Gifts to enrich lives, educate children

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell offers his top 10 ideas to parents looking for innovative education-related gifts for their children during the Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and New Year holiday season.

“One of the most treasured gifts we can give our children is the lifelong love of learning,” said O’Connell. “This is the kind of gift that keeps on giving. The joy of learning most often starts at home with children learning from their parents how to solve problems, acquire new skills and develop a sense about themselves.”

Here are O’Connell’s top 10 gift ideas to accomplish those goals:

Educational toys. Some toys help foster children’s imaginations, such as a science kit, ant farm, toy farm that grows real crops, aquarium, terrarium, chemistry set, model airplane, microscope, telescope, or magnifying glass. Younger children enjoy counting real objects rather than reciting numbers, so consider toys that help them count. Read warning labels carefully to make sure the toys are age appropriate.

Books or magazine subscription. Any publication geared toward younger children helps them recognize that the printed word is a part of everyday life and that it conveys useful, interesting and amusing information. Getting children to read early is the gateway to learning throughout their lives. To find a book that is age or grade appropriate, visit the California Department of Education’s recommended literature search at www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ rl/ll/ap/litsearch.asp.

Bookstore gift certificate. Older children may appreciate a gift card at a local bookstore to se

lect their own publications. The point is to get children excited about reading and keep on reading.

Visit the local library. An alternative to buying books is to introduce children to a whole building full of books at the local library or school library. Make a visit to the library special by allowing children to apply for a library card and to choose books that may encourage them to use the library frequently. Research shows that a well-stocked school library with materials in various formats makes a positive impact on improved literacy as well as overall academic achievement. For more information, visit www.ala.org/aasl/resources/achievement.html.

Tickets to visit a zoo, aquarium or museum. Children are naturally curious and should be encouraged to find answers to questions by patient observation and through the use of references, either at home, in libraries, zoos, aquariums or museums, especially interactive museums where children can learn through handson experiences. Visiting zoos and aquariums helps people become more aware of animals, environmental problems, conservation and nature.

Give a membership. Give your children a membership to a worthy organization like the zoo, library, museum, children’s theater or a nonprofit. This teaches children about giving and sharing, community responsibility and supporting worthy causes. Explain that for many nonprofits, membership dues can mean the difference between staying open or closing down, so the child’s membership will have an impact.

Explore family history. Look through old photos, documents and heirlooms, and start writing down family history. Interview older family members and record their stories. Look through genealogy databases to find more family members. Visit the places where family used to live and explore the local churches and libraries for information on relatives. Exploring the family history will bring the family closer together and give them something to hand down to their families.

Volunteer or make a donation. For many children, the holiday season is a time for getting gifts, but this is a great time to teach them the meaning of the old saying, “It’s better to give than receive.” Volunteer time or donate money to a worthy cause. Children will witness and copy this generosity.

Make a commitment to family fitness time. This gift will benefit both parents and children for a lifetime. Childhood obesity is an epidemic in California. Getting physically active is one of the best ways to combat this problem. If parents make physical fitness and good health a priority, their children are likely to keep these healthy habits for the rest of their lives. Getting exercise will help students academically, too. Studies have shown that students who are physically active and eat nutritious food are better prepared to succeed in school.

Time. The ultimate gift any

one can give is their time. Research shows that quality time with parents actually helps children succeed in school.