Whether you are shopping for a niece, nephew, grandchild or even one of your own children, choosing the right gift for a child is not always an easy decision. Just as there is an endless array of choices when it comes to shopping for adults, there is an equally large or greater market of children’s gifts.

While traditional gifts such as a toy fire engine or a stuffed animal have withstood the test of time, giving a gift that is both fun and educational could help that special child in your life in any number of ways.

“A great educational toy not only offers a learning goal, but it inspires a child to explore and discover, play in an open-ended manner and play in a variety of ways which increases the likelihood that a child will want to play with a toy again and again,” says Jennifer Apy, an educational product consultant for LearningTree Games, an online retail outlet of children’s toys that makes shopping for toys easy thanks to a cleverly divided catalogue categorised by a child’s age and skill as well as a product’s price and brand.

For the legions of shoppers pressed for time this holiday season, the LearningTree Games web site (www.learningtreegames.com) makes choosing a gift easier.

The site, the first of its kind in offering educational toys that completely address all developmental areas required to prepare children for success in school, organises and presents product in a way that allows shoppers to easily tailor their search to what a child is most interested in, what skills a child needs to develop or even the purchase occasion.

From infants to adults, LearningTree Games offers a broad selection of award-winning products with solid educational value. You’ll find plenty of basics and classics, such as wooden toys, infant activity and sensory toys, board games, puppet theatres, doll houses, pretend-play sets and even LegoTM building sets.

Look for a large selection of ride-ons, science and robotic kits, and puzzles <\m> more than you would find in at a local retail store <\m> and a variety of imaginary play products to engage the interest of boys and girls alike.

Product selection avoids the “next greatest gizmo” that may have lots of lights, sounds and hi-tech gadgetry, with little added educational value.

However, electronic toy manufacturers that have taken care to use technology to meet specific learning goals, such as Leapfrog and Geosafari, are represented. For many shoppers who are not parents, understanding what skills a particular game can cultivate can be difficult.

No one wants to risk the feelings of a child by giving him or her a gift that is either too advanced or too easy for their particular age and skill level.

For these shoppers, LearningTree offers a number of child development articles free of charge on the company’s Web site.

For shoppers who are curious about how a product develops a specific skill, these child-development articles offer helpful background information about the types of play experiences that support a child’s development in a specific area and how certain toys can be used to develop a skill.

Along with these articles, shoppers will find that on each product-description page, related skill areas are highlighted to allow the consumer to understand the breadth of educational value offered by each toy.

“By making it easy to access product-related child development information within a store filled with quality educational products, LearningTree Games is offering parents and shoppers the ultimate resource for selecting and purchasing products,” Apy says.

“Plus, the information empowers them to make choices that will meet a child’s specific learning needs.”

Children can often be the most difficult people on your holiday gift list, particularly if you don’t get to spend too much time with that special child in your life.

Finding a gift that you know will be a hit can be almost impossible. But keeping in mind the value of educational toys this holiday season can be worthwhile to you as well as your niece, nephew, grandchild or even your son or daughter.

To learn more about toys that can help put a smile on a child’s face this holiday season, visit the LearningTree Games Web site at www.learningtreegames.com.