ad collaborative post // Nowadays, most parents earn enough money to meet their children’s basic needs and wants. But some of them may not last the test of time and be shoved in a storeroom or closet. As children grow, their needs and IQ happens to change with time. You may have gifted an abacus to your 4-year-old nephew, but he wouldn’t need it once he starts going to school and using pencil and paper.
Photo by Corina Rainer on Unsplash
Most kids generally make a wish list before any major gifting occasion, but sometimes you can go off the list and surprise them with gifts that’ll help them in their life. Keep reading for a list of gifts you can give your family’s kids and be the adult they look up to
1. Books!
As the children start to grow old, they need to have some source of vocabulary other than their school textbooks. When you gift them books suitable for their age, be it Masha and the Bear or Harry Potter, it can turn them into book lovers for life. They might enjoy learning new words, impressing and inspiring their friends. This generally results in a friend circle with like-minded children. Eventually, it can also result in a book reading club!
2. Costumes and Accessories
Kids express their imagination and creativity in different ways. Some kids love to draw; others enjoy dancing and performing, while some have a passion for fashion. Give your kids more than one option to express themselves and exercise their creativity. Get them into designing, modifying, and making their clothes and costumes.
You can start with generic costumes or clothes and get embellishments, such as buttons, glitters, laces, sequences, and colorful fabrics, to beautify or modify clothing. Sewing is an essential life skill that everyone should have. Get your kids to start early by mastering this skill with them.
3. Board games
Some board games like chess or monopoly stay for a lifetime. These games test the children’s cognitive, calculative and comprehension abilities, and all is done during play.
With practice, a child generally grows to appreciate them. If the children in your family are neuro-typicals, you should most definitely put their brains to work with mind-bending board games, creative crafting supplies and engaging books. Some board games like Scrabbles can test a child’s language skills. These board games, if played often, can fuel the child’s competitive spirit.
4. Sports equipment
COVID-19 has affected the world but more so our children. In this crisis, children have been the biggest victims as their lives have been changed in numerous ways. The global socio-economic crisis may have been reflected in some of their friends’ families. To break free from the state of isolation now when the pandemic has been brought under control, children should be encouraged for physical activities like sports.
Gift them sports equipment like swimming costumes, tennis rackets, hockey sticks etc., so that they can indulge in some physical activities, which in turn can take care of their mental health.
5. Headphones, musical instruments or devices
If a child in your family is more interested in music than in sports, it’s best to gift him recorders, karaoke machines or his choice of musical instrument. If you’ve cared to study the child and his environment well enough, the gift might become a life-changing element in his life and you, his favourite person.
You can also gift him some of his favourite records or introduce him to musicians you think he should listen to. Music can also encourage them to dance. Parents might find a talent in their child that had not surfaced until you presented the gift.
6. Movies
Do you plan to touch the hearts of the children in your family? Apart from getting some Christmas hampers for kids, you can also try getting some movies, like The Lion King, Wall-E etc., that the kids would love to watch. Movies can play a huge role in shaping a child’s life.
When they meet new people, they can talk about their favourite movies and books. Heartwarming movies can explain some important life lessons and show how love, determination and hard work can lead them to success.
Conclusion: Your gifts can be the building blocks of a child’s life. So choose your gifts wisely!
These are all great ideas! Not just fun but educational too. My favourite Christmas ever was when I was 10 and there was a big storm. We had no electricity for 4 days from Christmas Eve. But it happened to be the Christmas where Santa had brought board games, a guitar for my sister and a keyboard for me. My brothers already had guitars so we sat around the fire playing music and board games for days! And it’s the one I still remember all these years later 🙂
Great list! I love to give books to children…I especially love to give a theme gift so that the child gets a book and a toy that goes with the book.
Great list! I think any educational games that cultivates creative and critical thinking are great for kids 🙂
This is such a helpful post! I always have a hard time figuring out what to get my teenage nephews but this guide is so useful! Thank you!