The Gifted Child

Obviously there is much talk this holiday season about buying less, doing more. It makes a lot of sense in this time of economic uncertainty: Why not find the silver lining of doom and gloom and teach our children more about charitable giving and less about mass commercialism? Except one thing: The joyful exchange of gifts is not necessarily a bad thing. And we don't want to be like Dickens's infuriatingly self-righteous Mrs. Pardiggle (who proudly announces that each of her five young sons donates his allowance to worthy causes, while the narrator explains that the children look "absolutely ferocious with discontent") now do we??

Of course we as parents should teach our kids about the importance of charity as they grow up. And I wholeheartedly intend to start now, trying to explain to my 3 year old the difference between "want" and "need"; modeling charitable behavior. But is it wrong to also want to give him something absolutely perfect to unwrap with glee and anticipation? To watch his face light up like a glow stick as he unearths his new treasure? A present is about thoughtfulness and has less to do with money and more to do with connection and depth of relationship. Some of the best gifts I have given and received cost far less than some of the donations I make.

And so, here they are, some of my favorite picks for children this holiday season. This list is hardly exhaustive or even close to balanced and it doesn't evenly cover every age-group. Nothing is overly elaborate either. Nope, my list is comprised of random, sometimes simple and sometimes quirky items that I would be proud to wrap up in bows and give to all the little babies and children I love this holiday season. Without further ado, 12 of my favorite gifts, and nary a partridge or pear tree in sight:

1) Touchable Art Books: These interactive books give kids hands-on fun in a trippy art world ("pet Matisse's fish!" "Brush Venus's hair!"). Plus, they are much more fun than reading "Goodnight Moon." Again.



2) Skyscraper Block Set: 36 piece set for the budding architect...or for the parent who is sick of ugly blocks.





3) Playhouse: Let your baby
draw on the
walls--his own walls!
This biodegradable playhouse
made of recycled cardboard
can be your toddler's home away from home. And you know
how much kids love boxes. Hours and hours of entertainment.



4) Framed pad: Elegant post-it notes--who knew? Kids can draw within the frame, immediately elevating their doodles to high-art; moms can peel and stick a pre-framed masterpiece.









5) Magic clothes: Remember hypercolor shirts? They're back! But less gross. The
solar-activated
ink on these shirts change color when exposed to the sun, so pirate ships and fairies take on a new look.


6) Message In A Bottle Kit: For when your kid needs to send out an SOS. Comes with a bottle, a cork, and wax.




7) Jigsaw Puppet puzzles: These hip wooden puzzle pieces do double duty as puppets and puzzle pieces. The heads and bodies can be mixed and matched to make an endless number of new characters and fairytales.



8) Homemade, but not homespun, unique clothes: This "Scribbly love dress" is cool without being over the top and will have everyone wondering where you find such awesome clothes for your kids.


9) Puzzles that grow in difficulty as your kids grow in height:
Kid-o puzzles feature different configurations and backgrounds of increasing difficulty--so you aren't forced trying to make your 4 year old put the circle in the right place for the millionth time.


10) A simple camera: Because it's never too early to teach your kids to see the world through various lenses.



11) "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan wrote a children's book? Do you need any more reason to get this? "May you grow up to be righteous. May you grow up to be true." I might have accidentally purchased this for myself.






12) Something personalized: Check out the host of personalized options in clothing and books we've previously showed to you. Particularly good for kids with names you don't see at the souvenir shop--can't you remember searching those carousels of little license plates, looking for the "Deepa" or the "Parul"?!?

Give good gift Devis!