As gift givers from a different generation, it’s sometimes a foreign concept for grandparents to choose appropriate gifts for their technology focused grandchildren. The good news is that low tech gifts will always have a place in a child’s toy chest and may even become a favorite.
Books
It may seem old-fashioned to read an actual book with pages and binding, but there is something so tactically satisfying with turning pages. Giving a child your favorite set of illustrated children’s books, for example, is passing on something tangible to them that they can touch and own and hug in a way that an e-reader can not duplicate.
Binoculars and Magnifying Glasses
You can find pictures of almost anything on the internet, but that doesn’t replace the awe a child feels when a faraway bird comes into focus for the first time. Seeing a nest and hatchlings (and knowing that he’s really seeing them and not just pictures of birds somewhere else) is a powerful feeling. Likewise, discovering (for herself) that a beetle has 6 legs is much more meaningful than watching a video where someone else makes the discovery.
Wooden Blocks
A simple set of wooden blocks can provide hours of creative play for a child. Through building and attempting to build, the young architect learns the laws of physics, abstract and concrete thinking and creativity all in real time and with real materials.
Balls
Your grandchild doesn’t have to have any athletic talent to enjoy playing with balls of all shapes and sizes. Sometimes the children who seem least adept at throwing and catching end up having the most fun because their exuberance for their made-up games is the most important factor in playing. Handling balls helps children learn special awareness and increases their gross and fine motor coordination.
Technology isn’t going anywhere, but that doesn’t mean it has to rule children’s playtime. Low-tech gifts can be a necessary and positive part of a child’s learning through play.
