Gifts choice for boys – a challenge or a piece of pie?
Despite some parents believe that it’s enough to buy a toy and their kid is gonna be happy for sure (spoiler: in most cases, a child will get bored with it a week later), gift-giving is a bit more complicated and deeper thing than you might imagine.
According to different surveys, the proportion of presents we give children aren’t actually valued or wanted ranges from 1/5 to 2/3. Psychologists agree that new experiences, emotions, outings are more valued by children both in the moment and for a long time later in their memories.
Look, what psychologist and best-selling author Oliver James says: “It’s all about talking nonsense with your parents, sharing an ice cream and moments of time in which your interests are genuinely taken into account. Family holidays are definitely valued by children, both in the moment and for long afterwards in their memory. So if you’re going to spend money on something, it’s pretty clear which option makes more sense.”
And here is a puzzle:
How to present emotions and experiences? How to turn your happy birthday wishes into a perfect desired pressie for your kid? What to do when you’ve run out of creative ideas of thoughtful B-day gifts?
For parents, who keep asking these questions, we’ve created our top-5 list of non-toy birthday gift ideas for boys. It is focused on personality, emotions, and experiences that stay in memory forever.
1. Personalized Books
The growth of personalized books’ popularity is quite natural: every kid I know absolutely loves stories about their own life. Besides being a very meaningful gift, full of emotions, such books are also a great way to get your boy interested in reading.
There’s a huge choice of personalized books on the market today:
- Hooray Heroes – they make fully customizable stories about special things that happened in your child’s life during the year.
- The magic of my name – stories based on your kid’s name letters.
- My magical numbers – adventure stories that reveal the magic of important numbers of their life like date of birth, the first day of school.
- Wonderbly – they make personalized stories to inspire every chapter of a child’s life.
2. Time Together: Trips & Events
Never skip the opportunity to make cool childhood memories for your boy – and his B-day is the best time.
Plan a family trip, go hiking, on a picnic, buy passes to an amusement park, tickets to the cinema, his favorite band concert, or an event. The main rules are:
- bear your kid’s interests in mind;
- choose an option that gives you one-on-one time.
3. Coupons & Certificates
If you’re ready to grant your son’s wishes during a week or even a month after his actual birthday, consider various coupon books, gift cards, and certificates.
Coupon Book for Kids – you can buy one or download it for free and write some small “naughty” wishes your kid has always wanted to come true. Here is a couple of ideas for DIY coupon books:
- Invite a friend over for a playdate or sleepover
- You can skip chores today
- A sleepover at Aunt’s/Grandma’s house
- Dessert after breakfast — your choice
4. Board Games & Craft Supplies
Kids love new board games only if they have someone to play with. Present not only an expensive gift but also your time – and your boy will be over the moon!
The same rule goes for various craft supplies: step 1 – choose the kit based on your child’s hobbies; step 2 – spend time helping him to handle it.
5. Personalized Gift Box
Wanna make your child extra happy? Arrange a personalized box, based on his interests. If you can’t come up with the “stuffing”, consider buying a box from professionals like Sports Co Box. Their little boxes for fans of Baseball, Softball, Basketball, Hockey are customized for all ages and skill levels.
Invest your time and love into each gift you give to your boy – and it will never matter how much you spend on it.
