50 of the Best Educational Gift Ideas for Homeschooling Families

“What do the kids want this year?”   Whether it’s Christmas or a birthday, that’s the question most parents are faced with each year.

I love watching the kids get excited about their gifts, but sometimes the amount of toys and clutter in the house can feel overwhelming.  This can be especially true after birthdays or holidays, when the kids receive presents from multiple people.

Instead of junk toys that will soon be forgotten,  we love educational gifts for kids the family can enjoy together.

If you are looking for some awesome educational gifts for children this year, you’ve come to the right spot.   

I’ve asked some of my favorite fellow homeschool families what their favorite presents have been, and used their responses to create a list of the best gift ideas.   

Whether you’re looking for gifts for homeschoolers, or present ideas for all the kids in your life, you’ll find something for everyone below. 

Affiliate links have been used below, meaning I may receive a small commission.  See my full disclosure for more details. 

Educational Gifts for Kids

Microscope

Microscope Slides—  Check out the pre-made slides for viewing things like a bee’s wing and a cross-section of a flower stem.  Blank slides are great for older kids who are ready to prepare their own slides.  

Telescope

Binoculars

Robotics Kits—  Know a child that loves robots?  Give them some hands-on fun with one of these kits.  

Solar Power Car— Can the sun power a car?  Discover just how power the sun is with this kit.  

Magnatiles—  Kids of all ages will have fun builting with these colorful tiles.  

Snap Circuits—  These are a great way to introduce circuits, while letting kids get hands-on experience with electricity.  Working doorbells, lights, and other features make them lots of fun.  

Monthly Subscription Kits —  Check out  MyTek Bot Kit, Raddish Cooking Club for Kids, Little Passports, or Steve Spangler Science Box .

Scrambled States of America —  Kids will have fun learning basic American geography with this quirky game.  

Perplexus Puzzle Balls — These 3-D mazes are so much fun!  The small ones make great stocking stuffers.

Fun Math Board Games—  Who says math isn’t fun?  These games will leave kids laughing as they work on math facts, counting, and money skills. 

Lego Chain Reactions  —  This 80 page STEM book is the perfect gift for Lego fans.  It comes with 30+ Lego pieces to combine with the bricks you already own to build 10 different machines.   

Genius Lego Inventions   —  This awesome book shows kids how to turn their bricks into a wind up car, pinball game, and more.  Complete with full directions and colored illustrations.  

Legos—  Whether you buy a kit with directions, or just a tub of the colorful building bricks, Legos are always a popular gift for kids.  

K’Nex Roller Coaster Building Kit —  Kids will learn plenty of physics as they engineer their very own miniature roller coaster.  

Logic Games (Try Qwirkle, Blokus, Gravity Maze, Dr. Eureka, or IQ Twist.)

Catapults and Crossbows Science Kit—  Kids will have a blast learning about the energy, motion, and force while making their own catapults, crossbows, and trebuchets.  

Klutz Craft Kits— You just can’t beat the Klutz brand when it comes to craft kits.   And they have such a wide variety, such as making soap, sewing mini stuffed animals, and making bracelets.

Chemistry Set—  Seriously, there are so many fun ones to choose from out there.  You can get kits that grow crystals, ones that do a variety of fizzing experiments, and, of course, your standard set with booklet that walks you through several experiments to try at home.  

Make Your Own Bubble Gum Kit—  What a fun way to explore chemistry! 

Mr. Root Beer Home Brewing Kit

Sewing Machine —  I suggest a real sewing machine, not one of those “kids sewing machines” which don’t really sew.  (Trust me, they are a disappointment.)  

Butterfly Growing Kit—  Kids will be fascinated as they watch their caterpillars turn into butterflies that you can then release into the wild.  

Story Cubes— These are a fun way to get kids writing and telling stories.  

Metal Detector —  A good metal detector doesn’t have to be expensive.   There are lots of good ones that are the perfect size for kids.  

Kindle Fire (or other reader) — Encourage reading with a bit of technology.  A tablet makes it easy to always have a book (or 2 or 3) with you, wherever you go.  

Kids Cookbooks  —  Even preschoolers can help in the kitchen.  Older kids can start learning to cook simple meals on their own, a necessary life skill everyone should learn.  

Fort Building Kit—  Take that blanket fort further with this building kit.  This is awesome on snow days.  

Slack Line Kit—  Get kids outside and working on balance, concentration, and coordination.  

Plasma Car—  No pedals, just wiggle power to get this moving.  And since it holds up to 150 pounds, it’s perfect for big kids, too, and those of us that are kids at heart. 

More Gifts for Homeschool Families

Nice Globe

Large White Board and Dry Erase Markers  

Boogie Board— Better than a white board, because the ink won’t smudge.  These are perfect for doing math problems on, practicing spelling words, and doodling without wasting paper.  

Ink Cartridges for the Printer  —  Homeschool families go through a lot of printer ink.  This is one gift that will definitely be appreciated.

Museum or Zoo Membership  —  Membership to a local museum or zoo is a wonderful gift for the whole family.  

Planetarium Tickets 

Subscription to a Child’s Magazine (We love Highlights and Ranger Rick!)

Gift Card to a Local Book Store

Art Classes (Check your local YMCA or Fine Arts Groups.)

Music Classes —  Check local high schools for opportunities when it comes to learning an instrument.  There are also online piano and guitar lessons that are perfect for busy homeschoolers.  

Tickets to Children’s Theater

Tickets to the  Symphony

Subscription to Netflix

Subscription to Amazon Prime

Whether you are looking for gifts for homeschool families, or you just want some educational gifts for kids this list is the perfect place to start for birthdays and holidays. 

You’ll also like:

• Awesome DIY Gifts for Kids
• Mermaid Gifts for Girls
• STEM Supplies for a STEM Lab at Home

Originally published November 2, 2017.