Parent Magazine St. Johns December 2018 | Page 17

This choice may be the best one you can choose. Give the gift of time and adventure to your children. How about a planned trip to a local art or history museum? How about a week end trip to a ghost town a short drive away? How about purchasing a book on geology and then taking a trip to some areas displaying geologic wonders? Every town and region has its own historical background. Did they used to mine for gold in your area? Is lumber or fishing a local industry? Did Lewis and Clark travel through your part of the world? Are there Native American sites to visit and learn about? Since parents are their child’s first and foremost teachers, you can take the initiative to combine learning with family fun. There are endless possibilities, and you can be sure the kids will love the time together and soak in a bit of learning at the same time. So go ahead and buy the toys, dolls and games the kids want for Christmas. But why not make it an annual tradition to add in at least one gift that will keep on giving? QUALIT Y MAGAZIN ES F OR YOUN G LEARNERS F OR AGE S 0 - 2 F OR AGES 6 -9 Babybug Highlights Hello Zoobies Highlights Nickelodeon Chop Chop Zoobooks Ask Spider F OR AGE S 3 - 6 Highlights High Five Ladybug Zootles Click Chirp Your Big Backyard Family Fun Ranger Rick Jr. National Geographic Little Kids F OR AGES 9 -14 Time for Kids National Geographic Kids Odyssey Cricket F OR AGES 9 -14 (CON TI N UE D ) Calliope Dig Muse Faces Cicada Cobblestone Iguana AppleSeeds Boys’ Life Xplor American Girl Owl Sports Illustrated Kids Jan Pierce, M.Ed., is a retired teacher and freelance writer who specializes in education, parenting and family life articles. She is the author of Homegrown Readers: Simple Ways You Can Help Your Child Learn to Read, available online at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Find her at www.janpierce.net S T. JOHNS parent MAGAZINE | 15