Eight Educational Gifts That Are Anything but Boring

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The season of joy is here, and we all need as much holiday magic as the world will provide right now. Whether you’re a diehard Christmas fanatic—or you’re just happy to have a few days off work—this series will help you pick the perfect presents, playlists, meals, and activities to make this Christmas the Best Christmas Ever.

Opening gifts during the holidays is supposed to be fun—no one likes a present that is too functional or boring. That's why you probably don't consider getting educational gifts for folks too often. However, there are plenty of ideas out there for gifts that are challenging or enriching in some way—and are decidedly not boring.

Best educational gifts for kids

Getting an educational gift for a kid is tricky business. When I was about six, my mom kept hyping up a Christmas present she was super excited for me to open. It turned out to be a CD-ROM called Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, which she gleefully installed on our clunky, internet-less computer. I was furious. I had wanted something colorful, something with pizzazz. But I ended up playing the typing games and, by the next year, was a whiz on the QWERTY keys, outpacing my classmates by miles and, if I'm being honest, probably setting me up for the job I have now. I type much faster and more efficiently than any of my friends, I'll tell you that much. The key to that gift, as much as I didn't appreciate it the moment I opened it, was the gamification of learning. For kids, learning should be fun. That's why you should consider gifts like these:

A marble gravity maze teaches practical lessons about physics and is a fun way for kids to learn about building while using their hands. The interactive globe toy strikes me as especially cool and useful because it requires additional tech, like a tablet or phone, to scan the globe and get information about different countries. I love that it relies on the old-school globe and modern tech to teach kids the value of using both to seek out information and stay engaged.

Honestly, anything that retains some of those practical, hands-on elements is a good gift. Kids have access to so much information via the internet now, yes, but there's something foundational about actually having to build or create something. While everyone else is giving them super tech-forward gifts, you could have a real hit on your hands with the mini chemistry set or root viewer.

Remember to keep the actual interests of the kid in mind when selecting a gift. My mom knew that I was interested in computers (and made a smart bet that they'd only be more relevant and important as I got older) back in the early 90s, which is why she got me the typing game. If the kid you're shopping for isn't into bugs, forego an ant farm; it's only educational if they actually use it.

Cool educational gifts for adults

The whole goal of getting kids into learning is to prepare them for adulthood, right? Ideally, they become lifelong learners—and you know a few of those yourself. If you want cool educational gifts for a grown-up, try these:

I love learning new things. I'm always taking random classes or throwing myself into new hobbies. Just because I don't know anything about, say, Brazilian martial arts doesn't mean I can't go figure it out. I also love making things with my hands. Last week, for reasons unclear, I threw myself into the task of learning how to do a hard gel manicure on my own hands. I didn't care about saving money at the salon or anything like that; I just wanted to see if I could do it. If you want an educational gift for an adult, the same rules apply to them as to kids: Figure out what they might have an inkling to get into.

Personally, I'd be delighted to receive the build-your-own bluetooth speaker kit or the countries of the world flashcards. I don't know anything about audio or nearly enough about geography—but I'd like to. Any gift that has to be built or worked on is ideal because half the present is the effort to create it, but the other half is the long-lasting, physical item that's left as a result. A motorized marble maze puzzle or mini bonsai garden are both great options here: Bonus points if you offer to work on it with them and build a lasting holiday memory.