Toys that provide children with lasting opportunities for learning, as well as for enjoyable, will be far more valuable, and will be able to benefit them better in the long run. A gift giver always gets a delightful sense of satisfaction whenever his or her gift proves to be of great value to the recipient, knowing that it was a good present that should serve its purpose fully. Lots of educational toys abound in shopping malls and on the Internet, and picking out the right educational toy will prove to be a arduouschore if you don't know what you're doing.

Here are some helpful hints and tips to guide you in looking for the best educational toys for your toddler:

Let them puzzle it out ? Kids of all ages just love puzzles, whether they're 2 years old or 13. If you're giving a puzzle for children 2 years old and below, then alphabet puzzles and similar items would be best, as well as numbers, colors, or shapes-related puzzles. Puzzles that are related to sound and time can work best for 3-5 year old children. Older kids will prefer puzzles related to word forming, maps, space, and math.

Arts and Crafts ? Develop your child's creativity when you give them gifts like arts and crafts kits. Things like coloring books, drawing books, colored pens, clay, and even a basic children's digital camera will work wonders. Gifts like these will allow your child to to use and develop their creativity, imagination, and coordination.

Books ? Books will always be classic favorites, and the selection of children's books that are available today keep getting better and better. They are just filled to the brim with valuable information and are arranged in a way that will be sure to provide your kids with hours and hours of reading pleasure and enjoyable, while getting the knowledge that will later on prove to be invaluable. Subjects like science, grammar, math, colors, shapes, etc. are all available in children's books. Inspirational biographies about historical figures will surely entertain older kids, as well.

CDs and DVDs ? Another favorite gift item for children that's sure to be a hit is a CD or DVD filled with lots of enjoyable and knowledge. These multimedia marvels are just bursting with rhymes, songs, stories, and lots of other enjoyable and interesting stuff. They can even start learning a second language, or know all sorts of enjoyable and interesting trivia.

Block Them ? Blocks are probably the first educational toys ever invented, and usually the first to be played with by babies and young children. Blocks of all sizes, shapes, colors, and materials can easily be found in almost every shopping mall and toy store in your area or on the Internet. Of course, we all know that they are very useful for teaching kids about colors, shapes, numbers, and the alphabet. Blocks can be very useful tools for enhancing the creativity and imagination of a child, allowing him or her to freely build and stack according to his own whims and designs.

Board Games ? children of all ages have a plethora of wonderful and enjoyable board games to play with. While they can be very useful for entertaining and teaching children at the same time, playing board games can also allow parents to bond with their children. Parents can teach their kids all about fair play, following the rules, how to create strategies for winning, etc.