Great gift ideas for children, teens

Are you looking for ideas for holiday gifts for your children?

Several Noblesville teachers have offered their thoughts about gifts that will provide years of entertainment.

Anne DeCocq, second-grade teacher at Hazel Dell, and Antoinette Herrin, kindergarten teacher at Stony Creek, recommend the LeapPad Learning System, for children 4 and older. This system builds skills in reading, phonics, and vocabulary. Books are sold separately.

Mrs. Herrin also recommends:
- Hello Reader! books from Scholastic for children in kindergarten through third grade, plus books with children's favorite characters such as Arthur and Clifford.
- Writing supplies - clipboards, markers, stationery, stickers - anything that gets them writing at home!
- Science kits - they are numerous and range from making paper planes, to butterfly gardens, and volcanoes. These are great for vocabulary and experience building that will be used during reading and writing.
- 'Smath - a board game great for first through fifth graders, Boggle and Perquacky are great for building words, and Scrabble and Yahtzee are great for words/math.


From Becky Crowder, special needs teacher at NHS:
- I love the Harry Potter book series - grades 4-12.
- I also love any picture atlas for kids - middle to upper elementary.
- Jump Start or Reader Rabbit software is really good and fun for kids. The grade level is noted on the box.
- Audio books are great because kids can listen above their grade level. Kids really enjoy some of the more complex stories.
- Books by Cynthia Voigt for girls ages 11-16


From Cathy Lalley, fourth-grade teacher at North:
Two wonderful books with beautiful illustrations: H is for Hoosier by Cynthia Fiurlog Reynolds,
A is for America by Devin Scillian


From Christy Eller, seventh-grade math teacher at NMS:
- Good mechanical pencils as well as nice pens and highlighters are a good idea (cool looking ones are better than expensive ones). Kids take better care of good equipment and will be less likely to be unprepared for class.
- How about a dry erase board for your child's locker so they write important reminders.
- New folders - the folders they have now are well worn.
- Perhaps a pencil case, the fabric type, full of "office supplies" such as paper clips, rubber bands, Post-It notes, a mini stapler, a ruler, a compass, a protractor.
- A small, but nice dictionary.
- Bright colored index cards to use as a study tool.
- Book marks! My students are always making bookmarks - I like the magnetic ones.
- Gift certificate to Staples or a book store would also be fun!


From Dave Ferris, Math Department chairman, NHS:
For students in AP Calculus or AP Statistics, a study guide would be beneficial. The AP tests are in May, so a study guide for Christmas would be timely. These can usually be purchased at Borders or Barnes and Noble. Some publishers: Barron's, AMSCO, Princeton Review.


From Deborah Luce, art teacher at NHS:
- Art supplies
- Latex House Paint (interior or exterior), any color
- Drill bits (any size)
- Pliers / Cutter of any kind
- Chisels


From Diana Martin, second-grade teacher at Stony Creek:
- A globe
- A watch with hands (to show the hour, minute, second)
- U.S. state quarter collecting map
- A wall calendar


From Heather Gatman, third-grade teacher at White River:
- Multiplication Bop It (an educational game/toy)
- ANY math games (addition, subtraction, multiplication) for third graders.
- ANY educational game.
- ANY book. A good series is Box Car Children.


From Jamie Isaacs, third-grade teacher at White River:
- Harry Potter books (Parents, this is a great series to read to and with your kids. It is hard reading, but it develops a love a reading. Often, students will want to read the books a second time on their own.)
- Magic Tree House Tales series
- Nate the Great series, this is an easier read
- Junie B. Jones
- Captain Underpants, very funny books
- Joke Books
- Jack Prelutsky poetry book
- Third graders love animals of all kinds!
- Math sharks. These are like a calculator that quizzes students on facts.
- Beginning chemistry sets and microscopes.
- Pictionary Junior helps with the fine motor skills.
- Materials to make beaded necklaces etc. is also helpful with fine motor skills.


From Judi Kellett, English teacher at NHS:
Here are no-cost suggestions:
- Spend half an hour asking questions over an assignment your student worked on
- Make a coupon your student can "cash in" for a study help session
- Make flash cards for a subject to help your student study for final exams


From Kelly Wolf, fifth-grade teacher at NIS:
Several of my students have LeapFrog games. They are really neat and interactive. They cover different content areas (language arts, math, science, social studies) by grade level. There's also a spelling one that allows you to download words from the Internet. All of these games would be great for children in grades 1-6.


