Birthdays mean gifts!! The pleasure of unwrapping a gift is universal! Especially if you are a little child who has been thinking of it as one of the main features of your birthday party!!
So what are appropriate birthday gifts for toddlers? You do not want to give them extremely complicated gifts that might be greatly educational but uninteresting to them. Toddlers have short attention spans and the gifts you can give them should match those attention spans.
Some of the thumb rules of toddler gifts are –
Let them be interesting - A drab toy may not hold the attention of a toddler. They are still not into peer pressure and they are mostly led by what they like visually. Toys that are brightly coloured and of different shapes will interest toddlers greatly. Small cars, push and pull toys and rattles etc are great gifts below the age of 1 year. Bath toys can be interesting and help parents distract them during a bath.
Let them be educational – Yes, we did say that educational toys are not so great. This is if you buy a toy only for being educational. What if you can have a toy that simply helps a child discover himself? Hard-back or cloth books with simple, colorful figures to aid visual development even ad they teach something are great.
Let them be safe – Gist that have very small parts may seem exciting and innovative, but they are unsafe for small kids who might mouth them or stick them in the ear or nose or swallow them by mistake. Make sure the books have rounded edges and are safe to handle. Ensure that all materials used are child friendly and non-toxic. Eco –friendly toys are also available online these days.
Let them be innovative – Innovation comes from the simplest of toys as the child has then to use their own imagination and creativity to play. Toys that encourage thinking and stimulate the mind are great gifts. Blocks and puzzles for instance can be greatly stimulating and can be played with over and over again.
Let them Explore - The more a child can explore the more he learns and grows. The ultimate goal of every parent is to inculcate independence in their child and for this they must explore and discover the world around them and their place in it. Toys that help a child explore the world like activity centres and doll houses are also great gifts for toddlers and pre-schoolers.
Basic toys like balls, bowling sets, bikes, books and puzzles have fascinated children for ages and are always great gift ideas. Other than traditional gifts you could also give gift certificates from online stores so that the parents can decide what is best suited for their child.
Add to these gifts, you can also offer to babysit the child for a short time and enable the parents to take a break or do something on their own for a change. So grab a gift and head to that toddler party with your little one. Have a great time and watch the little ones light up when they see the gift you got them!