Elementary
six to Twelve Years
Between ages 6-12, children are quite different than they were as preschoolers. Now, they are able to process more information abstractly, and are using tools like logic to learn. These children are consumed with learning everything about everything, so materials for research, discovery, and finding answers independently are essential.
The six to nine year old is very sensitive to values and highly impressionable. Be sure you are walking your talk and providing activities, toys, and experiences that reflect your family’s values and offer real-life experiences of others who are different than you to encourage empathy and compassion. Books are especially helpful in gaining an understanding of how other people live.
Elementary age children can create wildly creative, imaginative games to play or projects to take on if given the time and the right materials. You don’t need lots of toys to promote this kind of play, just inspiration and props. These gifts below will inspire or support creative play, discovery, and the joy of childhood.
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Children’s Magazine Subscription
Many children this age can read independently, and a children’s magazine also offers interesting pictures, puzzles, and articles. This is a double gift: mail each month, and an interesting magazine to read! There are many to choose from, here’s some of my favorites:
Ranger Rick (animals)
National Geographic for Kids (science, animals)
Ask (science and art)
Spider (stories)
Chickadee (stories, puzzles, variety)
Time for Kids (Non-fiction current events)
Fun for Kidz (stories, puzzles, variety)
Outdoor Toys
Look for outdoor toys that encourage and build balance, speed, agility, and precision. Sports equipment is perfect, as are bikes, jump ropes, skateboards, and trampolines. The balance board recommended for earlier ages would also make a good gift now. Ask what kind of sports your giftee is interested in, and be sure to check with the parents before purchasing anything large.
Simple Recipe Books
Inspire your child to cook and try new foods with a children’s cookbook! Mollie Katzen has three excellent ones to choose from:
Salad People and More Real Recipes
And, if you’re also looking for tips on teaching basic cooking skills, pick up a copy of Kids in the Kitchen, by three Montessorians and moms.
Art and Crafts
Every child can benefit from art and craft work. It promotes fine motor skills development, focus, creativity, and planning, as well as the pride of completion. Kits make an easy gift for this age, but you can also source materials from a craft store and make your own activity gift.
Blank Journals
Recording your thoughts, observations, and daily life events in a journal is not only fun, it’s one of the best activities your elementary child can do to grow her writing, critical thinking skills and focus. Any blank journal would work, along with some quality pens, pencils, or coloring tools. This one has space for an illustration on each page and dotted lines, excellent for a beginning writer.
Check out these themed journals for a bit more support and direction:
Child’s Encyclopedia
Elementary children LOVE to learn about everything and anything, so give them a book to spark this curiosity! This is an excellent offline, non-digital way to find simple answers and learn how to use an index, page numbers, table of contents, and alphabetical order. Picturepedia is my favorite for older children, and My First Encyclopedia is best for children ages 5-6.
Science Tools for Exploration
All children benefit from learning about the world around them, and with these science tools, it can be lots of fun! These real tools allow for actual discoveries and research. Don’t forget an experiment book!
Themed Building Set
There are so many excellent building sets for ages 6-9, that we can’t pick just one. Look for a set that is interesting to your child, can be put together in multiple ways, and is mostly child-powered. Here are some of our favorites:
Board and Box Games
The games are perfect for families or groups of friends to play together, again and again. There are SO MANY to choose from, so look for ones that your child and family particularly enjoy.
Here’s some of my favorites: