Guide For Gifting Toys That Promote Creativity

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BuildingWithYOXO #CollectiveBias

PBS KIDS Build It Kits by YOXO are the ideal holiday gift. These earth friendly building sets let kids make free-form structures that go way beyond the typical block tower or castle and are recognized by Purdue University for building STEM skills.

One of my favorite things about the holiday season is seeing it through my kid’s eyes; the sparkle in their eyes when we decorate the tree together, listening to Christmas music as we drink hot chocolate as a family watching the twinkling lights on the tree, the anticipation for Christmas morning and their excitement and happiness when they open their presents! When I shop for toys for my children I want to make sure not only that they like the toys but that those toys will promote my children’s curiosity, creativity and imagination. That is why I was excited to get the opportunity for us to try out one of PBS KIDS Build It Kits by YOXO.

Our son is an innate builder and we have bought many building toys over the years and YOXO is very different from anything my son has played. He loved it from the minute it came out of the box and it’s been days and he is still coming up wth different ways to the pieces and building different things.

On of my favorite creations was robot he made using the box from our lasagna dinner to add a head and a breast plate to his YOXO creation. He cut the pieces from the box and colored them with markers, all with minimal help from me and he was so proud of his creation. YOXO gave him the freedom to really think outside the box and make something that was his own.

After making the robot he came up with a game where he used YOXO to create different space ships and put each one in a different ceramic floor tile. He involved the whole family in his game where we all had to roll the dice and move from tile to tile on the floor to get to to a specific planet. He even used the YOXO box as the refueling station. YOXO really unleashed his creativity and held his interests for hours at a time.

These are some of the things we loved about YOXO Build It Kits:

The design makes it easy for kids to just pick up the pieces and start building, it’s very intuitive.

YOXO develops active play and creativity. After building many of the different things shown on the website my son moved on to creating his own designs.

YOXO building sets can also be combined with other things you have at home which really expands on the ways your child can play with this toy. You can use paper towel rolls, cereal boxes and other building sets, including LEGO to expand on the .

YOXO is earth friendly. The links are made in the USA from a durable recycled wood pulp composite and are recyclable.

YOXO is gender neutral. The YOXO Build It Kits would make a great holiday gift for boys or girls.

[important]You can visit YOXO.com and check these the different Build It Kits, you will be sure to find something any child in your Christmas list will love! When you check out make sure to use the discount code bilingual10 and get 10% off your entire order at YOXO.com.* You can also purchase YOXO Build It Kits at Amazon.com.[/important]

Guide For Gifting Toys That Promote Creativity

Play is the greatest source of learning so this holiday season we have the opportunity to gift toys that will not only be fun and entertain but that will help children learn new things. When looking for the perfect gift for your child this year there is no need to fall in line with the hottest holiday toy trends. Here are some things to look for when buying toys for your child or any child this holiday season:

• Look for toys that promote STEM education: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. For example, a friend of mine recently bought a mini claw machine for his son filled with both cool gifts and educational gifts (puzzles,building blocks, crayons etc). I love that kids can use it once a week to retrieve one gift that they will both enjoy and learn something out of it. Interested in doing the same? I found this article from GiftWits which reviews the best and most affordable claw machines for kids available online.

• Favor toys that can be used in many different ways. Toys that put kids in the driver’s sear and give children the freedom to explore and use their imagination promote your child’s creativity and improve problem solving. Ask yourself if you child can use the toy to create different things, can he combine this toy with other things at home and expand on the ways to use it?

• Look for toys that don’t require too much adult assistance. Toys that are too complicated and require adults to get too involved leave little room for kids to really do much.

• Look for toys that promote the expression of ideas and emotions. Art materials and dress-up clothes are great examples but any toy that gives a child the freedom to pretend-play is a good option.

• Avoid toys that only entertain, that have fixed immutable rules or that involve your child passively watching a screen. Also avoid toys with lots flashing lights and movement; according to the American Academy of Pediatrics this can affect a child’s attention span and make it more difficult for them to focus.

At home we make sure to limit the time our kids spend using technology and encourage them to go back to actively playing with toys like the PBS KIDS Build It Kits by YOXO. YOXO is open-ended, allowing for limitless creative building play and giving kids the freedom to explore, test and discover.  For more information visit YOXO.com and don’t forget to use the discount code bilingual10 to get 10% off your entire order at YOXO.com.*

*Discount code is valid through 01/16/2017 and is not valid with other offers. 

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Cesar Diaz

Cesar is a freelance graphic designer with more than 15 years of experience in the advertising world.He is the creative force behind GrowingUpBilingual.com and 365thingsswfl.com.2 year ago he gave up his steady job so he could spend more time at home and be more involved in his kid's lives. He loves sharing tips to maintain a healthier lifestyle both at home and while traveling. He likes to cook low calorie meals with a Latino touch, specially if they are on the grill. He is a techie, a carnivore and a fitness buff not necessarily in that order. During his free time he enjoys mountain biking, working out at the gym, watching movies and traveling with his family.

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