The Inspired Holiday Gift Guide for Kids
I love giving gifts. I enjoy thinking and searching for that perfect gift that, of course, fits my budget. So despite growing up without really celebrating it, Christmas has become my most favorite holiday of all because as they say, Christmas is the season of giving.
And always first on my and J's list are the kids in our life - our nieces, nephews, godchildren, children of our dearest friends, and of course, our beloved darling, our little Queen B. For me, children are the best people to be given gifts. Their eyes just lit up and a smile is always on their face even on the simplest of gifts. And I just adore babies who are actually more interested in the wrappers and bows than the gift itself.
So a month before Christmas, if you're still not done with your Christmas shopping, let me help you find that perfect gift for those adorable kids in your life. Here is my Inspired Holiday Gift Guide for Kids.
Books
I totally agree with J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, when she said, "I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book." Reading a good book brought so much happiness, realizations, and every now and then, even tears in my life. Books make me imagine and in a way, live in worlds of the past, future, alternate realities, and even of a different galaxy. Books are so special to me that I would like the children in my life and all children for that matter to also discover the magic that is in books. So books top my list of inspired gifts to give this Christmas.
A couple of weeks ago, my little Queen B and I found ourselves at Fully Booked and we found a treasure trove of picture books perfect for gifting this Christmas season. Any of those titles are great picture books for children ages 3 and up. Those metallic foil stickers indicate that they are Caldecott Medal awardees which is an award for beautifully illustrated children books.
Books are also good gifts for babies and toddlers, just make sure you buy board books instead of paperbacks. They are sturdier so they can withstand their still careless handling.
Little girls would enjoy the adventures of Madeline, the smallest girl in a Catholic boarding school in Paris. This one is a treasury so it includes all the stories under the original series.
And if your budget is a little tight, Booksale and other bargain bookstores do have almost brand new books at a much lower price like this Collection of Poems for Children I found last weekend at a nearby Booksale.
A brand new book costs 250-Php and above, board books are slightly pricier than paperbacks and hardbound ones while a second-hand book may cost as low as 35-Php. Make sure to double check each page for missing pages, tears, and writings of the previous owner.
Wooden Toys
Before the invention of plastic, most children toys were made of wood. They are timeless and durable. Unlike some modern toys, with wooden toys, a child must supply all the voices, alarms, and other sound effects rather than listen to the toy, therefore, wooden toys encourage a child's imaginative play. These and more are why I love wooden toys and believe that they are wonderful gifts this season.
Budding chefs would love wooden kitchen sets like this one. There are even kitchen sets that have refrigerators and microwave ovens. They also come in different colors.
A breakfast set which is great for pretend plays. Your child can practice her sandwich-making skills with this one. How cute that there is yogurt!
If your child likes pancakes, he'll definitely enjoy this wooden pancake set. There is even butter!
Spaghetti is actually the first dish I learned how to cook so my heart skipped a beat when I saw this. The pots and utensils are made from wood while the pretend pasta are made from felt cloth.
Any girly girl would love this intricate dollhouse.
While little boys who love cars will enjoy parking his cars (and helicopters!) in this wooden parking set. Vroom...vroom...
And for children who love tinkering, this wooden toolbox is safe enough to play with.
Wooden toys are actually more expensive than their plastic counterparts and sadly, most toy stores have limited choices of them. Thankfully, due to the emergence of online selling, you can now have wooden toys delivered to your home! Trusted online sellers of wooden toys include Wooden Miggy (IG: @woodenmiggy ), Learning Playground (IG: @learningplayground ), Oh! Baby PH (IG: @ohbabyph), and House of Madison PH (IG: @houseofmadisonph ). Price points are between 400-Php to 6000-Php, depending on the size and intricacy of the toy.
Good news for those who are thinking of giving wooden toys, if you are nearby Manila, visit 168 Mall in Divisoria. There is a shop on the ground floor of 168 Mall that sells wooden toys at a lower price compared to online sellers. You can also haggle.
Board Games
Board games entertain and bring people together through competitive and cooperative play. It's a great alternative to watching tv as a family bonding activity during the weekends. Also, board games develop one's cognitive skills like memory formation and problem-solving.
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Price of board games is 200-Php and above.
