When our oldest turned 4, he was pretty hooked on Sonic. I was excited to fully commit to a theme. We had Sonic invitations, decorations, party favors, snacks and of course a themed cake. After the party, as he opened his gifts, the trend continued. Sonic action figures, different Sonic play sets, a remote-controlled Sonic. It was clear that everyone was just as invested in buying for the theme, and now we were the owners of every type of Sonic toy in a 50 mile radius. This got me thinking about gift ideas for when the theme isn’t so obvious.
Don’t get me wrong, J loved the whole set. I just realized that theme also set the standard for the gifts.
So here is a list of 10 of my favorite options that are versatile between ages and interests.
(Bonus, these do not have be purchased on Amazon, and can actually be found in stores close by.)
1. Rain Coat and/or Umbrella.
I guess I should preface that we live in Florida. We get plenty of rain, and there is just something fun about playing in it when you’re younger at any age. I would argue that every child will find a way to break 2 umbrellas in their life. Possibly by trying to sit in it and breaking the supports, or using it as a container to carry water or dirt, or by jumping off the play set, genuinely believing that it would help them float to the ground.
I also believe that there are just some things people don’t think about needing, or won’t buy themselves because they don’t need them enough. A kids umbrella and rain coat fall into that category.
2. Crafts
Y’all, go to Michaels, or whatever your hobby/craft store equivalent is. I know that not every little is in their craft stage, but I can promise that one day a parent is going to be looking to remedy boredom and will be thankful for the quick project.
We’ve gifted paintable-piggy-banks, Wooden Pirate ship and castle crafts, and jewelry or loop-making kits. I am sure that is just some of what we’ve found, but I can always rely on Michaels to have something $15 or less to add to a gift bag.
3. The gift of Science
It’s important to know your audience. Most, if not all, experiments will require adult supervision. There are amazing, simple kits out there that fizz and bubble, or grow crystals.
There are also some very cool Dissect-It kits that give kids a chance to poke and slice through gelatin to learn about animal anatomy. Honestly, I also found real dissection kits that could be fun for kids. Personally, I am not ready to walk my kid through cutting open a cow’s eye, and I am not going to take it upon myself to assume another parent it.
4. Fairies, Gnomes, and other Name-less Figurines.
Spring-time at our dollar store is my favorite. In FL, we are starting to garden and dig, and spend time outside, and the Dollar Store has some of the cutest miniature Garden Gnomes. Getting a pack of gnomes, little houses, and some crafts supplies to build little environment is 10/10 one of my favorite gifts.
If gnomes aren’t your thing, not to worry – fairies, dinosaurs, cars, fish. In my opinion, this is best done with what I will deem nameless toys. A little pack of rescue dogs instead of a set of Paw Patrol pups. Race Cars instead of Lightening McQueen. Let the parents provide the main characters, and the friends can provide all the extras.
5. Yard Tools
Again, weather-permitting. I try to avoid the cheap plastic versions and grab the sets that have wooden handles. I also feel like little planters and seeds are great, bug catchers, a flower press, bug homes…
6. Child-sized Kitchen tools
Admittedly, my go-to is kid-safe knives, but I’m been told that not every parent it ready for their children to learn that skill. However, there are tools for mixing, table-setting, table-clearing, baking.
Recently, I was babysitting my sisters kids, and while they were over, I was prepping vegetable soup for dinner. I know that every kid is different, but I can usually bet that no child jumps for joy when you mention those dinner plans. However, we have a handful of kid friendly choppers and knives.
All the kids participated in helping prep veggies, add broth, and season the soup. They were all very invested in how their dinner turned out. I’m not going to say that it changed the way they see vegetables, but they were all at least willing to try the dinner they had an active role in.
7. Lunch Box or Water Bottle
I will not lie, I heard this one from a friend, but like, what a great idea!
This is great for school age kids with birthday’s in late summer. It makes one less thing parents have to worry about getting for the school year. Also, water bottles, I’ve heard, are lost routinely in elementary school.
8. Ribbon Dancer
Remember these?! It honestly does not matter if you’ve ever been a dancer, put one of these in your hand and you are magically turned into a performer.
Used for dress-up, Magic Tricks, a cat-toy if you are a cat person. They’re just fun.
9. DIY Treasure Box Present
So this gift idea is a little specific, but I kinda love it. We did something like this, but bigger, as a Christmas present for J and he was thrilled.
Start with a small box, you can usually find something at a craft store, or even the dollar store. You can opt to decorate it yourself, or leave that up to the receiver. Then fill it with all of the fun little things kids love. Maybe some candy, stickers, slime is really in right now, and any other little trinkets or treasures that they love. As an example, J loves to blow up balloons, so adding a little pack brings him a lot of joy.
10. Items to use for dressing up
I love this idea, but you definitely have to think outside of the box.
We know that a lot of small girls would love a princess dress, or something they can twirl in. Naturally a crown and some jewelry are a great pair. You can always find fire fighter costumes, and character costumes, but there is a lot of fun outside of the obvious options.
- Hats – anything outside of a basic ball cap has potential.
- Scarves and Shawls – other than jazzing up an everyday outfit, these are easily made into capes and tails.
- Glasses – sunglasses or regular.
- Wands, swords, and really any prop that you can find.
- Clothing with unique fabric. Not every dress up character needs to be recognizable. I think providing options that are different, maybe beaded or sequins, fringed, wild colors or patterns, gives imagination the chance to take over and create their own imaginative personality.
So many dress-up options from second-hand stores! A lot of them may even have year-round holiday stations, so you can almost always find Halloween costumes to pick from.
Get what makes sense, and falls within your budget.
Truthfully, all of these gift ideas don’t always feel natural if you are buying for a kid you only know through your child’s school. If the branded Sonic toy seems like the right fit, then buy that toy!
These gift ideas will hopefully serve as a reminder that…
1. The value of a thing does not equate to the amount of space that it physically takes up.
2. There is no minimum budget for kids’ birthday parties, don’t feel like you have to buy them the it gift.
3. Simple, versatile gifts are usually highly underrated by adults, but wildy appreciated by kids.
All else fails, a gift receipt is always a good idea.
The boys playing with a toy they get to use at Pepaw’s house.
