I am always looking for simple birthday gift ideas for the girls’ friends. I love our gifts to have a handmade touch, and I like the gift to be useful and open-ended. We often do theme gifts, and the girls love gathering a few special things to tuck inside a bag or bucket for their friends.
Here’s a few gifts we have put together:
Cozy Reading: a new book, a homemade bookmark, and a pack of hot cocoa mix
Collage Kit: a mixture of collage materials (pom poms, paper cut-outs, buttons, sequins, etc.), plain + glitter glue, and a canvas or shadow box
Memory Maker: disposable camera, mini scrapbook, and a few scrapbooking supplies
Letter Writing Kit: cards, envelopes, stamps, return address labels, and a fun pen or pencil
Scrub-a-Dub-Dub: toothbrush, washcloth, fun soap (store bought or homemade), band aids, comb, new headband, etc.
Doughy Delight: homemade playdough in a couple colors, cookie cutters, and mini rolling pin (include the playdough recipe, too!)
Little Chef: apron (we have made several with the Montessori Child’s apron pattern from Sew Liberated), measuring cups, mixing spoon, and a few simple recipes printed on cards & laminated
Play Date Coupon: make a coupon for a fun activity to do with the birthday child – miniature golfing, going to a movie, picnic and park, zoo, etc.
Green Thumb: terra cotta pot, paints and paintbrush for decorating, a little bag of organic potting mix, and some seeds
We have also had fun gathering a few treasures based on a friend’s favorite color or animal. Also, art supplies are always a winner, as far as I’m concerned!
What are your go-to birthday gifts for kids?
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks so much for sharing this list, I have a nephew that has a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks. This list would be great as a christmas idea list too.
We have sometimes given a children’s cookbook with some of the key ingredients to make some of the recipes–especially ingredients like chocolate chips or marshmallows that aren’t perishable.
Also, some of the chocolate candy molds with the chocolate melting discs to go with them.
Your apron idea would go well with either of those!
Love this list. It is exactly the sort of gifts I like to give, thanks for sharing.
Boy, I needed this list yesterday! We have a party to go to tomorrow and we did a small “play” themed gift – jump rope and oball in a fun bag with a pinwheel for a bow. Could add a bunch of different things under this theme!
Your family gives such heartfelt gifts and I bet you have so much fun in your giving.
We also like to make gifts. Yesterday, we made some personalised stamps we are going to give for a gift. We were inspired by this link:
http://melsownplace.blogspot.com/2009/07/stamps_13.html
and this one too:
http://www.frugalfamilyfunblog.com/2009/07/easy-block-printed-letterhead.html
I will be posting the stamps we made on our blog after the little girl receives them next week – they are coming from Australia and going to the U.S.
Recently, we’ve put togehter a few kits for mums who have just had babies. Actually, the content of our kits are for the older siblings ( most of whom have been between 2 and four years old). In the kit we put together craft activities, puzzles and books for the new big brothers and sisters to explore – especially when mum is feeding. Craft activities include differnt materials for a contact collage. The aim is to provide activities that the older toddlers/children can do without needing too much assistance from a parent.
What fun ideas! So creative, and much better than the cheap toys I usually get for birthdays!
the little creatures that i produce at my website are 100% hand crafted by myself, and shipped a.s.a.p. the little animals and creatures that are soft so babies can handle them and you can keep them forever if you are careful enough with them.
they are great gifts for all ages from 1 to 1000!
For a dear friend, try __ of the month gifts where each month on the date of their birthday they get a small gift. My daughter did socks for a friend and each month her friend received a pair of socks – Halloween socks in October, Bunny socks in April. Lots of fun!
We’ve also done play date gift certificates to go bowling or rollerskating.
Linked to this on my weekly roundup post (last week actually, where does time go?!?) Link is under my name. Thanks!!
I love the idea of putting together a grouping of gifts in a basket, lovely idea!