A brand new book costs 250-Php and above, board books are slightly pricier than paperbacks and hardbound ones while a second-hand book may cost as low as 35-Php. Make sure to double check each page for missing pages, tears, and writings of the previous owner.
Wooden Toys
Before the invention of plastic, most children toys were made of wood. They are timeless and durable. Unlike some modern toys, with wooden toys, a child must supply all the voices, alarms, and other sound effects rather than listen to the toy, therefore, wooden toys encourage a child's imaginative play. These and more are why I love wooden toys and believe that they are wonderful gifts this season.
Wooden toys are actually more expensive than their plastic counterparts and sadly, most toy stores have limited choices of them. Thankfully, due to the emergence of online selling, you can now have wooden toys delivered to your home! Trusted online sellers of wooden toys include Wooden Miggy (IG: @woodenmiggy ), Learning Playground (IG: @learningplayground ), Oh! Baby PH (IG: @ohbabyph), and House of Madison PH (IG: @houseofmadisonph ). Price points are between 400-Php to 6000-Php, depending on the size and intricacy of the toy.
Good news for those who are thinking of giving wooden toys, if you are nearby Manila, visit 168 Mall in Divisoria. There is a shop on the ground floor of 168 Mall that sells wooden toys at a lower price compared to online sellers. You can also haggle.
Board Games
Board games entertain and bring people together through competitive and cooperative play. It's a great alternative to watching tv as a family bonding activity during the weekends. Also, board games develop one's cognitive skills like memory formation and problem-solving.
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| Images are from Amazon.com |
Price of board games is 200-Php and above.
Balance Bikes
A balance bike is a two-wheeled pedal-less bike that teaches kids as young as 18 months of age to balance on two wheels. With the skills learned from these types of bikes, a child as young as 3 years old can transition straight to regular bikes without the use of training wheels. Don't forget the helmet and other protective gears.
Price of balance bikes ranges from 2000-Php to 7000-Php or even higher depending on the brand.
Arts and Crafts Materials
Bookstores usually have packages of art materials but you can also create your own. Price starts at 100-Php. The starter kits above cost less than 600-Php.
So what are we giving our little Queen B this Christmas? I'll keep it a secret for the meantime but I'll give you a clue. We won't be wrapping it, instead, we will assemble it the night before Christmas.
A balance bike is a two-wheeled pedal-less bike that teaches kids as young as 18 months of age to balance on two wheels. With the skills learned from these types of bikes, a child as young as 3 years old can transition straight to regular bikes without the use of training wheels. Don't forget the helmet and other protective gears.
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| Image from cruzee.com |
Arts and Crafts Materials
There are so many developmental benefits of doing arts and crafts with your kids. They can enhance your child's fine motor skills, bilateral coordination, visual processing abilities, and creativity. Through arts and crafts, they can also express their feelings and thoughts. Kids who are shy will benefit greatly from receiving art materials this Christmas.
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| Images are from Amazon.com |
Maam and Moms (IG: @maam_and_moms ) is a well-known online seller of non-toxic tempera paints and painting tools.
While artsy tweens and I must admit, even me, would love to receive these starter kits in calligraphy, creative lettering, and drawing.
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So what are we giving our little Queen B this Christmas? I'll keep it a secret for the meantime but I'll give you a clue. We won't be wrapping it, instead, we will assemble it the night before Christmas.
I can't wait for my little Queen B to see her gift. It arrived pretty early.
This Christmas, aside from the happiness of receiving extravagant gifts to our children, let's also give them the joy of giving especially to those who are less fortunate than them. My heart fills with love whenever I see George share or give out something wholeheartedly to others. It's a reassurance for me that she knows that she's blessed so bountifully that she can share that blessing which is a lesson even us, adults, should continuously learn.
But most importantly, let's teach our children that Christmas is not only about giving and receiving gifts, having new clothes, and the countless parties. Most of all, it is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who willingly came here on Earth to become a man to save us from our sins. Because the best gift each and every one of us will ever receive in this lifetime is the perfect gift of salvation.
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| Image from quotespie.com |
But most importantly, let's teach our children that Christmas is not only about giving and receiving gifts, having new clothes, and the countless parties. Most of all, it is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who willingly came here on Earth to become a man to save us from our sins. Because the best gift each and every one of us will ever receive in this lifetime is the perfect gift of salvation.
Yours,
Lady
Lady
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