Children are always giving us little things: wild flowers, hand drawn pictures, and rocks. They give us these things because they love us and want us to feel special. Why not return the favor? The ideas on this list will make your children feel appreciated, no matter what their ages. Yes, the all of these ideas even work for teens! Since these are inexpensive presents, you may want to have extras on hand for unexpected visits from nieces and nephews or grandchildren, last minute invitations to birthday parties, unexpected guests for Christmas, or treats for mastering indiviual goals.
As parents and grandparents we spend a lot of time and money trying to please our children. Sometimes, however, we don’t have to spend a lot of money to make our kids happy. The simplest surprises are sometimes the ones they like the best.
1. My Photo Album: One of the easiest and most effective gifts is a little photo album. You can get one anywhere from $1.00 to $5.00 at your local dollar store. They are small, plastic, and colorful and can hold between 5 and 20 pictures. Kids of all ages love these. Fill them with shots from the family vacation, of their pets (past and present), of Mom and Dad when they were kids, of favorite family members they don’t get to see often, or of their best friends. They love to take these to school and show them to all of their friends. Toddlers carry them around the house, naming all the family members.
2. Basket of Gum: Most kids from 4 to 20 love gum. Get out a little basket you've put away in your closet for free or for around a $1.00 buy a small basket at the dollar store, flea market, or garage sale. Fill the basket with different kinds of gum—bubble gum, sugar free gum, sparkly gum, sour gum, etc. Wrap it in wild colored cellophane and put a fun bow on it. You have a magical gift!
3. Creative Key Chain: Again, this is a gift that works from 2 to 20—just be careful of small parts and avoid the lanyard for the 2 year old. As you shop in different stores, flea markets, yard sales, or even in different countries, look for unusual key rings or attachments that could go on key chains. Hook them all together and attach them to a lanyard so they can be carried or worn around the neck. Kids and teens absolutely love these! Small children love all the colors, textures, and shapes. Little children like to pretend they are adults with car and house keys. Big kids actually keep their car and house keys on them. Another advantage is that since the chains are big and individualized, they are harder to lose.