Best Gifts for Kids Under 5?

Hint: They Require Your Time and Attention

PHOENIX (November 15, 2011) – As almost every parent knows, you can spend a lot of money on a child’s toy and have them spend more time playing with the box or packaging instead. As the holiday season kicks off, First Things First reminds caregivers to take advantage of that natural curiosity and spend time playing and talking with kids.  

“From the time they are born, kids are learning by studying their environment and seeing how things work, how people interact,” said K Vilay, a family support program specialist at First Things First. “As adults who care about young kids – particularly kids 5 and younger – the best thing we can do is give them time and opportunities to explore their world in new ways.”

Research shows that 80 to 90 percent of a child’s brain develops by the time they are five years old, and the experiences a child has in the early years lay the foundation for success in kindergarten and beyond.

These festive times offer many opportunities to help young kids learn. Holiday decorating offers an opportunity for children to learn about shapes and colors. Cooking or baking family favorites is a chance to learn about numbers and textures. And, singing along to holiday music and telling stories about prior holidays build vocabulary.

The top choice for holiday gifts for young kids? Books, and your time in reading them. Reading to children – 15 minutes per day for infants, up to 30 minutes a day for toddlers and preschoolers – is the most important way to encourage language and literacy and impact school performance. Other tips for choosing toys by age include:

• Infants (under 1 year old) –  toys where the child’s touch creates sounds, flashing lights or other action; toys they can safely chew on;  toys with mirrors, where they can observe facial expressions.
• Toddlers (1-3 years old) – toys they can ride on or climb on; balls to roll, catch, etc.; blocks or building-type toys; toys that encourage matching and sorting shapes, colors, or objects; and materials for playing with sand, water and other textures.
• Preschoolers (3-5 years old)  - anything that encourages imaginative play, such as dress-up clothes or toys that mimic household items or tools; puzzles and simple games; art supplies including plain white paper, markers, crayons, finger paints, molding clay or dough, etc.

Notice any patterns? All of these suggestions encourage parents or other caregivers to interact with the child as they use them.

“Young kids learn from every positive interaction they have with adults,” Vilay explained. “They do something, see how adults react to it, do something else, and it’s that constant exchange of information back and forth that is the most beneficial to our kids’ brain development and learning.”

Which gifts to avoid? Almost anything with a screen.  In a recent policy statment, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that parents keep kids under 2 as “screen free” as possible, including television, movies and video games. For older children, limited screen time is recommended.

“Screens can’t replace people, and while the action can be entertaining, there is little children are learning from them,” Vilay said. “Instead, look for chances to read, talk, sing and play together – these will mean the most to a young child’s learning and build lasting holiday memories.”

###       

About First Things First – First Things First is a voter-created, statewide organization that funds early education and health programs to help kids be successful once they enter kindergarten. Decisions about how those funds are spent are made by local councils staffed by community volunteers. To learn more, visit azftf.gov.