Selecting the Perfect Christmas Gifts for Kids Every Time

Holiday shopping can be a nightmare. Maneuvering around crowded parking lots, endless searches for the "must have" on family and friends wish lists and waiting in long lines at the cash register can quickly dampen one's Christmas spirit, especially when that perfect gift is out of stock or incompatible with your budget.

Gift giving should be fun. Where's the fun when we stand at the sales counter telling ourselves, "I hope they appreciate all the trouble I went through finding this thing." And if they don't, as happens sometimes, that wonderful Christmas spirit barely flickers inside. Presenting loved ones with that "perfect gift" doesn't really have to be wild goose chase or break the bank event. Just give them what they like.

After many years of giving what I thought was a perfect gift, at an expense far exceeding my budget, I've shunned the "wish list" mentality for a more personal approach. My personal touch has brought more smiles to both my recipients and myself than any must have wish list gift I have given.

When my son was younger my husband and I, like most parents, pushed our way through toy stores grabbing up the latest and hottest items. We felt we had conquered the world when we returned home. Unfortunately on Christmas morning we discovered our conquest to be a short-lived dream. Our inexpensive stocking stuffers were all my son played with that day! Extravagant gifts are nice if you can afford them but stupid when you can't, especially when it's unappreciated or worse yet never used.

Buying toys, especially games, is one of my least favorite things to do. Seriously, how can you make an informed decision about a product without seeing the actual product? Before buying a car you are able to take it off the lot for a test drive. Before buying clothes you are able to try them on. Before buying a book or magazine you can first browse its contents. For games, however, we are expected to base a decision on the packaging and any 1-2 minute advertising campaigns that might be broadcasted over the television. Any parent having more than one child will tell you no two children are alike. What amuses and fascinates one child will not necessarily do the same for another child.

This inability to try before I buy has resulted in dissatisfaction on more than one occasion. I have a shelf full of dusty games and gadgets sitting in my living room closet as proof. Fortunately, I've found a way to both beat the system and turn my son's frowns upside down.

Long before my son mails off his annual wish list to the North Pole I've not only approved of but have also verified that each item meets my son's idea of fun without ever having to leave the house or break the bank. Gone are the days of uncertainty and misinformed purchases for underneath our Christmas tree. This Santa has learned the importance of thinking out of the box.

Like most children his age, my son, enjoys playing video games. Unlike traditional toy stores, online stores offer customers the opportunity to download "demo" versions from their virtual game shelves for FREE. Some sites include extensive in-depth game descriptions, pc requirements, game reviews and a downloadable player's manual as well. Not only can you learn all there is to know about a game in less time than it takes to find a parking spot at your local mall but you can also get to see first hand whether or not the game suits your child's age, abilities and interests, which by the way is the best indication of what your child considers the "perfect gift."

Action, arcade and puzzle games like Midnight Synergy's Wonderland Secret World, Alawar's Farm Frenzy and Pop Cap Games' Bookworm are well-liked by my son, and reasonably priced.

Wonderland Secret World, a puzzle quest and action game reminiscent of Nintendo's Super Mario series, follows the adventures of heroes Stinky, Loof, Qookie and Peegue through the 100 plus maze-like levels of Wonderland's twelve 3D Secret Worlds. Evil chompers, rolling boulders, trigger happy UFO's and exploding kegs eagerly await along the journey. (1)

Farm Frenzy, an arcade style game making the "top games" list at many online gaming stores this holiday season, simulates the daily chores of running a farm according to it's developer, Alawar. "Farm Frenzy is as stimulating as the real thing, only you won't have to experience the nasty smells! You will, however, be required to invest the money you earn in new equipment. Building a cheese dairy, for example, allows you to process your milk on the spot and make even more cash! To beat a level in Farm Frenzy, you must complete a specific task, such as producing a certain number of eggs. Each new level is more challenging than the last, so you must increase the capacity of your warehouse and improve the performance of your production facilities. You can even buy a larger truck capable of delivering more goods to market!" (2)

Bookworm from Pop Cap Games is a vocabulary builder game. Using the mouse, you feed Lex, a fluorescent green bookworm, by linking adjacent letters to build words. (3)

References:

(1) Wonderland Secret World, Midnight Synergy, Retrieved November 21, 2007, http://www.midnightsynergy.com/secretworlds

(2) Farm Frenzy, Alawar, Retrieved November 21, 2007, http://alawar.com/games/farm-frenzy/

(3) Bookworm, Pop Cap Games, Retrieved November 21, 2007, http://www.popcap.com/games/bookworm/