It is never easy picking out a gift for your kids. Be it for an occasion such as a birthday or any festivity, finding a gift for a child at any age can be harder than it seems. Kids today have specific interests and know exactly what they want. As they grow older, their interests may change leaving you in a tizzy every time your eager, starry eyed little one asks for a present and you just can’t say no. So we decided to bring you a list of gift ideas for your children that aren’t necessarily toys.
#1 Painting kits:
Art is one of the most approachable forms of hobbies a child can adopt into their routine. Whether it is sketching, painting, origami, or clay modeling, the possibilities and varieties are endless. Unlike back in the day, where we as kids had only our wax crayons and pencils to put ideas on to paper, kids today have too many things to choose from.
Affordable non toxic painting kits and kids’ easels with a canvas are available online and if that seems like a huge commitment, purchasing sketch books which come bundled up with color pencils and painting gear have ample availability and are ever so affordable.
#2 Crafts and Origami Kits:
Origami, or the japanese art of paper folding, is another magnificent way to get children away from the same old playtime routine. The breathtaking creativity that can be organically drawn out of a young child folding a 20cm x 20cm sheet of paper is wonderful to watch. Apart from this Play-doh and other brands of clay for children are also great gifts to spice up playtime. Clay modeling is a hobby which seems to have gone quiet in the past few years, however among kids the sheer amount of creativity that can be exercised is endless.
The materials for these crafts are readily available at online stores such as Itsy Bitsy, Asian Hobby Crafts and Hobby Ideas.
You can tell that a child’s curiosity has been tapped, when they awe at an origami fish, swan or dragon being made within minutes from just a tiny piece of paper or a block of clay. These kits are readily available and come bundled with limitless possibilities. Origami and crafts gifts your kids can let their imagination run wild!
#3 Books:
Books make great presents. We’ve all been told since our very own childhood that reading is important for us to improve our spoken language and vocabulary, and for younger kids who are in their early developmental stages, it makes for an extremely engaging experience that can be not only developmental, but also a fun daily activity. Books are the best gateway for your kids to explore more genres of things that may one day define them. Be it a fun fictional series, poetry, puzzles or even comic books, your kids will be able to broaden their horizons resulting in a creative spark within them as they go on mystifying adventures with their favorite characters.
Popular among younger kids are Enid Blyton Classics which make for great bedtime reads and are easy to approach for children between the ages of 3 to 7. If your kids are older, gifting them books by authors such as Vishnu Sharma (Panchatantra Tales), R. K. Narayan (Malgudi Days), Sudha Murthy (Grandma’s Bag of Stories), J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter Series) and various other young adult authors could be just what you’re looking for.
Books can be gifted in varieties too, with audiobook subscriptions on demand and kindles being ever so accessible, your kids can use a smart device to access tons of digitally archived books online.
#4 Clothes:
Clothes are the perfect gift since they can be used on a daily basis. Though not an activity, it is no surprise that clothes make excellent presents. The sheer variety of adorable clothes for kids of all ages, available these days is overwhelming. Clothes are tricky gifts to pick. On the surface, it seems easy to make a decision as to what your kids will like, but getting to know their tastes and getting their opinions on what clothes they would like to wear on a daily basis can make the gift giving activity itself a lot more engaging. Moreover, clothes can be considered to have the widest amount of variety.
From their favorite cartoon characters making an appearance on everything from innerwear to casual wear, popular merchandise and apparel is all the rage with kids today. It’s no denying that there is always something in store for your kids if you’re looking to give them clothes.
#5 Music:
Be it subscriptions to online music portals or musical instruments, music itself is an incredibly invigorating gift. We’ve all wanted to be rockstars at some point in our lives, if your kids feel the same joy and excitement and have a similar desire to learn, why not gift them a musical instrument and perhaps a subscription to a class.
It lets your child discover the language of heart and soul and will inspire them for years to come. Music is something every individual can connect to based on their interests and moods. It is therefore a phenomenal present of anyone, whether young or old.
As a parent, getting to know your child’s likes and dislikes is the easy bit. But when you’re browsing through an online store or are out shopping, you are essentially spoiled for choice. Even though there is a plethora of colorful varieties available on the local toystore’s shelves, it is never too bad to switch it up a little and invest in a gift that could prove to be enjoyable for your kids in a different way. We know your kids love their video games, legos and dolls, but breaking convention may have them get engaged in other activities as well.