A Classical Christmas
Looking for gift-giving ideas for your children?
“Yes, yes!”
To help inspire you this Christmas season, the Augustine School Lower School faculty (grades Pre-K through 5th grade) have compiled an age-specific gift guide to help with thoughtful, purposeful purchasing for the holidays. Augustine teachers understand that children need opportunities for exploration and open-ended play. A child’s play trains habits, forms loves, and grows the imagination. Toys, books, and games are all excellent tools that can encourage children to create and imagine. A child with a healthy imagination will find greater interest in storytelling and history, find resilience for problem-solving, as well as many other benefits!
In this list you will find toys that leave the work of play to the mind of the child. While toys that have the primary purpose of entertainment have their place and time (we get it!), our teachers daily see the positive impact of toys, crafts, and activities that put the “work” of play on the child, inviting them to be an active participant in play. After all, play is the work of childhood!
A note to Augustine parents: Our teachers have also included suggestions that contribute to your child’s learning at Augustine. Lists contain items related to the grade-specific subjects (i.e. history cycles and reading) and skills your child is learning at school. In addition, we’ve also included experience-based gift ideas that can enhance learning and provide opportunities for memories to last a lifetime.
Pre-Kindergarten (ages 3-4)
Educational & Building Toys: Waldorf Toys (can be found from multiple retailers like Bella Luna Toys, Acorns & Twigs, Sarah’s Silks and Amazon), Grimms Spiel & Holz wooden toys, Battat Penguin Balance Scale, Wooden letter tracing boards, Counting Cookies, Alphabet Pebbles
Picture Books: Books by Eric Carle, Elsa Besknow, Sibylle van Olfers, and Simms Taback
Art Supplies: Kiwk Stix tempera paint sticks, Pixel Art, Wikki Stix
Science Toys: Light Table, Sensory Bins (using IKEA Flisat table and Trofast bins) or Sensory Bin Kits
Gross Motor: Floor is Lava Stepping Stones, Nugget Couch and Building Toy
Fine Motor: Lacing Cards, Lacing Beads (wooden jumbo beads), Locomo Family open-ended nature toys (like this or this)
Experiences: Tickets to a play at The Dixie, Visit to the Children’s Museum of Memphis
Kindergarten (ages 5-6)
Educational & Building Toys: Magna Tiles, Dominoes, Pretend cash register and play money (like this or this), Bracelet kits and beads, Puppets (Melissa & Doug make great ones!), Letter blocks/tiles/magnets, Puzzles, Bathtub Crayons, Egyptian pyramids and figurines, Clock
Picture Books & Family Read Alouds: A Children’s Book of Virtues by William Bennett, Books about feelings (e.g. In My Heart by Jo Witek or The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld), Books by Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss books
Art Supplies: Kwik Stix tempera paint sticks, Playdoh and Playdoh kits, Open-ended craft kits with supplies like pipe cleaners and beads (like this one, this, or this)
Science Toys: Binoculars, Magnifying Glass, Insect Kits, Flower Seeds and Gardening Tools, Globe
Experiences: Membership to the The Memphis Zoo, Trip to the Planetarium
1st Grade (ages 6-7)
Educational & Building Toys: Magna Tiles, Lego or Playmobil Castle Sets, Wooden Geoboard sets, American Girl dolls and accessories, Medieval toy soldiers
Books: “I Can Read” Books, Henry & Mudge by Cynthia Rylant book series, A Little House Picture Book Treasury, The Children’s Book of Heroes by William Bennett, DK Eyewitness books (Knights, Castles)
Art Supplies: Waterproof Stickers, Sketch Books and Colored Pencils/Markers (Ooly is fun a brand!), Paint set and canvas
Science Toys: Terrarium kits, Bug habitat
Dress-Up: Knights costume, American Girl medieval costumes
Experiences: Membership to The Memphis Zoo
2nd Grade (ages 7-8)
Educational & Building Toys: Lincoln Logs, Brain Flakes, Jacks, Playmobil covered wagon, Toy Soldiers, K’Nex Building Toys (like these)
Books: Henry Huggins by Beverly Clearly book series, Henry & Mudge by Cynthia Rylant book series, Billy & Blaze by Clarence William Anderson, The Children’s Book of America by William Bennett, Magic Tree House books, DK Eyewitness books (Civil War)
Art Supplies: Clay kits, Origami books and paper, The Drawing Book for Kids, Draw and Write Through History books
Science: Ant Farm (like this one - don’t forget your ants here!), Microscope (like this)
Dress-Up: Prairie dress and bonnet, Straw hats
Experiences: A trip to Discovery Park, Tour of Shiloh Battlefield
3rd Grade (ages 8-9)
Educational & Building Toys: Kids cooking sets and aprons, Walkie Talkies, Knoodle, Jump Rope, Reading Nook supplies (comfy chair, blankets, basket for books, child’s own library card), Writing Nook supplies (journals, writing prompts, decoders for secret code notes), Ninja Slackline Obstacle Course, ThinkFun Math Dice
Books: America’s Test Kitchen Children’s Cookbooks, A Children’s Book of Virtues by William Bennett, Little House on the Prairie book series
Art & Hobby: Embroidery kits and supplies, Bow and arrow, Doodling and Sketch Books and Colored Pencils/Markers (Ooly is fun a brand!), Little House on the Prairie coloring books and paper dolls
Science: Snap Circuit kits (like this one or this one), Lighted Pocket Mircroscope (like this), STEAM kits (like this one)
Dress-Up: Greek gods and goddesses costumes, Knights costumes, Swords and shields
Experience Gifts: Cooking/art/music classes, Trips to see the Parthenon in Nashville, The Homeplace (a 1850’s working farm in Land Between the Lakes), and the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead in Mansfield, MO
4th Grade (ages 9-10)
Educational & Building Toys: Trebuchet, Catapult & DaVinci toys or kits (like this, this, or this), Word Snap, Shut the Box, Board Slam, Tea Cup and Saucer, Rubik’s Cube, Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride
Books: Guinness Book of World Records books, America’s Test Kitchen Children’s Cookbooks, Tin Tin books, No Stress Chess by Winning Moves Games
Art & Hobby: Shrinky Dinks shrink art kits (like this or this), Melt and Pour Soup Making Kits, Bracelet making kits, Watercolor kits (like this one) and watercolor paper
Science Toys: Magnetic Building Kits, STEM building kits (like this one or this one)
Experience Gifts: Membership to the Memphis Botanical Gardens, a trip to the Medieval Renaissance Fair in Nashville, Public Library card, Cooking/art/music classes
5th Grade (ages 10-11)
Educational & Building Toys: Model HO Trains, Planes, and Cars Sets, Puzzles (200-1,000 pieces - great options here!), Boggle, Reading Nook supplies (comfy chair, blankets, basket for books, child’s own library card), Eno Hammock, LEGO Technic sets
Books: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, DK Witness History books, The Penderwick series, Redwall series, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, America’s Test Kitchen Children’s Cookbooks
Art & Hobby: Blank Comic books, Polymer or Air Dry Clay kits (like this, this, or these), Whittling or woodworking sets, Gardening tools, Sewing machine, Knitting and crochet needles and yarn, Cross stitch supplies
Science Toys: Geode kits, Rock Tumbler, Microscope, LEGO Technic Science Sets (like this)
Experience Gifts: The Frist Art Museum in Nashville, Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, Shiloh Battlefield, City Museum in St. Louis, Cooking/art/music classes