The Foundation for a Meaningful Life
Kindergarten - Grade 9 in Southborough, MA
Kindergarten Readiness

Gifts Your Child Won’t Be Able to Put Down

The Can’t-Miss Gift Guide: Our Kindergarten Experts Share the Gifts Your Child Won’t Be Able to Put Down

Every parent has had the experience of buying their child a gift that turns out to be a clunker. Sometimes, you know as soon as the wrapping paper comes off and the gift is quickly discarded. Other times, kids will excitedly play with something new for a day or two, but the novelty quickly wears off. The gift is set aside and never touched again. This year, wouldn’t you love to invest in a holiday gift that they’ll still be playing with next December? We reached out to the experts - our Fay School Kindergarten Teaching Team - to get their insider recommendations for the toys and activities that are the biggest hits in their classrooms and that your child is guaranteed to come back to again and again.


Lauren Cilley, Associate Director of the Early Learning Center

“A membership to a museum like the Acton Discovery Museum, Davis Farmland, the Ecotarium, or the Boston Children’s Museum is a great idea, and experience gifts are always appreciated for children who have a ton of toys. An easel with paint, paint sticks, and chalk can be inspiring for young artists, and it’s a great way to work on the physical skills needed for writing. Clay or play dough is good for building fine motor strength, creativity, and problem-solving. A play kitchen is great for imaginative play, which is important for language and social/emotional development.”

Katie Knuppel, Head of Primary School

“Kapla blocks and marble tracks are great gifts. I also am a fan of starting collections, like a collection of Schleich animals.”

Alex Sands, Primary School Assistant Teacher

“I would go with Plus-Plus blocks. The kids love them because they are colorful and open-ended, but there are also guides to building specific things too if they want. And they are great for fine motor control.”

Anne Canada, Kindergarten Lead Teacher

“I'm watching the kids in my class build houses for their stuffed animals out of Magna-Tiles as we speak and they are a great choice! They can build so many different things with them and make shapes and patterns, and most kids love them. They are good for building fine motor skills, too! Dot markers are also a great choice. There are so many fun colors, and they’re a great way for kids whose fine motor skills aren’t quite so strong yet to still make awesome artwork.”

Holiday Books

Are you looking for a new book to share with your family this holiday season? Do you want to introduce your child to different holiday traditions from other cultures? Click here for a list of holiday books from Fay's Primary School Library.

About Fay School

Fay School was founded in 1866 and is the oldest junior boarding school in the United States. Our 66-acre campus is located in Southborough, MA, just 25 miles from Boston. Our community includes 475 students in kindergarten through grade nine and includes 150 boarders in grades 7-9  from across the United States and over 20 countries. Fay is recognized around the world for its superior educational program, and our graduates are accepted to top secondary schools. Fay's program empowers students to discover their talents, develop their intellectual abilities, establish essential academic skills and knowledge, and define their moral character - all essential to living a life of meaning and making a positive difference in the world.

Learn more about Fay School.

48 MAIN STREET
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA 01772
main number 508-490-8250
admission 508-490-8201