I gave 5 gifts to 25 kids for 5 months. Only one was still being used at the end.
A gift they open in December and forget by February.
That is what happens to most of what goes under the tree.
Second place? "She loved it for about a week."
So I tried something. I put five gifts in my kindergarten classroom for five months. 25 kids, ages four to six.
I wanted to find the one gift kids pick up on their own, without being told.
Here is what I tested:
- Handwriting: Groovd Magic Copybooks
- Building: Magnetic Building Blocks
- Group play: DominoFun Train Set
- Outdoor science: Miniscope
- Numbers: MathMaster Board Game
Each gift sat out in my classroom for four weeks.
I wrote down what happened every day. Four things:
- Who picked it up without being asked
- How long they stayed with it
- Whether they still used it five months later
- What they could do at the end that they could not do at the start
🥇 #1 Groovd Magic Copybooks
24 of the 25 kids were still using it after five months
What it is
Four workbooks, a pen that writes in disappearing ink, six refills and a rubber grip that slides onto the pen. It comes in a gift box.
How it went
Kids asked me if they could do one more page. No other gift did that.
Here is why it works. Each letter is a groove cut into the paper. The pencil drops into the groove and follows it. The letter comes out right every time, so you never have to sit over them and say "not like that".
Then the ink disappears. It takes about ten minutes. The page goes blank and they can do it all over again. The kids call it magic. One set lasted us all five months.
💸 Price: $29.90 (normally $119.60)
📊 Classroom log
| Still using it after 5 months | ↑24 of 25 |
| Picked it up on their own | ↑21 of 25 |
| How long they sat with it | ↑12 minutes |
| Held the pencil better | ↑19 of 25 |
Pros
- Four books: letters, numbers, math and drawing
- Each letter is a groove, so the pencil follows it
- The ink disappears in 10 minutes, so the same page works again
- About the size of a paperback
Cons
- The ink disappears, so a page she is proud of is gone by dinner. Take a photo. That fading is the part she loves.
- You get four books. Cursive costs extra, and that is the one she will ask for next.
#2 Magnetic Building Blocks
Kids played with it the longest. The older ones fought over it.
What it is
Magnetic building blocks. You get 48 pieces in the small set and up to 192 in the big one.
How it went
Kids stayed with this longer than anything else I tested. The magnets hold on their own, so a tower stands up on the first try even if small hands are clumsy. That first win is what keeps them going.
💸 Price: $39.97
📊 Classroom log
| Still using it after 5 months | ↑22 of 25 |
| Picked it up on their own | ↑20 of 25 |
| How long they sat with it | ↑18 minutes |
| Built something new each week | ↑17 of 25 |
Pros
- Blocks snap together with magnets, so they hold on the first try
- Sets of 48, 80, 128 and 192 pieces
- Kids build houses, towers and castles
Cons
- 48 pieces is the small set. Most families come back for the 80.
#3 DominoFun Train Set
The most fun in the room. But they need someone to play with.
What it is
A little train that lays out a line of dominoes by itself. The child decides where the line goes, then knocks it over.
How it went
Nothing else was this loud or pulled in this many kids at once. This is the gift that gets the whole family on the floor on Christmas morning.
💸 Price: $49.97
📊 Classroom log
| Still using it after 5 months | ↑19 of 25 |
| Picked it up on their own | →16 of 25 |
| How long they sat with it | →9 minutes |
| Played it with other kids | ↑21 of 25 |
Pros
- The train lays out the dominoes by itself
- 60 dominoes in the standard set
- Lights and sounds. Takes batteries
Cons
- It is loud. Depending on the grandparent, that is the best part or the worst.
#4 Miniscope
Great outside. Not much use indoors.
What it is
A small microscope, about four inches tall. It makes things look 60 to 120 times bigger. No screen and no app.
How it went
The first look through it is the best moment in the whole test. A leaf. A bit of onion skin. A feather. Every child wanted a turn on day one.
💸 Price: $29.90 (normally $59.90)
📊 Classroom log
| Still using it after 5 months | →17 of 25 |
| Picked it up on their own | →13 of 25 |
| How long they sat with it | ↓6 minutes |
| Took it outside | ↑15 of 25 |
Pros
- Makes things look 60 to 120 times bigger
- Four inches tall, fits in a coat pocket
- No screen and no app
Cons
- It is new this fall, so there are no reviews on the store yet.
#5 MathMaster Board Game
A real game. But only the six-year-olds got it.
What it is
A wooden board with cards for times tables. You can play alone or against a grown-up.
How it went
The six-year-olds liked it and a few got quick at it. It is a proper game with a winner, and they learn their times tables while they play.
💸 Price: $34.95
📊 Classroom log
| Still using it after 5 months | →14 of 25 |
| Picked it up on their own | ↓9 of 25 |
| How long they sat with it | ↑11 minutes |
| Learned a new times table | →8 of 25 |
Pros
- Wooden board with cards for times tables
- Play alone or against a grown-up
- Packs flat for travel
Cons
- It is times tables, so it suits a six-year-old. A four-year-old will treat it as a puzzle.
What I would buy
Every gift got used for a while. Only one was still on the table every day five months later.
The Groovd Magic Copybooks. 24 of the 25 kids were still using them. 21 picked them up on their own. 19 were holding the pencil better by the end.
Nobody had to sit over them. Nobody had to correct them.
If you want one gift they still use in February, buy this one.
Still using it in February, or you get your money back
You get 60 days to try it. If your grandkid does not take to it, send it back and you get your money back.
- Now $29.90. It was $119.60
- Four books: letters, numbers, math and drawing
- Pen, six ink refills and a pencil grip included
- Comes in a gift box, so there is nothing to wrap
- Rated 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot
- Ten minutes a day. No batteries and nothing to charge
- 60 days to get your money back
60 days to get your money back
What buyers say (51)
I purchased this product for my 4 year old granddaughter and she LOVES it! She was soooooo excited to open it and she…
These are a very good idea. They improved my granddaughters handwriting immediately. The only complaint is they are…
This was a gift for my 5 year old grandson. I’m told it’s very good and just what he needs making it worth the money.
Ordered this handwriting workbook for 4 year old great grandson who announced he thought he needed to learn to write…
We got these copybooks to help strengthen Jude’s motor skills with tracing and copy work, and he is learning FAST!…
These copybooks are fantastic! Each letter, number, and drawing is grooved, acting as a guide for my daughter until she…
Ask the parents first. One text saves you buying the same thing twice.
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