Do you have a little geek at home who loves gadgets, games, and science-y stuff? It can be a bit of a challenge to buy a good gift for a small child that can actually contribute to educational growth. Most toys are made for fun and become useless soon after. If you have a little one that you would love to buy geeky gifts for, here are some suggestions.
If you are looking for gifts for your gear hungry man then there are plenty of places to look. Also, look in our Geek section to find the most random, however, amazing gifts to shower you man or women with.
Minecraft is the ultimate geeky gift a budding gamer can hope for. It’s perhaps the most popular one out of all the geeky gifts out there. [pullquote]Minecraft has become the most successful PC game ever, and for good reason.[/pullquote] It’s a fun game that allows players to use their creativity and imagination, rather than follow a mindless set of instructions. Minecraft is popularly used as an educational tool to teach kids programming. The game is also not graphics demanding, so it can be played on just about any computer. It’s cheap to purchase as well. You can try a free trial if you have never played the game before. If the gift receiver is a true geek, they will absolutely love this game.
What could possibly be cooler than getting a drone as a gift? You can definitely impress your gift receiver with a cheap drone as a gift. You can buy a small drone for cheap, under about $300. Do not confuse budget drones with larger commercial ones. Small cheap drones can stay airborne for only about 5 minutes. They are small, so you don’t have to buy an FAA permit either. You can buy a tiny quadcopter for about $50 that will be great for a kid. Some drones come equipped with cameras to provide a first person view when flying. Connect one of these to a VR headset and the child can have enormous fun piloting the drone.
Action cameras capture motion without blurring or missing details. This is an excellent choice of gift for a kid who loves photography and perhaps sporty activity as well. There are action cameras specially designed for kids that do not cost much. You can get a good one with a waterproof casing for about $40. Kiddie action cameras are durable as well, depending on how well the child handles it. If the little one is always trying to use the adult camera, a kiddie action camera would be a well-suited gift indeed. It will also teach the child how to use a complex gadget like a camera.
Nanoblocks are essentially mini Legos. These construction pieces can be as tiny as 4mm. obviously, nanoblocks are not a suitable gift for smaller kids. The recommended age limit is 8 and up. Nanoblocks don’t cost much either. Unlike Legos, these little things allow kids to build more complex objects, like a space shuttle. Nanoblocks can also be used to construct real-life architectural wonders like the Taj Mahal and the Statue of Liberty, among others. Instructions are provided for kids to follow. Using nanoblocks require puzzle solving skills. So it’s a great toy for kids to have fun and a learning experience. A great addition to the list of geeky gifts you should give to your kids.
This is a very creative toy that gets those TV obsessed geeks outside. It’s part a science experiment, and part art project. The kit includes plastic sheets and fabric. The kids can draw on the plastic sheets and leave them out in the sun on top of the fabric for about 10 minutes. Afterwards, the shapes get transferred on to the fabric. This toy is intriguing enough to get kids away from screens and enjoy a nature-based project.
LittleBits are child-sized circuit boards that are color coded. (Insert geeky gifts checkbox here!) The boards connect to each other with magnets. Basically, the kit teaches kids how circuitry works and how to add and subtract modules to expect different results. The boards can be combined in various ways to create interactive objects. Instructions for pre-planned objects are provided if needed. It comes with a 9V battery and a sturdy carrying case.
What little geek wouldn’t love putting things under a microscope and look for scientific clues? If you want to give a truly great gift, consider gifting a toy microscope. Good ones cost close to $100. Though called “toys,” these are actual microscopes available in low settings. Children can actually observe objects like strands of hair and leaves. These microscopes are highly valuable if the child has an interest in life sciences.
What kid wouldn’t love lasers as one of their geeky gifts? This is a puzzle game where a maze is built using a real laser. And no, it’s not a harmful laser. The laser is 100 percent safe to use, like the lasers seen in cat toys. The maze puzzle uses mirrors to find objects and solve puzzles. There are 60 challenges to thrill kids.
Technically, this vacuums up bugs without harming them. Once a bud is sucked in, it’s put in the “observation belly” where the bug can be seen crawling around. Afterward, the bug can be released back to the natural habitat so no harm is done. It’s a great toy for kids who love collecting bugs. Even uninterested kids will like this toy for the sheer coolness it provides. But the way, it’s not an actual bug vacuum.
The title is self-explanatory. This kit will allow your child to build his or her own plane. The kit comes with accessories like stickers, clips, hinges and pins. The body of the plane requires a cereal box. Kids can make more and more once they get tired of the first plane. The kit only costs a measly $15.
Impress those little Star Wars fans with this scientific role-play toy. This toy will allow your kid to “Force levitate” objects. Rather than supernatural powers, the kids will use a Jedi Training Rod that works with electrical pulses to push and pull objects. This toy comes from Star Wards Science that aims to make the fantasy fandom educational for kids.
A little geek will be impressed by any of the toys from the above list.
Author Bio: Eduardo Bridges is a former software engineer currently running his own business. Eduardo is particularly enthusiastic about gadgets and writes regular guides and columns about the best budget gadgets available for consumers.
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