I am a huge advocate for educational presents but get something that is hands-on learning. Maybe it is the early childhood teacher in me but play based learning is more beneficial

    Reply

  • Educational products that don’t involve a screen are high on our list – books, magazines etc

    Reply

  • buying the best gift is always a problem. I love books and educational gifts.

    Reply

  • The ideas sound great but need to be really fun too otherwise short attention spans don’t stay focused….I go with more educational toys, books..

    Reply

  • I always struggle to find the perfect gift for family members. I love the idea of educational gifts for the kids. I believe that learning should be fun.

    Reply

  • i love gifting experiences for gifts as well, gives them something to do over the school holidays and creates memories for them and they dont take up space in my small house haha

    Reply

  • Osmo is a fantastic educational game. It’s a bit pricey to get started but all you really need is one game or “pack”. To date my children have coding jam, a pizza making game, the original pack came with drawing, and other games. We just got the kids the OSMO detective agency game for Xmas.

    Reply

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