My daughter, Amelia, had her first birthday last week. We decided to opt out of a large birthday party (we don't have many local friends and our families live at least 1000 miles away) and just have some time dedicated to showering our little one with love. We did scrounge up some gifts that Amelia just loves and I wanted to share those ideas with you. If anything, I wanted to share the basic philosophy of think outside the box. You don't need to spend a lot of money or create a lot of waste to show your love.
Painter's Tape...This is so much fun, and it doesn't leave any sticky stuff behind when you take it off. It is easy to unravel, interesting to touch, and lasts forever. You can find it at the dollar store. I originally purchased this roll for a plane ride as a last minute Hail Mary play, but we didn't need it. Madeline and I found it in a box when we were searching for things to give Amelia. They both loved it. But be aware that it can hurt coming off skin if you do it quickly, and it removes body hair! (Cheap at-home wax kit?)
The little beads on the white ribbon inside the painters tape? That is a necklace her sister made for Amelia. We love necklaces in our house, as you will see later. And those stacking rings on the right? Those things have been floating around our house for a year now. This was not my idea, but Madeline, our toddler, had her mind made up that Amelia would get these for her birthday. I am not supporting the idea that you give kids the toys they already have...but it is a gentle reminder, literally wrapped in a bow, they have awesome things. There is probably a correlation to the age of your child to the success of this working in your favor. The graph would probably look like this:
Moral: Re-gift at your own risk.
Match box cars can be found anywhere, are not costly, and fit perfectly in a toddler's hands. They roll as you crawl from place to place, make neat sounds when you bang them together, and taste delicious. They are a favorite. They do have small pieces and I'm sure contain a warning that states they are not intended for children under the age of 5. The baby is not left alone with these toys, unless they are hidden from our site, and we check the pieces that might break off.
Two words: bead.necklaces. Go to the dollar store, pick up a strand of a dozen beaded necklaces, give the nice cashier at the front your dollar, and celebrate! These are worth hours of entertainment. The first few hours was playing with the tag that held them all together. Then we explored the noises they made on each other and every surface. Then Amelia learned how to put them on---and it helps that her arms can now reach over her head! Currently, they are floating around in every room in our house. I put a clip on some of them to keep them together. Every day or so I will see Amelia with another necklace. I think they may multiply while we are at work.
I have about 5 old cell phones floating around my house from both my husband and I. The kids see us on our phones, so of course they want one of their own. The batteries and anything dangerous has been removed, so it's just the plastic left. This has become a fast favorite.
I hope these images have inspired you to find some everyday or simple objects to use as gifts for your kids. Save that money to buy some good food, put into a college fund, or take a day trip. Spend your time instead...uninterrupted, genuine, one-on-one time with your child.
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