Technology has changed the world completely in the last two decades, and the pace of innovation shows no signs of slowing down. It’s also true that today’s children are very different to those of previous generations, because they are much more tech savvy. These two facts don’t mean that modern children don’t appreciate traditional gifts, however, as here are three birthday gifts that will be as welcome today as they were to their parents and grandparents.
Wooden Puzzles
Children have always loved solving puzzles, and it’s an activity that should certainly be encouraged as they can play a vital role in a child’s cognitive and educational development. Of course, there are many excellent puzzle games that can now be played online or via a mobile phone app, but children still enjoy traditional puzzles with a much longer history. Jigsaws, for example, will still prove popular with children, especially if the target picture relates to a subject they’re interested in. One great advantage of completing a physical jigsaw puzzle, as opposed to a computerized version, is that parents and children can play at it together, picking up pieces and comparing them side by side until the correct match is found.
Building Blocks
When you were young, did you love playing with building blocks? The magic of them is that they allow your imagination to run riot, and a humble set of colored blocks can soon become so much more. In recent years, building blocks have seen a huge resurgence and leading the way is the market leader Lego. So popular has Lego become that it has spawned a hit series of movies that children and adults alike love, and has been named recently as the world’s favorite brand. The sets may have become more sophisticated, and many of them now have tie ins to movie franchises, but the premise is still the same: slot bricks together until you have created something wonderful. A simple idea, but one that is proving timeless and will surely do so for generations to come as well.
Birthday Cakes
One children’s birthday essential that will never go out of fashion is the birthday cake. It’s important to ensure that our kids have a healthy, balanced diet of course, but on this one day a year we can allow them to enjoy a treat that’s a little more sugar laden than they may be used to. Chocolate cakes come in all shapes, sizes and flavors, so it’s easy to find one that’s ideally suited to your child’s tastes, whether that means a traditional chocolate sponge, or a strawberry gateau. A great cake can be more affordable than you think as well, with specialist websites such as Allcakeprices.com allowing you to find the best cake at the best price.
When we watch our children playing on their mobile phones or games consoles, we can imagine that their lives are very different to how ours once were. Put a wooden puzzle game or a set of building blocks in front of them, or present them with a candle topped birthday cake, however, and you’ll see that they aren’t so different after all.