Interesting gift ideas for toddlers

Following on from my last post, here are some ideas for gifts for toddlers. Toddlers have shorter attention spans and endless bounds of energy. Take advantage of these and tailor your choices to the individual child.

 

1. Puzzles. I’ve always been surprised at how early little ones understand puzzles and really enjoy them. Keep them simple - try wooden ones as they will withstand the not-quite-so-fine motor skills of a little one.
2. Books. It’s never too early for books. Did you know that reading to babies and toddlers changes the way their brains develop?
3. Photo Album. Little ones love looking at picture of family members and of themselves doing things or at special places. You could go on an adventure and take photos during the day and turn it into their very own story book.
4. Good Quality skincare or novelty soaps. Try and find locally made, handcrafted items. 
5. Pajamas. Kids love pajamas - mine will spend all day in them so days!
6.  Lessons and Classes. Swim lessons, dance, gymnastics are all great ideas and benefit little ones.
7. Sprinklers. Some good old fashion fun right there!
8. Bird Feeder and Seed. Having a bird feeder outside a winder is very entertaining for kids to watch and helps get them interested in wildlife.
9.  Memberships. Children’s Museums, the zoo  or family gyms are all wonderful.
10. Artwork Picture Frame. Displaying our children’s artwork is important and also very fun. But the fridge tends to get filled up and parents at times feel guilty for throwing anything away. 
11. Towel Set. My kids love their hooded towels - they have a variety of animals and princess ones.
12. Waterproof swimming bag. And maybe a trip to the pool or beach to go with it!
13. Math Counters in a small bucket/bag. Stack colors together,  make patterns, practice adding and subtracting.
14. Savings Account or Stocks. Setting money aside each birthday or holiday may not be very exciting for these little people right now, but when they turn 18 and realize the amazing start they have in life, it will be a huge blessing. You can give a small token gift that they can open and enjoy on their special day, but put the majority of the gift into a savings program.
15. Music. Kids love music! Some great kid-geared artists are: Raffi, Tom Chaplin, Sandra Boynton.
16. Sleeping Bag/portable bed. Having their own sleeping bag can make little ones pretty excited about sleepovers, trips or camping out family nights.
17. Piggy Bank and Coins. This may take some supervision, but all the little people I know absolutely love putting coins into their piggy banks!
18. Play Silk scarves. These can be used as capes for super heros, skirts, dresses, wraps to carry their baby dolls, over chairs and couches to make a fort, the possibilities are endless.

 

Gift Ideas For Children

So it has been quite some time since my last blog post. 14 weeks of feeling like sleeping and spewing kind of puts one off writing (or doing anything for that matter!). We are now 20 weeks into a third healthy pregnancy and feel very blessed for this.

Many parents spend this time of year working out what they will be getting for their children at Christmas, and working out a budget to suit. Below are so low/no plastic, high positive memory ideas for both Christmas and Birthday ideas:

1. Memberships. Zoo, science museum, children’s museum, etc. These are particularly great for family gifts! Many young families want to enjoy day outings, but affording them can be a challenge, so give them the gift of a yearly membership.
2. Subscriptions. Kids enjoy getting things in the mail. Why not encourage their reading by getting them a magazine subscription for something they are interested in!
3. Events. Movie tickets, tickets to a play, concert or sports event are really exciting! Having an event to look forward to makes the rest of life more enjoyable.
4. Activities. Mini golf, bowling, skating rink. These are so much fun! And a big part of the fun is going together. Children love spending time with the adults in their lives, they want to see you enjoying your time as well as enjoying them.
5. Classes. Music, dance, riding, drawing, classes are a great way to encourage children in their interests and let them know that you pay attention to them and what they enjoy.
6. Recipe and Ingredients. Kids love cooking with their parents. Baking something special or cooking dinner is an ideal time to spend together and learn life skills. Print out a recipe, purchase all the ingredients and set a date for cooking together. Or do a cookie in a jar gift.
7. Crafting Date. Our daughter loves making crafts. I do to, I really do enjoy the creative aspect. But I rarely take time out to do it with her. These crafting dates mean the world to our creative little girl. Keep a basket of craft supplies and get out a book for inspiration.
8. Arts and Craft supplies. If your craft box is running low, stock up a little on things you need. Add in something fun the kids haven’t used before. A gift of art and craft supplies often brings on the imagination and kids can’t wait to get to work!
9. Coupons. An envelope of coupons that they can “spend” at any time: I’ll do one chore- no questions asked, movie and popcorn night, you pick the movie!, 1:1 game of cards or basketball (whatever the child’s interest is in), sit and read a book with me, Stay up 1/2 hour past bedtime
10. Restaurant Gift Card. Dinner, ice cream, coffee, cupcake- whatever suits their fancy! Give them the freedom of inviting whoever they wish: it may be mom or dad, it may be a grandparent, aunt or even teacher that they would like to spend more time with.
11. Dress Up Clothes. These do need to be limited, but  2 dresses and couple play scarves can get hours and hours of play!
12. Calendar. Many children like to know what is going on, what day it is, how many days until ____. They can write down their own classes, appointments, play dates, etc. And if they ask you, send them to their calendar so they can get used to being in control of their own schedule. You can even schedule “spontaneous days”, so they know that something different will happen that day. Trust me, it will help them enjoy the spontaneous outings!
13. Books. We get a lot of books from the library, but there are some that I just can’t find there, or it takes us longer to read through.
14. Clothes. When kids only have a certain amount of clothes, they often enjoy getting clothes. Make it a point to get something that fits their style. That may mean western clothes, super-hero, fancy dresses, etc.
15. Snacks. If your child is a foodie, they will love this! Some homemade granola or cookies made just for them, is a special treat!
16. Outdoor Supplies. If you are an outdoorsy family, giving kids their own fishing tackle or gardening equipment can be a big deal. It’s also something that gets left on the shelf in the garage, so you always know right where to find it.
17. Telling Time. The average child these days doesn’t know how to read analog, or finds it takes too long to think about it, so they search for a digital watch. Getting them a cool watch makes them want to be able to tell time on it.
18. Games and Puzzles. Games and puzzles are great activities for when kids have to be indoors. It’s a good practice to have individual quiet times during the day, and having a puzzle to sit and work on by themselves helps brain development and problem solving skills.