100 of the best educational toys: stocking fillers
Block Magic Snake Cubes
(£6.99 for 12, Amazon)
These snake cubes are colourful, creative and incredibly addictive – especially for fidgety children (and adults). It has a puzzle element to it and can be used for focus and concentration, as well as construction and problem-solving.
Wheel-Organizer
(£11.25, UGears)
Make your own kinetic, Steampunk storage for up to six pens and pencils. Easy to assemble, with no glue required, this is a lovely gadget and a great introduction to the world of mechanics.
Download your child's festive activity pack now!
- KS1 & KS2 packs
- Christmas-themed English, maths and science activities
- Perfect activity pack to keep kids busy and learning over the Christmas break
The Royal Opera House Create Your Own Theatre
(£12.50, ROH)
Become a set designer and make your very own performance space with this theatrical kit. The card scenery, characters and props to put on a dazzling show are all included (no glue or scissors are needed).
History Heroes Kings and Queens
(£9.99, History Heroes)
Did you know that Henry I had a record-breaking 25 illegitimate children or that Queen Victoria survived five assassination attempts? History Heroes is a new card game designed to test the whole family’s knowledge of British monarchs, from William the Conqueror in 1066 to today’s reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II. The aim is to capture opponents' cards in the style of Top Trumps – would you be able to name the tallest monarch or identify the king famed for his red face and red hair to win?
Mapominoes
(£9.99, Wildcard Games)
Mapominoes is like dominoes but with maps, as you build a map by connecting countries that share a common border. Stay one step ahead of your opponents, as you race to be the first player to play all your country cards on the table and win the game. The game is designed so that you don’t need geographical knowledge to play, but playing rapidly improves your geographical knowledge. Europe, Asia & Australasia, Africa, Americas and UK Counties editions are available; suitable for age 8 to adult.
Knights Carddies
(£8.99, Carddies)
Created by two mums and perfect to stimulate imaginative play, Carddies are hand-drawn characters on white card that can be coloured in using the 12 pencils provided. Each character has its own stand, and the each set comes with a hand-drawn background scene that can also be coloured in. Everything is neatly packed in a durable card box, perfect to take on the go. Other sets include school, ballet, football, family, fairies and even cavemen! Made in the UK.
Smart Putty
(£8.99, The Glowhouse)
This super stuff bounces, shatters, tears, moulds and is fab to play with. This putty has all of the fun of the original but also changes colour using body temperature!
POP for Addition & Subtraction
(£10, Learning Resources)
A brilliant (and brilliantly-priced) game for young mathematicians, POP for Addition and Subtraction asks kids to answer simple number sentences (using number 1 to 10), with chunky game cards and simple rules to follow. The games include 100 bubblegum ball-shaped cards: Letters, Word Families, Rhyming and Shapes are some of the other game variants available.
Kidnoculars
(£10.99, Learning Resources)
The perfect accompaniment to outdoor walks or caravan holidays, these sturdy, lightweight binoculars let your child observe nature at a distance. The wraparound, soft eye section holds your child's face in the correct position and make it easy for them to make the most of the 2x magnification.
Expandable Sphere
(£5.99, Amazon)
This expanding and contracting object is fascinating to play with and has a variety of colours. It is easy to carry around and can keep kids fascinated for a long time. It's can also be a great gift for children with sensory needs.
Mini Builds Stag Beetle
(£9.99, Build Your Own)
Make a magnificent purple cardboard ‘pinching bug’! With pull-tab snapping pincer action, this UK-designed minibeast stands at 31cm long and comes with a press-out Stag Beetle Fact Stand.
(£7.99, Amazon)
A lovely family game that can be taken anywhere and played by anyone. Encourage your child to use their imagination and refine their story-telling skills with these simple but effective story cubes. You can take turns to be the narrator and once you've rolled your dice you can tie all of the images together in one wild story, or break it up into 'chapters'.
(£10.99 Amazon)
Such a simple concept but so much fun to play for both adults and children. Just a small rope and some powerful magnets – easy to take anywhere with you in the bag provided – will drive you nuts and have you hooked. Place your magnet down in the loop created by the rope and then try not to draw any other magnets towards you. Simple... right?
For loads more brilliant educational toys see our age-specific picks: EYFS (toys for children aged 4-6), KS1 (toys for ages 5-7) and KS2 (toys for children 7-11).
Please note that some of the products included in this article feature affiliate links; this means that if you click through and purchase one of the featured products, we might earn a small commission.
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