As I go through our Christmas list this year, I’m having a hard time figuring out what to give kids. Of course, we want to give something they’ll appreciate and find useful. Kids will be kids and they see the quantity of the gifts sometimes rather than what the gift is. Let’s be honest, we feel more loved with more gifts on our tree and for us right? Too shallow for us to feel but sometimes we can’t avoid it.

I’m sharing some gifts I find useful and practical to give to kids- may be for your child, relative, friend’s child, or godchildren. These may also not be just for Christmas but also for birthday and other events or occasion.

Magazine subscriptions – Kids can learn from it and even keep it for future reference. They can practice reading and a reason to get time off from gadgets. You can try :

1. K-Zone Magazine (http://www.summitmedia.com.ph/kzone)
2. Disney Magazine (http://www.summitmedia.com.ph/disney)
3. Barbie Magazine (https://www.facebook.com/BarbieMagazinePhilippines)
4. Mustard (http://www.kerinstruments
5. om/shop/product/mustard-magazine/)
6. Disney Princess (http://www.jetspeedmedia.com/disney-princess?search=kids)
7. National Geographic Little Kids (http://www.jetspeedmedia.com/national-geographic-little-kids?search=kids)
8. National Geographic kids (http://www.jetspeedmedia.com/national-geographic-kids?search=kids)
9. Creative Kids (http://www.jetspeedmedia.com/creative-kids?search=kids)
10. Turtle Magazine (http://www.jetspeedmedia.com/turtle—magazine-for-preschool-kids-for-ages-2-5?search=kids)

Event tickets

1. Some events happening here in the Philippines this Christmas click here
2. You may also regularly check this link for kids shows: click here
3. You can also regularly check this: click here

Classes

Watch out for art classes, sports classes, on playing instruments, acting, or whatever you kid wants or is interested in.

You can check here for classes

Musical instruments

Our toddler loves instruments and anything that makes sounds. Giving them play instruments will teach them the basics amd will expose them to music. There are drums, maracas, tambourines, cymbals, harmonicas, guitars, flutes, trumpets, piano, xylophones, and toy microphones available at toy stores.

Build toys

Megablocks, Lego, stackable cups, building blocks, K’Nex, and the like will enhance and improve a child’s creativity and learning.

Books and Activity Books

Books are always lovely gifts. With the proliferation of technology – tablets and phablets- it’s still best to keep kids aware of how wonderful books are. Their imagination, creativity, and vocabulary will grow in more ways than you will expect. A well-read person is similar to a well-travelled person (sometimes the well-read person knows even more stuff). Books will bring you places, let’s you experience many things, and allows you to meet many people who will help you grown and learn.

Fully Booked, National Bookstore, Books for Less, and Book Sale are my best places for books. Don’t forget that smaller kids will enjoy board books so they can’t tear them apart and if they get wet accidentally, you can usually just wipe them off.

Colouring books, dot-to-dot books, sticker books paper doll books, tracing activity books, or maze books are fun things to do with children.

Piggy bank

Start them early and this will teach them the fun way to save. Give them fun coin banks. They come in different shapes.and sizes too. You can buy from department stores and toy stores. Here are some that you can purchase online – click here. Here are some cute and unique ones too – click here.

Watch

There are lots of cute watches for kids. It will very useful for them. Give them analog watches to help learn to master how to read the time. It’s a nice way to teach them the value of time & how to take care of their things. Click on the links below for sample watches. They don’t need to be expensive.

1. Sample wristwatch for kids
2. Sample wristwatch for kids 2
3. Sample wristwatch for kids 3
4. Sample wristwatch for kids 4
5. Sample wristwatch for kids 5
6. Sample wristwatch for kids 6
7. Sample wristwatch for kids 7

Play Tents and Tunnels

Play tents are always a good idea.Every kids loves playing house and going in and out a small space they can say “theirs”. They love going through small spaces too like through tunnels. Check some of them here and here and Here – click here 🙂

Board games

These gifts will serve as learning and family bonding gifts. You may buy from Department stores and toys stores nationwide.
Pretend toys

Pretend toys keep kids dreaming on what they want to be when they grow up and keeps familiar and aware on what people do for a living. There are doctor sets, musical instruments to pretend they’re performers, cooking sets to show them a life of a chef, salon sets with blowers,

Puppets

Pretend play will help kids become more creative. You can find these in toy stores too.

Dolls & Stuffed toys

Dolls and stuffed toys now have became modern too and most have sounds already. Stuffed animals like Leapfrog’s Scout and Violet are very helpful for small kids to learn songs. You can program them to say the name of its owner. You can buy them in toy stores nationwide.

There are more stuffed toys you can give to the kids. These toys are slowly being replaced by gadgets but they should live on and still be toys kids forever.

Give gifts that are meaningful for kids to treasure and love. Take time to give them quality love 🙂