Uncommon Gifts for Kids Who Have Everything

Another birthday party--another 5000 plastic pieces to keep in check. It may be pessimistic, but after thirteen birthday parties for my son now, I'm about done with the array of plastic gadgets and cheap junk featuring the marketed-icon-of-the-day. We've been through Barney, Pokemon, Legos, Scooby Doo, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Spiderman, to name only a few. We've been to our younger friends' parties wading through the Great Sea of Bob the Builder, Teletubbies, and The Wiggles-whatever that is.

Years ago, I read something in Whole Child Whole Parent that went something like this: Every toy is an obstacle between you and your child. At the time, my son was an infant, and I had already determined that a houseful of toys was not for us. This 'obstacle' idea stuck with me, and I had no idea how meaningful and true it would ring in the years ahead of us. Unfortunately, I was not in total control of the toys to come. My son's traditional mega summer waterfight parties, with his entire school invited gave way to all manner of obstacles.

This article and suggestions herein are not for everyone. I know many people do enjoy selecting commercial toys and gifts for kids, and there are probably kids and families who have the proper room and lifestyles to accept and maintain amassed objects. But, if you are like me and some of my friends and acquaintances, and have found your dance card full when it comes to accumulating and propagating toys and More, there are some good ideas here. Likewise, if you find yourself tempted or even daring to request 'no gifts please' on your child's invitations, it might be time to consider gift alternatives. Here are some suggestions for giving and receiving that we have partaken of throughout the years.

Gift request ideas

LPs

One summer, I purchased a funky-cool, mint condition deer-hunt-orange 1970's record player (with a nicely self-contained speaker system) for my son. When people asked for gift ideas, I told them record albums. Had I been thinking, I would have made it clear somehow on the invitations that LP's were the present to bring. They can be easily fetched at yard sales and thriftstores mondo cheaply, but more than likely, parents will be pleased as punch to go through their own perhaps forgotten record collection in the attic in finding a kitschy album or two. That year, we received some gems, including vintage Superfly and Shaft LPs and Cheech and Chong's Wedding Album. It's great retro entertainment for both parents and kids, and spontaneous dance parties are the best. What's more, when the guests leave, you will be left with a very compact and easily stored gift pile, and minimal trash and boxes.

Collections

If you have a child that collects bottlecaps, rocks, Good Sticks (I'm fairly sure this is a boy thing, but we have a house full of Good Sticks,) trading cards, magnets, buttons, etc., a birthday party is the perfect time to accumulate some great scores for their collection. It's even a great way to start a collection. It may be doing your friends a big favor, too. As a giver, it's actually a joy to take a young child to a yard sale or thriftstore looking for a silly or funky few buttons for a little friend. Compare that to yet another mindless, frenzied romp through the toy store, buying about any random thing just to get out of there.

If your child loves to dress up, a costume party is an obvious party theme, but you can take it further by requesting the guests bring dress up presents. The fun and possibilities are endless here. Thriftstores, yard sales, closets and attics are the perfect places to find old prom and wedding dresses, army fatigues, crazy hats, funky shoes, beads, outrageous jewelry, gloves, scarves, old Halloween costumes, uniforms, and the like. I can guarantee little guests will be ecstatic to shop and present your child with their finds. Purchase a vintage, or otherwise special trunk to contain the clothes and items. When the guests leave, you have a nicely self contained, box of presents that will keep your child entertained for perhaps years.

Gift Giving Ideas

Paper punch and paper

At my son's huge 4^th birthday party, my child-wise friend Jana and her boys presented him with a lovingly-child-wrapped and decorated little gift that contained a hole punch and several sheets of colorful paper. It was by far the best and most memorable present he received. What can really be said about the satisfaction of being four and punching holes in paper? It's the Zen and perfection of gifting at its finest.

Squeegee

That's right , a squeegee. Another very Zen present. Small squeegees can be found at automotive stores for just a few bucks, but they last forever and I guarantee hours, weeks, months, and years of fun will be had with this simple gift. Upon opening this fabulous gift, any small child will instantly recognize it from the gas station, and know how, when, and where to use it. My son is 13 now, and still gets the squeegee bug every now and then-and I get the benefit of nicely clean car and house windows.

Head Lamp

Essentially a flashlight with straps for the head, this is one of the best presents we have given and received. They can be found for around $10 in camping stores and sections, and are adjustable for smaller heads. Any kid with an adventuring spirit will be quite fortified by a head lamp-it just makes you feel like a real spelunker, even if you're just crawling through the alley behind your own house. They are also very practical. I used my son's head lamp to read in our tent at night when he would fall asleep at 8:30.

Big Little Books

I have to include these, because they are a personal favorite of mine. Even if you don't recognize the name, you will probably recognize a Big Little Book. They are small (approximately 4x4 inch) books published between the 1930's and 1980's. They are known for their pleasingly colorful and engagingly artful covers. Inside, the pages are set alternately with illustrations and text. They are not comics, but novelesque. There are thousands and thousands of titles and series: Popeye, Dick Tracy, Tarzan, Lassie, Bugs Bunny, and many, many others--so finding a child's favorite retro character or theme is a cinch. Although many of the earlier ones are quite valuable, they are all quite collectible and are somewhat easily found in used bookstores and sometimes even thriftstores for extremely nominal prices. They can be ordered at Amazon.com and other online venues. These books just have something special about them. They are small and square, and rare these days. Children are intrigued with them, and in years to come, they will probably be cherished as favorite books of childhood.