Holiday Gifting Posted On
The season of holiday gifting is up on us. Everyone is frantically trying to tackle responsibilities of work, planning for the holidays, and keeping their family and home afloat. While all this is going on, people are trying to get last minute gifts, and we want to remind everyone that scratch-off tickets and other gambling gifts are not healthy choices for youth.
Youth, which includes anyone under the mental mature age of 24, are in a time of great change and growth. Their bodies are rapidly developing, which is especially true for their brains. The human brain doesn’t fully develop until the age of about 24. Until this time, youth are not fully capable of making the best choices for themselves. This is where supportive adults come in.
As an adult in a youth’s life, you have the opportunity to guide and inspire them to make healthy choices. You can do this with every choice you make, such as gifts you give during the holidays.
Gifts for the Developing Brain
There are many gifts that would be great for a youth’s developing brain.
- Puzzles are great for a developing brain. From crossword puzzles to jigsaw puzzles, these activities promote brain development as youth try to solve puzzles of color, shapes, words and language.
- Language learning has been said to be a great tool for connecting humanity, as well as promoting a healthy brain. There are many different language learning tools. There are books, apps and online classrooms that would be great gifts for youth.
- A Rubik’s Cube is a great gift as well. This will take youth time to learn and figure out. And, once they do, they’ll be able to learn different way to solve the Rubik’s Cube.
Gifts for Physical Health
Another way to promote a healthy brain is through gifts for physical health.
- Cookbooks are great gifts for kids. Kids are notorious for being picky eaters, but they tend to eat what they make. There’s a growing selection cookbooks geared towards the younger person’s taste, as well as their cooking skills. This can help youth eat healthier and take care of their bodies.
- There are many gifts related to physical activities that you can buy. Anything from a new bicycle to a new soccer ball are great gifts to get youth excited about enjoying outdoor physical activities.
- Finally, get them some new gear to wear. New coats, sneakers or sweatpants are great gifts to get kids prepped for an exciting time of physical activity.
Gifts for Emotional Wellness
Let’s not forget their emotional development.
- Depending on their age, journaling tools could be a great gift. These range from journals with quotes and questions to spark interest, to simple cards with daily thought-provoking statements. All of which could be great gifts for youths’ emotional development.
- Since we’re on the topic of writing, any book could be a great gift. Reading a book helps youth relax while using their brain to read. You can focus on a specific type of book, or just get a random book for them to read. With a random book choice, you may spark their interest in a new topic.
- Finally, you can give the gift of an experience. Getting tickets for a museum exhibit or planning a camping trip are two examples of low-cost gifts that help you connect with your youth, as well as place them in a positive environment.
Whatever healthy gift you choose, you may also be interested in talking to your youth about the risks and dangers of underage gambling. Having a conversation with youth give then some guidance as they navigate through friendships and activities that may focus on gambling. Your chat can make the difference. For facts, information and videos demonstrating everyday conversations with youth about gambling visit Talk2Kids.org.
Hopefully this blog post will reduce some of the holiday stress of getting a great gift so we can all enjoy the time before it quickly passes us by. Happy holidays, everyone!
