Inexpensive Gifts for Kids that They'll Actually Like

Far from being one of the many cheap gifts for kids, a ten-speed bike was my most wished for of all presents. I would finally be able to join my friends with bikes. I got up early Christmas morning, flew down the stairs and looked toward the tree - it was the bike! I was happy beyond belief. That was the beginning of many happy days riding throughout the streets of our city. I wonder where that bike is today.

Some things that were important to me as a child are no longer important. My parents knew what "things" I wanted, but my grandparents knew what I would one day fondly cherish. And so they didn't offer cheap children's gifts, but instead they gave gifts from the heart, things that they made themselves, or a passed down gift that had been given to them so many years before. Things like a hand-knit scarf, a piece of jewelry that had been in our family for generations, or a rare book with a personal inscription. These were not gifts I wanted back then. They would instead be remembered not because of their monetary value, but for their personal significance. When I was young, these gifts were considered by me to be cheap gifts for a kid.

With the economy hitting everyone hard this year, I got to thinking about some inexpensive gifts for my kids.

• Classics - yoyo, harmonicas, Slinky, Silly Putty, Ant Farm, kaleidoscopes, Frisbee, Lincoln Logs, jump ropes, magnifying glass, etc.

• For older kids, iTune gift cards, Bookstore gift cards

• Bake some cookies, homemade - and make them personal for the child. Put them in an old tin - something they might save (or Mom saves for them) and cherish, or even pass on

• Personal embroidered ties, handkerchiefs, clothing, etc. Items they can keep for a lifetime like a scarf, a throw-pillow, or wallet

• A shadow box filled with items from your own childhood - these will be treasured by your kids or grandkids one day in the future

• A hand-sewn quilt or knitted throw - these cost you some time, but are inexpensive to make.

A seemingly cheap gift for a kid is now a cherished possession - a bible my grandmother gave to me. That bible is still with me, becoming more valuable every year. I open it from time to time and read the inscription there. It tells me someone thought I was special.