A Book and a Toy: Gifting for kids

I love to give books as gifts: Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions. I realise not everyone loves books as much as I do, and sometimes I have worried that the receiver has not always been as excited to receive as I have been to give a particular book. When I catch myself thinking this I remember that I give gifts to show my love – not to tick a box, and that I’m not in control of how others feel. If I feel good giving a book then that’s what will motivate me to continue to give and show love.

I’m lucky to be part of a large extended family, and while I rarely buy gifts for the adults now (it became too much mental load), I still have 16 nieces and nephews. Along with friends’ birthday parties that my 4 children go to, in a year I get lots of opportunities to buy and gift for children.

A few years ago, in an effort to simplify and plan I started a ‘birthday box’ which I’d stock with books, games and toys that had wide appeal to a variety of children. Sometimes I would plan 6 months in advance and buy all the cousin gifts in one big order and have them ready. However, I would occasionally find myself caught out with no time to order online and then have to face the shops to choose something last minute. This drove me crazy. Enter Amazon.

Once we became Amazon Prime members, super quick and free delivery meant I could order gifts the week we needed them. I no longer stored extra gifts and I felt more purposeful.

Many people dislike the goliath that is Amazon, I have concerns too. We try to support events at local bookstores, like author visits and book launches and I don’t limit myself to only purchasing on Amazon. I’m more than happy to support smaller retailers when I can.

Sometimes giving a book only is a little lackluster for a kid as it’s often a gift they can’t access on their own, they need a reader to help them. As time has gone on I have made something of a rule for myself that when I’m buying a gift for a child I try to give a book and a toy, often it’s Lego and a book. This little rule has inspired me to introduce a new section to my blog that pairs books and gifts. Much as adults pair complementary foods, by combining a high-quality book with a matching toy the gift experience is enriched and memorable.

So keep checking in for my carefully curated gift recommendations.