We all want to make our kids' wishes come true during the holiday season, but there are gifts that can also promote health and wellness. Here are some ideas for gifts that can promote wellness all year long:
Encourage physical activity:
- Sports equipment such as a basketball hoop, soccer ball and goal, baseball bat and mitt or golf clubs.
- Outdoor items such as a bicycle, ice skates, roller skates, jump ropes, a sled or a kite
- Lessons to learn a new active skill such as skating, skiing, dance, golf or tennis.
- Instead of video games that only involve sitting, consider those that incorporate movement such as virtual bowling, boxing or tennis, or competitive dance games.
Build motor skills and hand-eye coordination:
- Puzzles, building blocks, craft kits and science kits
- Cooking supplies and cookbooks to promote healthy eating, following directions and self-sufficiency
Get creative
- Costumes and dress-up items
- Puppets
- Coloring books, crayons, paints, journals or other art supplies
- Musical instruments and music lessons
- Art classes
Foster a love of reading
- Novels, short stories or comic books. Consider buying a few books from the same series if your child has a favorite author.
- Gift certificates to a bookstore
- Magazine subscriptions like Highlights, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated or look online for other age-appropriate options
Enjoy family time together
- Board games and card games
- Passes to museums, the zoo, aquarium or science center
- Tickets to concerts, the theater or sporting events
