Meet our new expert Glenda Stoller, LCSW, a psychotherapist in private practice in New York. As she says, when children get to the age of 10, this period can be really tough for them. Especially as kids begin the transition into the adolescence. Stoller adds, that parents, caregivers, and teachers should understand and realize that dealing with physical and emotional changes of growing up can be quite stressful for 10-year-old kids, as well as the increasing demands and amounts of school work and the social pressure they have to fit in. In order to help their children to get through this tough period, Stoller recommends parents to encourage them to develop and advance their specific talents and interests, as well as encourage, stimulate, and motivate them to get involved in various group activities. She adds that adults should support children’s increased autonomy and also respect their need for privacy.
Keeping all this in mind, we have selected the set of toys and games for 10-year-old children. We have even consulted with the librarians from New York and Brooklyn Public Libraries, as well as with the educational consultant from Forum Education NYC. They have provided us with the list of their favorite books they recommend for fifth graders. Also, check out our gift suggestions for kids of different age groups, including 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, and 11-year-olds.
Just in case you are searching for holidays toys, we have talked to specialists to indicate the 2018’s best items for you. So, take a look at the top kid’s toys to buy before they sell out. In addition, here you can find all of the Strategist’s holiday gift offers.
Best toys for 10-year-olds
According to Stoller, along with the ability to think more abstractly, and having decent language skill, children at the age of ten formulate well-structured and organized thoughts. The enjoy reading chapter books and nonfiction that is related to their particular interests. At the same time, the attention span is pretty much increased, so children can spend more time working on the activities they like and enjoy. Stoller also adds that 10-year-old kids, while building off their skills in addition and subtraction, are advancing the fluency in multiplication, division, and fractions as well. It is very important that parents encourage theirs outside the box thinking. We recommend trying this solar-powered robotic kit; it teaches your kids about solar energy, engineering, and some scientific knowledge as well.
National Geographic: Break Open 10 Geodes
We recommend this set of natural crystals that allows children to break open the real geodes. Also, they can peek into quartz, amethyst, calcite, and fluorite.
4M Crystal Growing: Experimental Kit
As Stoller states, children at the age of ten enjoy doing various science projects. This crystal-growing kit that we suggest is a perfect choice that will encourage them to experiment, as well as teach them geology and crystal growth.
At this age children become more developed and advanced socially, says one our experts Elly Yonan, a former teacher in public and private schools, who is now an educational consultant and private tutor, as well. Very often kids start to move away from imaginary games towards more creative occupations that bring quick end results. For example, making jewelry. Check out this set for making pom-poms. Your kids can create more than 20 cute and funny creatures in various colors.
Craft-Tastic Owl String Art Kit
As children’s motor skills keep developing and advancing, kids are capable of doing much more detailed artwork, Stoller says. We recommend this craft kit that comes with strings and pushpins for making webby artworks of owls.
Cameras are another possible gifts. As Stoller says, 10-year-old children really like taking pictures. To give them instant analogue fun and satisfaction – choose this Instax camera manufactured be Fujifilm. It is very suitable for kids to take pictures of their pals and different scenes in the world around them.
ANI-Mate Clay Animation Movie Maker Kit
This claymation kit will take it to another higher level. It allows children to make teir own movies from different static images.
Best games for 10-year-olds
Another great and effective way to interact with each other on social groups are board games. Pandemic is our suggestion. In this game players work together to stop a deadly virus from spreading across the planet.
Try out this classic game. Players place tiles around a medieval fortress in the South of France. They have to build out their territories and develop their features.
Our next game assumes team play. It is like charades, where children team up to guess the word our concept. The task is based on the placement of tokens on a board of icons.
The next game we recommend is about strategy, as well as about resource management. Players purchase gem mines, trade routes, and stores to become the most powerful jeweler of the Renaissance era.
Best graphic novels for 10-year-olds
Lafayette! A Revolutionary War Tale, by Nathan Hale
Our next suggestion is this graphic novel, written by Nathan Hale, the hero of the Revolutionary War. Lisa Goldstein, who worked as a librarian at the public library in Brooklyn, says that most kids enjoy funny books. A she also adds that usually, any graphic novel is fun. Parents should not discourage their children from choosing this kind of novels instead of chapter books. Goldstein recommends parents to let their kids select books by themselves as often, as they want. As she believes, this is a proof that children who have a choice they can make are stronger at reading. Parents have to remember that graphic novels are also books, just like any other books. And they are not for reluctant readers only. Support what your kids are interested in. Our recommendation is the series of “hazardous stories” from different episodes of the American history. The main character is about to be executed and tells his stories to a very friendly and jolly hangman. He tells all the dreadful and awful aspects of American history and neither skips them nor shies away from them. The stories are also full of humor and your kids will learn much from them, says Goldstein.
Making Friends, by Kristen Gudsnuk
This wacky graphic novel is about the little girl who is at the seventh grade. She is filling lost and lonely in her middle school. Then she gets the magic sketchbook, as a heritage, and anything she draws in this sketchbook comes to real life, even the ideal friend. Goldstein likes this book. As she says, this book is about how you make up imaginary friends. Most children like reading stories about friendship and relationships. The book that we suggest does in a rather surrealistic and funny way. Stoller agrees with this opinion and adds that from a social point of view 10-year-old children enjoy friendships that are more complex. Very often, they already have a best friend. While trying to discover and disclose their own talents, they are trying to fit in with the group of their peers at the same time. Very often children gravitate toward some team or group activities. At the same time, kids are developing a better sense of themselves and might more control over their emotions. They are also more skilled in dealing and handling the conflicts with friends, as well as working out the solutions for these conflicts. Moreover, the emotions they experience can be highly changeable.
