Buying gifts for children ages 5 to 7 is not always an easy task. With how often children change their minds about what they want, and how easily advertising influences them, even knowing their interests can make gift buying tedious. Here are some ideas to put a smile on the child’s face.

Educational Toys and Games

Who says learning can’t be fun? The debut of educational video gaming systems and techie toys has combined the best of both worlds for parent and child. There are a number of these toys to invest in, including:

• Vtech Vsmile: A video game system designed for children ages 3 to 8, with educational games utilizing children’s favorite characters. Girls will love characters such as The Little Mermaid, Disney Princesses, and Barbie, while boys will love characters such as Batman, Spiderman, and SpongeBob Squarepants. Teach children a variety of skills from reading and math, to currency and reading a map.
• Vtech Cyberpocket: A hand-held portable version of the Vsmile that utilizes the same game cartridges.
• Leapfrog Leapster2: A portable hand-held gaming system similar to the Vsmile Cyberpocket with a different line of educational game.
• Leapfrog LeapPad: A child’s version of an iPad or other tablet computer device, with various learning activities included. Additional “apps” are available to purchase and download to the device, so the child gets an experience much like mom and dad’s. Learn reading, math, science, geography, writing and more, with varying levels of difficulty so the toy can “grow” with your child.

Physically Active Toys and Games

For Boys: Is the little guy into sports? The options are nearly endless here, as there are child-sized footballs, soccer balls, basketballs, and goals. Play sets are available for both indoor and outdoor play of a variety of sports to keep the kids moving. If he does not seem to be very into sports, try getting toys from a few different ones to see what he enjoys the most.

For Girls: To keep the girls moving, a hopscotch carpet could be used inside, and moved from room-to-room. It saves the hassle of having to draw a new board over and over again, and won’t get washed away in the rain. Other options include hula-hoops and jump ropes.

For Both: The Nintendo Wii, PlayStation Move, and XBOX 360 with Kinect gaming systems have made it much easier to keep children physically active indoors on days when the weather does not allow for outdoor play. There are dance and sports games available to grab and hold their attention, such as Wii Sports Resort, or Just Dance Kids. Bicycles and roller skates or blades are also a good choice. If you do not think your recipient is ready for the adult consoles, try the Vsmile Vmotion system, which works essentially the same way using educational games similar to those found in the Vsmile library.

Imaginative Play Toys and Games

With all the technological stimulation children get every day through television, computers, and video games, it is important to get back to the basic imaginative play toys and games, too.

For Boys: Toy cars, trucks, trains, and army men are excellent imaginative toy options for boys aged 5 to 7. There are many racecar and train track play sets that would be ideal for both indoor and outdoor play. Many sets can be expanded and used interchangeably with one another to make for even more playtime fun.

For Girls: For girls who are into dolls, a dollhouse full of accessory options is always sure to be a hit. If she already has one, check to see what accessories she may be interested in, as having many décor options is a plus. Kitchen play sets engage in endless hours of imaginary fun, from running a restaurant, to helping customers at the grocery store. An Easy Bake Oven and she could bake you a cake in no time flat.

For Both: Think arts and crafts. There are many different art kits available for all ages, including things such as paints, markers, crayons, colored pencils, and glitter. These kits, and other items like clay, glue, construction paper, and scissors will let both boys and girls run wild with their creations. Sidewalk chalk is an option for taking the arts and crafts outdoors.