{"id":7800,"date":"2025-08-25T08:09:23","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T08:09:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/25\/dont-buy-another-toy-for-your-child-how-to-pick-gifts-that-spark-playful-learning-lifestyle-news\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T08:09:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T08:09:23","slug":"dont-buy-another-toy-for-your-child-how-to-pick-gifts-that-spark-playful-learning-lifestyle-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/25\/dont-buy-another-toy-for-your-child-how-to-pick-gifts-that-spark-playful-learning-lifestyle-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Buy Another Toy For Your Child: How To Pick Gifts That Spark Playful Learning | Lifestyle News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Last Updated:<\/span>

In the digital age, kids need more than toys. The right gifts can spark curiosity, boost creativity, and engage them in playful learning.<\/h2>\n
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The best gifts combine fun with curiosity, creativity, or skill-building. (Image: AI-gnerated)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Buying a gift for a toddler or young child is never easy. Their favourites change almost every other day, and most of the time, to wrap up the task quickly, we end up picking a big, colourful toy that makes sounds or flashes lights. It feels like the safe choice\u2014but is it always the best one?<\/p>\n

Buying for children growing up surrounded by screens in today\u2019s digital age is even more challenging. Many argue that too much exposure to devices makes kids less active or cuts them off from the real world. But I don\u2019t fully agree. I believe it\u2019s not all bad\u2014if anything, there\u2019s a silver lining. The right kind of play can use the same curiosity that screens spark and channel it into learning.<\/p>\n

A Chance Discovery At The World Book Fair<\/strong><\/p>\n

In February this year, while wandering through the World Book Fair in Delhi, I noticed a stall buzzing with parents and children alike. Out of curiosity, I walked over to see what had caught everyone\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

To my delight, the stall showcased learning tools designed to make education playful. As an education enthusiast, I was fascinated. These weren\u2019t ordinary toys\u2014they blended creativity with tech, and that intrigued me.<\/p>\n

Since my niece, who had just turned three, had a birthday coming up, I immediately thought of her. Like most kids of her generation, she is surrounded by screens, tapping away at smartphones with surprising ease. I wanted to give her something equally engaging but more meaningful\u2014something that sparked learning while keeping playfulness intact.<\/p>\n

At the stall, I found a set of scrolls that could be pasted on the wall at a child\u2019s height. Each scroll featured outlines\u2014shapes, alphabets, animals, body parts, and playful caricatures. With the crayons included, kids could colour freely, and the scrolls could be wiped clean with a damp cloth, ready to be used again.<\/p>\n

In short, kids could scribble on the walls without parents panicking.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s what made it truly special\u2014the scrolls came with QR codes. Scanning them on a phone would trigger poems or rhymes related to the objects drawn. It was a smart mix of traditional colouring and interactive tech, bringing the joy of play and learning together.<\/p>\n

Why It Changed My Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watching my niece scribble elephants on the scroll and then dance to a rhyme about them made me realise something important: screens aren\u2019t the enemy. The problem is the lack of equally engaging alternatives.<\/p>\n

Children are quick learners. You\u2019ve probably seen toddlers instinctively skip YouTube ads or navigate to the next video without anyone teaching them. They\u2019re naturally curious, and technology, if woven into playful learning, can amplify that curiosity instead of stifling it.<\/p>\n

My Guide To Picking The Right Gift<\/strong><\/p>\n

Through this incident, I\u2019ve come up with a simple approach when buying gifts for kids:<\/p>\n

Observe their interests.<\/strong> Kids\u2019 favourites change every day\u2014from parrots to mops\u2014but some patterns are consistent. Think about what engages them naturally. Scribbling, building, or storytelling\u2014each child has a \u2018thing.\u2019<\/p>\n

Look for playful learning:<\/strong> The best gifts combine fun with curiosity, creativity, or skill-building. Don\u2019t dismiss technology. Instead, look for ways it can add value\u2014making learning interactive and engaging.<\/p>\n

