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Shop November 30, 2023

Shop educational gifts both parents and kids will love

WATCH: Unwrap these must-have holiday gifts for the home

When it comes to holiday shopping, it can be hard to find gifts that kids will enjoy and parents will approve of.

That's why we reached out to the American Academy of Pediatrics to answer our questions about educational toys.

What makes something an educational toy?

"An educational toy implies that the child is doing some sort of work and not just passively engaging with an object," Dr. Aleeya Healey, spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told "Good Morning America." "It will tend to have them engage a number of their senses, use their imagination, and learn and/or practice skills that are at or just above their developmental age range."

She added, "While toy packaging generally comes with some age suggestion guidance, knowing the child's skill level provides a better assessment for what they will be able to use and enjoy."

What types of educational toys do experts recommend?

"I am a big supporter of imaginative and make-believe play toys, particularly at young ages," Healey said. "It allows them to observe the world around them and re-create it in their own way."

Healey noted that blocks, arts and crafts, and building toys "are great at eliciting fine motor development, persistence, and creativity."

"What some may classify as non-educational toys (such as dolls) may be more educational than they may think," she added. "It is all about how the toy is used, and at times, with whom the toy is used."

For help finding the best toys to shop, "GMA" also reached out to parenting expert Amanda Mushro.

As a mom of three, Mushro has firsthand experience when it comes to gifting.

"I think you really need to think about what the child's interest is and what's going to spark creativity and the desire to play with the toy, instead of just what is the hot new toy of the season that might not be [of] any interest to them," Mushro said.

Editor's Picks

Scroll below to shop Mushro's gift picks and more by age range.

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Infants

Boon BUNDLE Building Toddler Bath Tub Toy with Pipes, Cogs and Tubes for Kids Aged 12 Months and Up, Multicolor (Pack of 13)

Sale: $27.16 · 9% Savings
From Amazon

Original: $29.99

Follies The Baby Bauhaus Set - Award Winning Soft Baby Blocks and Shapes from 0 to 18 Months

Price: $49 · From Amazon

Toddlers

Pudgy Penguins Figures Single Pack Window Box

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Ages 3 and up.

Play-Doh Kitchen Creations Ultimate Ice Cream Truck Toy Playset

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Original: $94.99

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Theodora S.T.E.A.M. Girls - Silla The Sensational Scientist: 15-inch Plush Doll with Sticker Activity Book

Price: $59.99 · From Amazon

Ages 3 and up.

Story Time Backgammon Set for Beginners

Price: $39.99 · From Amazon

Ages 3 and up.

Magformers Vehicle Wow Set (16-pieces) Magnetic Building Blocks

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Original: $45.99

Ages 3 and up.

Kids

FOLLIES Canvas Set, Build and Draw 25 Pieces

Sale: $96 · 20% Savings
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Original: $120

Ages 4 and up.

FOLLIES Casa Azul Set, 25 Pieces

Sale: $144 · 20% Savings
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Original: $180

Ages 4 and up.

PLUS PLUS Learn to Build Unicorns

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Ages 6 and up.

Hasbro Gaming Clue Junior Game, 2-Sided Gameboard

Sale: $11.99 · 33% Savings
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Original: $17.99

Ages 4 and up.

Tweens and teens

Lego Gear Bots

Price: $19.91 · From Amazon

Ages 8 and up.

Thames & Kosmos Hydraulic Boxing Robots Playset

Price: $27.97 · 44% Savings
From Nordstrom

Original: $49.95

Ages 10 and up.

Uncommon Goods Smartphone-Controlled Paper Airplane

Price: $60 · From Uncommon Goods

Ages 14 and up.

Uncommon Goods Most Puzzling Gift Set of Brainteasers

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