The feeling of reaching out and demonstrating how you care for someone is a feeling we want children to experience.  We want to nurture the giving of ones self whether it is a thoughtful gesture, a smile, a handshake, or a gift.  We want to help children experience the process of giving appropriate gifts and receiving them (saying thank you or writing a note).

It is important to include the children in the process of gift giving.  Recently our children participated in providing gifts for children in foster care.  They baked the items, sold their baked good, used the money to purchase age appropriate gifts, wrapped the gifts and helped deliver the gifts.  This provided our children with a sense of community and nurtured their ability to show their care and concern for others.

When giving a gift to your child think about your child’s interests, can this gift help my child grow (interactive) and does this help make quality use of my child’s time?

For younger children, consider gifts that make living in our grown up world easier:  such as, smaller drinking cups, small flatware, a small watering can, low shelves, and child sized hangers, a step stool for the kitchen or bathroom.  To foster creativity and help develop new skills you may look for quality scissors, brushes and art paper.  Books and CD’s make a wonderful gift.  Young children love their names on items – a cooking apron, pencils, a place mat or a washcloth.  Play-doh, rhythm instruments, building blocks, jump ropes all make wonderful gifts for the young child.  You can always find fun items in Montessori Services and Michael Olaf catalogs.

Elementary students (ages 6-12) love to hear about the traditions of our cultures.  Spend time sharing the meaning behind the holidays you are celebrating.  They love being a part of the planning.  These children love to collect things or get very interested in a subject, so this is a great time to give rock collections, aquariums, chemistry sets, modeling clay, art supplies, sports equipment, baking aprons and cookbooks.  Think about their interests and elaborate on ways they can be more involved.   Children love board games like checkers, chess, dominoes, Yahtzee, Scrabble, UNO and marbles.

For additional information there are two articles available in the office entitled Family Celebrations by Patricia Oriti and Real Toys for Real Kids from Kids Talk Newsletter.