Christmas time is here! Parties, special dinners, spending time with friends, and gift giving are in your immediate future. With all of the cooking and shuttling to and fro you can handle, you’re in for some anticipated, bur arduous preparation. It’s the gift giving part that throws you for a loop. Every year it seems to get harder and harder to find a special gift for your kids. You could easily buy them the thing they are asking for – that magical “thing” that becomes so popular around holiday time that kids are in a frenzy to get it. And face it, you probably will. But if you’re like most parents, you also want to get them something that will surprise them, catch them off guard. Here are some suggestions as you set off on your personal quest for a unique gift:

Home Dinosaur Dig Kit

If your kids love dinosaurs, this dinosaur kit is a must have. The contents appear harmless enough – just a sand block and excavation tools. But inside are the bones of a T-Rex or a Brachiosaurus. Armed with only a chisel and a brush, kids become paleontologists on a dig, unearthing the remains of prehistoric animals one by one. After all the bones are discovered, assemble them to see the dinosaur.

Crystal Growing Kit

This interesting gift teaches children how to grow incredible crystals while exposing them to the science of crystal formation. They will learn about nature and science while they play. They can create a crystal-studded geode that glows in the dark, bouncy crystals, and more. This gift provides hours of fun and scientific exploration at the same time.

Science Kit

Kids will love learning how to blow things up! Working under your supervision (that is, when you’re not blowing something up yourself!), kids will explore interesting scientific marvels like how baby diaper material is so absorbent and how magnets behave. This engaging kit will allow kids to become mad scientists in their kitchen lab.

Microscope

Just a bird feather? Maybe, but what does it look like up close? Do kids even have bug collections anymore? If they still do, put it to use! Nothing is more fascinating than nature magnified to see all of the intricate and, otherwise, hidden details. Microscopes allow children (and children at heart) to see the intricate detail of specimens. A wonderful introduction to science, microscopes for kids are a gift that will grow with them.

Magic Kit

Magic kits have come a long way from trick wands and flowers in a hat. These days, magic kits feature the illusion tricks that magic masters on world tours use. Many of these kits offer props and enough materials for hundreds of tricks. Give your child one of these and wait for the show. You’ll be in for a treat.

Finding the perfect gift is not easy, but with these suggestions to get you started, you’ll find something unique for your child in no time.