Gift Guide: For the Kiddos

I said when I started with these gift guides that I would be following the "do what you know" philosophy and posting only ideas on gifts for women.  But by popular request (i.e. request of my bff), I bring you a gift guide for kiddos!


My first piece of advice about giving gifts to kids is to ask their parents what they want or need.  In my case, most of the kids I know are children of my friends.  These friends are my age or a little older, so they are "young" moms.  There may be things that their kids actually need!  Kids grow very fast.  Unlike us, they need new coats, hats and shoes each winter because the old ones no longer fit properly.  I always like to ask what my kids friends might want or need for birthdays and holidays because I think in some instances, my friends feel more comfortable telling me that the child could use a new pair of shoes for when he grows out of his current ones than they might be telling that same thing to a family or work friend. 


In the case of needing clothes or shoes, here are some of my favorite choices for kids: Target, Old Navy, Stride Rite, Baby Gap/ Gap Kids, Carter's, The Children's Place, Etsy, Zulily (daily deals site), eBay.  Used clothing is great for kids- oftentimes you can find brand new or hardly used clothing or shoes at local consignment sales, garage sales or on eBay. 


But what if you don't feel comfortable asking what a child needs? Or what if a parent doesn't have any gift ideas for you?  Here are my favorite gifts for little kids.

Books
I love Karen Katz books for babies and toddlers.  Learning books of numbers, shapes, and colors are also great! You can always go with a classic like The Runaway Bunny or The Rainbow Fish.  Dr. Seuss books are another fun option.

Puzzles
Puzzles are a big thing right now! Many puzzles even make noises of cars or animals or even saying the "ABCs" out loud. I love puzzles because kids can learn so much from them but have fun too.  

Musical Toys
Kids of all ages LOVE noise and music.  Plus musical toys help babies and toddlers with motor skills.  Win-win.  


As a final note, bath toys like bath markers and pajamas are also great gifts for kids! 


For older kids, I usually try to go with a gift associated with a hobby for them.  For example, my 11 year old cousin is really into hockey, so I might look for a t-shirt from his favorite team.  Money is also always a big hit with "older" kids and you can just give them $20 in a card and they will think they've hit the jackpot!  Etsy is also a great source for unique fan paraphernalia.  I got a kid in my life a Justin Bieber shirt from Etsy that is super unique and age-appropriate.