So the next time you\u2019re tempted to grab a flashy toy car or doll just to get gifting over with, pause for a moment. Ask yourself\u2014can this gift make the child curious, creative, or excited to learn?<\/p>\n

Because the best gifts are not the ones that simply entertain\u2014they are the ones that stay with a child, shaping how they explore the world.<\/p>\n

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Surbhi Pathak<\/a><\/p>\n

Surbhi Pathak, subeditor, writes on India, world affairs, science, and education. She is currently dabbling with lifestyle content. Follow her on X: @S_Pathak_11.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Surbhi Pathak, subeditor, writes on India, world affairs, science, and education. She is currently dabbling with lifestyle content. Follow her on X: @S_Pathak_11. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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News<\/a> lifestyle<\/a> Don\u2019t Buy Another Toy For Your Child: How To Pick Gifts That Spark Playful Learning<\/span><\/div>\n
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A Chance Discovery At The World Book Fair<\/strong><\/p>\n

In February this year, while wandering through the World Book Fair in Delhi, I noticed a stall buzzing with parents and children alike. Out of curiosity, I walked over to see what had caught everyone\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

To my delight, the stall showcased learning tools designed to make education playful. As an education enthusiast, I was fascinated. These weren\u2019t ordinary toys\u2014they blended creativity with tech, and that intrigued me.<\/p>\n

Since my niece, who had just turned three, had a birthday coming up, I immediately thought of her. Like most kids of her generation, she is surrounded by screens, tapping away at smartphones with surprising ease. I wanted to give her something equally engaging but more meaningful\u2014something that sparked learning while keeping playfulness intact.<\/p>\n

At the stall, I found a set of scrolls that could be pasted on the wall at a child\u2019s height. Each scroll featured outlines\u2014shapes, alphabets, animals, body parts, and playful caricatures. With the crayons included, kids could colour freely, and the scrolls could be wiped clean with a damp cloth, ready to be used again.<\/p>\n

In short, kids could scribble on the walls without parents panicking.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s what made it truly special\u2014the scrolls came with QR codes. Scanning them on a phone would trigger poems or rhymes related to the objects drawn. It was a smart mix of traditional colouring and interactive tech, bringing the joy of play and learning together.<\/p>\n

Why It Changed My Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watching my niece scribble elephants on the scroll and then dance to a rhyme about them made me realise something important: screens aren\u2019t the enemy. The problem is the lack of equally engaging alternatives.<\/p>\n

Children are quick learners. You\u2019ve probably seen toddlers instinctively skip YouTube ads or navigate to the next video without anyone teaching them. They\u2019re naturally curious, and technology, if woven into playful learning, can amplify that curiosity instead of stifling it.<\/p>\n

My Guide To Picking The Right Gift<\/strong><\/p>\n

Through this incident, I\u2019ve come up with a simple approach when buying gifts for kids:<\/p>\n

Observe their interests.<\/strong> Kids\u2019 favourites change every day\u2014from parrots to mops\u2014but some patterns are consistent. Think about what engages them naturally. Scribbling, building, or storytelling\u2014each child has a \u2018thing.\u2019<\/p>\n

Look for playful learning:<\/strong> The best gifts combine fun with curiosity, creativity, or skill-building. Don\u2019t dismiss technology. Instead, look for ways it can add value\u2014making learning interactive and engaging.<\/p>\n

So the next time you\u2019re tempted to grab a flashy toy car or doll just to get gifting over with, pause for a moment. Ask yourself\u2014can this gift make the child curious, creative, or excited to learn?<\/p>\n

Because the best gifts are not the ones that simply entertain\u2014they are the ones that stay with a child, shaping how they explore the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Last Updated:August 25, 2025, 13:16 IST In the digital age, kids need more than toys. The right gifts can spark curiosity, boost creativity, and engage them in playful learning. The best gifts combine fun with curiosity, creativity, or skill-building. (Image: AI-gnerated) Buying a gift for a toddler or young child is never easy. Their favourites…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7801,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7800"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7800\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tezgyan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}