Choosing the right gift for a child can be a tricky undertaking, especially as they grow up. Young children are usually happy to receive toys of any kind, but become more discerning as they get older, and want specific items or themes – giving your nephew a baseball mitt when they prefer football, or buying a Batman figure when they are into Spiderman, isn’t going to make you their favorite aunt or uncle! As they become teenagers, it starts to get even more difficult, and unless you are confident you can make a choice with the utmost precision, your gift will be unlikely to make much of an impression. There’s also the question of whether a child with plenty of toys really needs yet more; but are there any alternatives?
Gift vouchers
Adults often seem to think that giving a child a voucher or even just money is a poor choice that shows a lack of effort. However, from a child’s point of view, it’s much better to receive the means to buy exactly what they want rather than having to appear grateful for a gift that they wouldn’t have chosen for themselves. The older they get, the truer this is, and they also get the added excitement of taking a shopping trip or browsing through catalogs or the Internet to select what they want. It’s possible to purchase vouchers for all manner of stores and websites, from specialist suppliers to the broad range of sites such as Amazon. You can even give stocks and shares using a service such as the Stockpile app, enabling the child to have the fun of watching what happens to their investment. If you have an idea of the kind of activities or interests the child engages with, you can pick a themed voucher; or if not, go for a more general option.
Experiences
Rather than adding to a child’s possessions, why not consider the experience day as a gift? This is becoming a highly popular choice with adults, who have found that having a special day doing something they love, or trying a new activity, is far more rewarding than receiving a standard gift. Again, there are numerous choices; just bear in mind it needs to be age appropriate and should be an activity the child will enjoy. Having a broad knowledge of what they like is sufficient in this case – it won’t matter who is their favorite superhero, a visit to Comic Con will thrill them regardless. If you choose to get tickets for a sports game, make sure you find out what team they support, and likewise, if you opt for a live music venue, make sure the acts are to their taste.
With both these options you have the choice of being involved beyond the giving of the gift. You could take the child on a shopping trip to spend their voucher, or show them how to check the performance of their stocks. Or you could accompany them to the event you’ve chosen for their experience gift. Either way, you’re sure to be making their day very special.