From LuAnn Harger, second-grade teacher at Hinkle Creek:
These things are not so high tech but I think they are important for second grade age kids.
- Books: fiction and non-fiction. The more a child reads the better they become at reading. New vocabulary is introduced and learned as well as new concepts and ideas. Old stored information is pulled out to compare and help with understanding as well. Phonics skills are practiced.
- Pencils, paper, crayons, journals: Children this age need to do a lot of writing. It helps with oral expression, spelling, and reading as well. Writing stories and keeping them in a spiral notebook or journal and then illustrated keeps a history of their writing too. It's neat to go back and check out what you have written.
- Flash cards: memorization of facts is so important and makes all other math concepts a ton easier.


From Marilyn Bauchat, special needs teacher at Hinkle Creek:
I would suggest small science kits because kids can never have enough exploration with magnets, batteries, etc.


From Nancy Pouzar, kindergarten teacher at Hazel Dell:
Here are sure fire hits with kindergartners:
- Old fashioned wooden block sets (and parents to sit and build with them), Legos and Lincoln logs and tinker toys, any kind of building, creative things that don't have just one way to play with them
- Art supplies such as glitter, glue, stamps, stickers, pipe cleaners, play dough, wax or clay modeling materials
- Office supplies like tape, staplers, scissors, envelopes, little notebooks, stickers/stamps, hole punch, receipt books
- Miniature animals or people to make up pretend stories with, sometimes available in sets with fun scenery and things to go with them (furniture, tiny toys, tools, books, etc.)
- Puppets
- Books and children's music CDs.


From Sandy Martin, fifth-grade teacher at NIS
- Dry-erase boards and markers
- Children's novels
- Teacher store gift certificates for books, supplies, etc.
- Informational books on space, colonial America, inventions/inventors, habitats, USA, states and capitals, etc.
- Books about fractions/decimals


From Sue Dunlap, second-grade teacher at Stony Creek:
A good idea for second graders is a non-digital wrist watch. We are learning how to tell time the traditional way and many second graders have difficulty with this.


From Susan Julian, kindergarten teacher at Hazel Dell:
I really promote open ended toys. Toys that can be used in a variety of ways. These are the ones that survive the test of time and promote creativity. Things like Legos, blocks, playdough, markers and paper are good examples.


From Marge Cox, media services director, Noblesville Schools:
Let them celebrate the gift all year by giving them magazine subscriptions. Visit any large book store, public library, or school library media center to get ideas about some of the wonderful options that are available for today's youth. There is something for any age and interest. Children will be excited to get consistent mail. You support hobbies or interests and they get a chance to practice reading skills in a real life situation. Give them a copy to open during the holiday season and enclose a card that says more are coming.


The National Association of Elementary School Principals offers these guidelines to help parents make great choices:

Play Together: Look for toys and games that require family participation. Among the best are ones that combine fun and learning. Card and board games, dominoes, marbles, checkers, chess, and word and spelling games, are a few good examples.

Promote independent play: As important as family time is, children should be able to entertain themselves, too. Make sure your child has toys and activities he or she can enjoy alone, such as legos, building blocks, stuffed animals, puzzles, and craft kits.

Make something happen: Look for toys that promote creativity. Providing dress-up clothes, art supplies, puppets, tools, or gardening equipment are easy ways to stimulate your child's imagination.

Ready, action: Children need physical exercise. A ball, bat, and glove, junior golf clubs, a teenis racquet, in-line or ice skates, a jump rope, hula hoop, frisbee, or a badminton set are great ways to promote physical fitness.

Something to show for it: Children love to produce things. Think about buying an inexpensive or disposable camera and photo album, a paint set and some paper, a sketch book and colored pencils, mosaics, sewing or weaving kits, beading materials, origami paper, or a cookbook and cooking utensils.

Lessons learned: If your children show interest in a particular sport, activity, or art project, sign them up for a few lessons or an introductory class.

Make reading a gift: Give a subscription to an age-appropriate magazine, a book on tape, or combine a toy with a book (i.e., a stuffed bunny and a story about rabbits, or a piece of sports equipment and biography of a famous athlete).


The NAESP suggests several websites for more great gift ideas:
- www. reading.org - The International Reading Association lists book titles recommended by children and teachers.
- www.ala.org - The American Librarian Assoication not only recommends books, but also videos, software, and audio recordings.
- www.cpsc.gov - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has information and publications on toy safety.
- www.toyportfolio.com and www.drtoy.com - These sites test, review, and rate children's products. They also offer tips for selecting toys, books, bideos, software, and audio recordings.
- www.parents-choice.org - This site rates and reviews new children's media, including videos, television shows, and software as well as toys, books, and magazines.