Picnic Gift Basket
You know what they say... "Life?s a picnic!" So why not give that special person a picnic gift basket? Include a bottle of wine, plates, bowls with lids, wine glasses, a red and white checked picnic blanket, favourite foods or anything they would like at a picnic. *You can wrap the basket in the tablecloth or blankets and tie it up with raffia. Make sure to include a card that says, "Life?s a picnic!"
Unique Birthday Gift
For a unique birthday gift, consider giving an older child a set of lessons in some skill they'd like to learn. You can probably find affordable lessons through your city's recreation department for a wide variety of topics. Dance classes, arts and crafts, music classes--even cooking classes for older kids--can all be fun. *Check with the parents to make sure the class is okay with them before mentioning it to the child. For an extra special gift, consider offering to drive the child to and from the class if possible so as not to burden the parents.
Interesting Stationery
Looking for a great gift for a young teenaged girl? How about some of those new gel pens and some cool black paper to write on? Or some interesting stationery? The stationery store doesn?t just sell to the business crowd anymore!
Your Birthday
Everyone knows that your birthday is about you but why not share the wealth? Most people these days get so many gifts for their birthdays. If you want to brighten someones day, give them a small gift on YOUR birthday. This would especially be appreciated in a nursing home. And it will make you feel great too!
Unique Gift Baskets
For an interesting gift, why not put together a basket of small items the adult would enjoy? If he?s a fishing enthusiast, throw in some lures, some line, and some snacks for a day of fishing. If she likes to sew, throw in different threads, squares of fabric, and some interesting patterns. If the gift is for someone you don?t know very well, throw in some neutral items like candles, bubble bath, specialty cheeses or wine. Tie an interesting bow on top, and voila! You?ve just created a unique and useful gift without spending too much money!
Keep Safety and Age in Mind
Many times parents and friends get excited about sharing new toys and experiences with toddlers! This is great, except that many people forget that toddlers aren?t always as advanced as we?d like. *When buying toys keep safety and age in mind. Don?t buy anything with parts that are too small or that are too advanced for the child.
Birthday Gifts and Responsibilities
In addition to birthday gifts, consider giving your child an extra privilege and an extra responsibility each birthday. Aside from the usual material birthday gifts, the addition of a special privilege to be granted on each birthday adds to the momentous occasion. From crossing streets to wearing certain kinds of makeup, this is a tradition that can continue from early childhood on through the teen years. Giving the birthday child an extra responsibility acknowledges their maturity on a different level. The child may complain but learning how to do things and being responsible for certain tasks leads to improved confidence and acknowledges their growth.
Birthday Gift Ideas
When selecting a birthday gift, ideas abound! For children, popular board games or videos or music are perennial favorites. If the child has hobbies or a collection, selecting something particular to their interests is fun. If you don't know about any specific hobbies, your child will probably have some good ideas about what they would like to receive. For older children, gifts can get trickier. Gift cards for online music, scrap booking supplies or some other hobby, or movie tickets are usually welcome. It can be difficult to select specific records or videos unless you know what they do and do not have already. For fun, you can always disguise the gift card by wrapping it in a box so the birthday person still gets the fun of opening a surprise.
Birthday Gift Basket Collections
A birthday gift basket can be as fun to build as it is to receive! Dinner in a basket is a nice theme for many different ages, be it a college student or an elderly person living alone. A small collection of fun special jams and jellies along with some bagels works well too. Sausage, cheese, crackers, and fruit make a complete picnic lunch. If you don't want to go the food route, think of entertainment. Movie tickets and a gift certificate for babysitting will be a welcome treat for many young parents. Gardeners will have fun with a new set of pruning shears or trowel, nice gloves, and some new seeds. The car enthusiast always enjoys a car washing birthday gift basket. Scrapbookers are sure to enjoy some new pages, decorative shears, stamps, and decorations.
Gag Gifts
"Ask everyone bring at least one small gag gift - will create enjoyment/entertainment for the guests and even some embarrassment to the guest of honor. (Keep this in mind when deciding on whether or not to invite children.)"
Keep Them Simple
Toddlers don?t need fancy toys or elaborate gifts! Keep them simple, and keep the child?s safety and age in mind.
Gift Wrap
Rather than using gift wrap, a great alternative is a re-usable gift bag. It saves the environment, it saves money, you can use it for any size or shape of gift and you don?t have to worry about a bad wrap job. Many dollar stores sell the bags for less than a dollar and they usually have a decent selection.
Birthday Gift Basket
Looking for birthday gift tips? A fun birthday gift basket can be designed for any age: For the younger child, you could include bath toys, fun soaps and similar items. For almost any age, a gift certificate for movie rentals, a bag of popcorn plus other snacks will be popular. A birthday gift basket for a college student might include special toiletries or snack food items that are dorm-friendly. If the student is living off-campus, some friendly meals are often a welcome gift. Cook up some of their favorite dinners and freeze them for later use.
Gift Chest
Rather than panicking for what to buy somebody a day or two before their birthday, I find it helpful to have a "gift chest". Throughout the year when I see something that a person might like, I buy it and put it in a box until the day arrives. *One can also buy "generic" type gifts, like wine, a picture frame, etc. and keep them for unexpected occasions that require a gift.