Secret Coders series, by Gene Luen Yang
As Goldstein states, for many children coding is a big interest. Each volume in the series that we suggest, builds on the next, and gives a feeling that you are getting the coding course while reading the series.
This graphic novel, which is among the selection of books for children of 10 years of age released this year, is a recommendation of Lynn Lobash, the manager of the Reader’s Service department at the NYC Public Library. This book tells a story a Russian girl from the suburbs, whose name is Vera. She feels being too Russian for her American friends in Albany. And when she finds out about a summer camp for Russian-American kids she is sure that she has finally found a perfect place for her to be.
Mega Robo Bros, by Neil Cameron
Lobash also likes this “fast-paced and action-packed” series about two robot brothers: “When an evil robot unleashes a sinister plan, robot brothers Alex and Freddy must save the day.”
Peter and Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths, by Graham Annable
The other recommendation from Lobash is this book about Peter and Ernesto, who are two sloths. Peter prefers staying at his home on the tree, while Ernesto loves to travel. As Lobash says, those two cute, funny, and rather unlikely friends are overcoming their fears
Best fiction books for 10-year-olds
Goldstein believes that most of the books published this year depict the raising diversity of voices in modern literature. The Front Desk, written by Kelly Yang, is one of Goldstein’s favorite books. This book is based on the author’s personal experience of immigrating. She and her parents immigrated to California from China in 90’s to manage the hotel. Mia, who is the main character, works on the reception of the hotel, which hosts several sketchy characters, including the owner of this hotel. Mia is such a joyful character, who is optimistic and funny. As Goldstein says, this story doesn’t shy away from several rather tough realities of the immigrant life. Some of their fellow immigrants come to their hotel, actually having no money for food. At the same time, they are being taken the advantage of some violent people who take their money. But it’s a really funny story.
Lu (Track Series), by Jason Reynolds
Our next suggestion is the latest book in the Track series, written by Jason Reynolds. Talking about the Ghost, which is the first book of the series, Goldstein says that it is about a boy who learned to run when his father attempted to kill him and his mom. Even though this book is for 10-year-olds, the author does a really great job telling the story of the real issues children live with in a very balanced way. I may sound very dark; however, it is also appropriate for children.
Harbor Me, by Jacqueline Woodson
Harbor Me is the next book we recommend. It is about a group of kids who gather after school to chat about their lives. While reading this book kids learn about where the main characters come from, and even though it might sound heavy, the book was written for this age group and is appropriate for it. It is a perfect way for children, who are facing the same life issues, to see themselves in this book.
The Girl with More Than One Heart, by Laura Geringer Bass
Yonan recommends this book by Laura Geringer Bass: “I really appreciate a story that evokes emotions and tugs at your heartstrings. This is a very special and emotional exploration of grief and resilience, dealing with conflicting emotions that arise in a family facing the unexpected death of a parent.”
Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry
Elly Yonan also suggests this classic historical fiction, written by Lois Lowry. It is called Number the Stars. This book tells the story about the persecution of Jewish people in the years World War II. At the same time, it is about love, friendship, loss, and persistence. As Yonan says, she has read this story many times, and every time she has discovered something new about friendship, courage, bravery, as well as fear and prejudice.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert C. O’Brien
Check out other classics that Yonan considers being a great choice. This story teaches kids important and valuable lessons about perspective while seeing the surrounding world through different lenses. To reveal the themes of family, home, community and society building, as well as sacrifice, independence, technology, and environmentalism that are woven throughout the book, the author uses the literary images of animals, as well as to bring the much larger and important messages to the readers.
This one is a recommendation of Lobash, and it also does not shy away from the realities of our life. It is a touching, a well as funny story of a Korean-American boy, whose name is Ok. He attempts to get rich in a quick scheme and wins a talent contest in his school. At the same time, he is coping with the permanent financial problems of his family and with the loss of his dad.
Bob, by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead
Lynn Lobash also includes this book in the list of her fiction recommendations. As she says, this is a light fantasy with relevant characters. Livy, a 10-year-old girl, is visiting her grandma in Australia. But she remembers the promise she made to some green creature, whose name is Bob, during her previous visit five years ago.
Best nonfiction books for 10-year-olds
We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, edited by Cheryl Willis Hudson
Nonfiction books, as Goldstein believes, work perfectly for children reading at different levels. Since they don’t have to read them from the very beginning, kids can get into such books and read as much as they wish. Moreover, these books are usually heavily illustrated as well. We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices is an anthology of various stories and artworks, created by a variety of authors, as well as illustrators around the book’s theme. This book is the perfect way to get your children acquainted with new authors. It also includes anecdotes about their childhood years, things like the civil right movement, and are accompanied by art. As Goldstein says, a lot of these stories are the authors’ memoirs, advice, and poetry.
I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, by Malala Yousafzai
Yonan’s choice among the nonfiction books is I Am Malala. As she states, this book is an extremely inspiring story about one young girl’s heroic campaign and activities for human rights and women right to receive an education. This true story, which is very powerful, discloses the truth, justice, equality, and forgiveness, which are the basic universal human values.
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science Hardcover, by Joyce Sidman
As Lobash believes, the next book is an amazing examination of a self-taught artist and entomologist, and the first that documented the metamorphosis of butterflies. Moreover, it is showcased with Merian’s original artworks all the way through.
