I need some advice from parents or people who are used to buying presents for kids:
This year for Christmas, I am going to have 3 nephews (one is < 1 year old, and the other two are approaching two years old) & a niece (almost one) to buy presents for. Last year with my two nephews, it was easy; I just bought them both tons of clothes, but this year we’ve been told that none of them need clothes…only toys. I haven’t the slightest clue what toys to get them, as they seem to have just about everything already. For the ones under a year would I get presents that were more for Mom & Dad (supplies, food, etc.)? I was thinking maybe some books (not that kids their ages can read )? Are blocks still a popular toy? Are there any toys I should be staying away from? And finally – what’s a good place to shop for toys without breaking the bank?
Anyways, I’m at a complete loss so any ideas would be appreciated.
I need some advice from parents or people who are used to buying presents for kids:
This year for Christmas, I am going to have 3 nephews (one is < 1 year old, and the other two are approaching two years old) & a niece (almost one) to buy presents for. Last year with my two nephews, it was easy; I just bought them both tons of clothes, but this year we’ve been told that none of them need clothes…only toys. I haven’t the slightest clue what toys to get them, as they seem to have just about everything already. For the ones under a year would I get presents that were more for Mom & Dad (supplies, food, etc.)? I was thinking maybe some books (not that kids their ages can read )? Are blocks still a popular toy? Are there any toys I should be staying away from? And finally – what’s a good place to shop for toys without breaking the bank?
Anyways, I’m at a complete loss so any ideas would be appreciated.
Books, Books, Books. My kids have had them from a young age. There are books for kids under 1yr, they have texture and lots of colour.
You can never ever go wrong with books. Then you can sit and read with the kids. It is a great bonding time.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
You know what? Buy them what you are comfortable with....and blocks, books are always good choices. I have found that Lynley Dodd is a great author for either boys or girls so maybe start with Slinky Malinki and Hairy Maclary.
Favorites in those series seem to be Slinky Malinki, Slinky Malinki Open the Door, Slinky Malinki Catflaps, Hairy Maclary's Bone, Hairy Maclary and Zachary Quack, and Hairy Maclary's Rumpus at the Vet.
For building blocks for children of these ages, go big, so Mega Blocks. Also, any type of toy that also encompasses putting various shape blocks into the same shaped opening. You can also get nestling blocks for children of this age...in other words, they have to try and figure out which goes on the bottom, in the middle, on the top, and so on.
You can also get puzzles for children of these ages. The pieces of the puzzle have little lifting handles on them and might be something as simple as putting an animal in the right slot etc. Wooden ones or rubber ones are the sturdiest. Don't go paper or cardboard for children this young.
And what is wrong with the parents in not being more specific?
Stay away from toys that don't use much imagination or that are almost single use toys that they tire of in a hurry.....so in other words, toys that you perhaps just push a button and you hear a sound or something pops up etc. Kids tire of those type of toys in a hurry.
This is a golden age where they'll basically love whatever you get them (my kids are in the same age range). I agree with the top 2 posts... despite the invasion of tech into our lives my kids still loves going through books (durable touch/feel books for the wee one, fun train/truck/anything for the bigger one). The older one is also getting more and more into puzzles. He does a $3 Toy Story puzzle about 4 times a day... eats up a ton of time and he loves it.
Yeah I echo books. They just eat them up. We went to the library today (I have 2) and took 16 books out. Within 2 hrs we had read them all at least once, some of them even 2-3 times.
As for authors, for your general age, anything by Sandra Boynton is usually pretty good (snuggle puppy or barnyard dance). We've recently come across the author Nick Bland - he does one called the very cranky bear; its great. Might be a bit old though for your age range. Cannot go wrong with books though...even target them to things they are interested (in our case right now one is trains, for the other its ducks).
While its nice to give something "tangible" another great gift is an activity. Whether that means you paying mom and dad for their swimming lessons or whatever, or even just taking them out and doing something with them that they love.
Parents love it when you buy the noisiest toys you can find. One of those lawnmower-type things with balls in it. A toy drum set or guitar. Those books that make sound effects when you push the buttons along the side, etc. . . .
He-Who-Is-Popular-With-His-Family
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Parents love it when you buy the noisiest toys you can find.
My daughter bought a Furby with her B-day money. Stupid thing has no off button. After 2 weeks, I convinced her to take it back and put the money in a bank account.
FYI Nyah if you plan on having kids becareful what you buy.....payback is a b#tch.
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Captain James P. DeCOSTE, CD, 18 Sep 1993
Corporal Jean-Marc H. BECHARD, 6 Aug 1993
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My family actually has us buy our kid's presents for them. They tell us how much and when we're buying their gifts from us, we buy for them too. It makes sure they don't get duplicates, something they don't like or gifts that will be a pain in the butt for us.
My top kids books: (I've listed just illustrators rather than both illustrator and author). Oliver Jeffers - The Way Back Home, Up and Down, and Lost and Found... great for that age, fun stories, beautiful illustrations, and available as either board or paper books. Richard Scary - any of his, but especially Best Word Book Ever. They're classic and fun. Marc Boutavant - For Just One Day. Great, fun little poem with fantastic illustrations. Marc Boutavant also does the very good Mouk books. Isabelle Arsenault - Spork. She just won the Governor General's award for her most recent, which I haven't read, but Spork is a fun story. Sara Werner - Alphabeasties. Typographic exploration of different types of animals. Joelle Jolivet - Rapido's Next Stop. Gorgeously-illustrated book about the deliveries that a truck makes through a day. One of those books that has so much going on. Laura Siminovich - In My Den, etc. For the youngest (1 year or so), this series is a lot of fun, with cute little finger puppets. There's probably about ten of them now, each with different baby animal. Jon Klassen - I Want My Hat Back. I've saved this one for last for two reasons: it's my favorite on the list (it's where my avatar is from!), but also it requires a caveat. Don't buy this book if you don't know the sense of humour of the parents. It's got a dark twist that kids of a certain age will love but some parents are offended by. Probably it's for just a bit older age than you're shopping for. Klassen's Extra Yarn is also great.
I'd try to stay away from the most popular books, because parents get them as gifts a lot. We've received multiples of Goodnight Moon, various Seuss ones, and the Matthew Van Fleet ones. Parents will definitely appreciate you taking the time to find a cool book that they don't have, and which is fun to read and look at.
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As a parent of a 4 year old and a 2 year old the last thing I want is more crap. (toys) The best gifts are Checks for RESP's or direct deposits into RESP's. If you want them to open something then I agree that a book is a great gift.
My favourites being Jillian Jigs and any of the Eric Carle books. Personally I don't like books that don't rhyme.
Books it is. I'll check out Indigo tomorrow. Or is there a better place to get kids books? Thanks!
undercoverbrother: Nah. In a few years it'll be instruments of the electric variety
Not sure about RESP's but that's a great idea too.
If you know the titles, check out Amazon.ca.
You don't have to order very much, about $30 I think, and you get free shipping right to your door. I have never paid more at Amazon than I have in a retail store either.
On a more serious note, my grandma got us an ounce of silver every birthday and Christmas since, like, forever. When I was a kid, I couldn't care less. But I have about 50 of them now, with probably 3/4 being Silver Maple Leafs. Kind of a neat idea, I think.
another great book is "Press Here". Its a white cover with a yellow dot on it. each page in the book the kids have to press, or tilt, or "shake" etc the book with dots on it.
Yeah, Press Here (Herve Tullet) and Eric Carle are both other good recommendations that I might have added to my list if I had thought longer.
we've never been huge eric carle fans, but the best word book ever by richard scary is fabulous. we actually had to hide it/put it away at one point from our 1st, as that is literally all she would read...
Christmas Present Ideas For Kids
)? Are blocks still a popular toy? Are there any toys I should be staying away from? And finally – what’s a good place to shop for toys without breaking the bank? 
