Gifts For Kids

Whenever we pull out the digital camera, which happens quite often, Ron comes running along shouting “I want to take some pictures too!”

He loves taking pictures, there’s no doubt about it. Some of them turn out quite nice even, and others are just funny pictures of what the world looks like from the viewpoint of a six years old. The only problem is that our camera is really Ron grandmother’s camera, on loan from her (she only needs it for her trips abroad). It’s an expensive one, that cost her over $500 last year. When she found out Rom was using it, she didn’t like it too much. She did admire her grandson’s photographs, but also asked us very specifically to keep this expensive piece of equipment out of his reach.

So, we’re looking into getting Ron his very own digital camera now. We’re looking for something simple and cheap, and were thinking of getting him a second-hand old camera from someone who doesn’t need it. I figured it’s well worth a post on the blog, as I know he’ll be absolutely thrilled with getting one of his own and figured digital cameras are a great gift idea for kids his age.

So… over to Amazon.com I went and ran a search for toy digital cameras. Oh my, they have some nice ones over there! a big collection of toy digital cameras for boys and girls. At $20-$50 a piece, they come in a wide range of designs, which will make the kids thrilled and the parents not too desperate should the camera be shattered. Their photographic capabilities aren’t too sophisticated, but they’re perfectly sufficient for displaying a child’s masterpiece on the computer screen at 640 by 480 pixels.

Take the Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera featured in the picture on this page. Click to get the full specs, but more importantly, watch the video there that shows you just how durable this little gadget is. If I had to order a camera right now for Ron, that would be it, for sure.

Check out some of the most popular models of digital cameras for kids right here

I think this gift idea is mainly for boys. Before I had kids of my own, I never thought I’d be saying that. I still argue that boys and girls should be given a selection of toys, not based on their gender, but I have come to realize, that at least in my family and among our friends, there is a definite gender issue when it comes to the toys that the kids themselves choose to play with.

My boys hardly ever play with dolls, for example. We did get them dolls, but they ended up being dismantled soon enough. With them it’s trucks, super heroes and now weapons too, sigh. Not guns yet, actually. I’m not sure if it’s a chivalrous streak in them, or just admiring the Power Rangers, but they’re all into swords. And as my 4 yo explained to me, with swords, they need to be long ones!

So, this post is dedicated to long toy swords, and boy is there a huge selection anymore! Many of these toys are proper gadgets with lights and sensors and special effects. Any of these is bound to be a hit with young boys -

Magical Jack Sparrow Sword with Sensors

Too cool this one! It’s a set of a long sword and a ring. As long as your kid wears the ring, the sword recognizes him (or her) as Jack Sparrow and issues a vocal welcome message. No ring on finger? The sword will be concerned and say as much!

Light Up Pirate Sword With Sound

Another cool sword that makes slashing sounds when you press the button. Jack Sparrow sure did make pirate swords popular!

Darth Vader FX Lightsaber
Enough of pirates, time for a classic saber sword! Admittedly, kids today may not even know who Darth Vader is, but this saber sword with it’s durable plastic blade and amazing sound effects is bound to become a favorite with just about any kid. It has a motion sensor, so the buzzing sounds are pretty realistic and go along with the sword movement. If you don’t want to be on the Dark Side, there’s also the Anakin Skywalker Lightsaber

Note - as a mom I can tell you that sword play should ALWAYS be supervised. These are toy swords, yes, but they can still cause quite a bit of pain. Kids must be guided about proper use, and about never hitting people with their toy swords.

Isn’t it amazing how these huge prehistoric lizards have become so popular with our children? My kids, aged 4 and 6, can spend hours browsing through illustrated books about Dino’s, or playing with their miniature dinosaur toys. They absolutely adore them. They can’t tell the different breeds apart just yet, but they do know a T-Rex when they see one!

Why do kids love dinosaurs so much? I suspect it’s because these animals are so big and powerful, they get into the same league as Super Heroes. After all, who can beat a T-Rex? The fact that these animals actually existed, for real, once upon a time, adds to the excitement. And I suspect that the fact that they are no extinct and pose no real danger in their world makes the children more enthusiastic about these creatures.

An interest in dinosaurs is something that many parents support. After all, it is Science! Kids can indeed learn so much from this hobby, about zoology, ecology, history and so on. A great way to encourage your kids to learn more about dinosaurs, or just to make them happy, is by incorporating them into the kids’ room décor. It doesn’t have to be a total makeover either. Here are a few items that I found on Amazon that can help introduce the Dinosaur theme into a child’s bedroom, without being too overwhelming. These make excellent gifts for kids and will make their parents happy too –

Dinosaur Wall Stickers

This set includes 4 sets of jumbo wall stickers - a total of 16 stickers. They’re easy to use - peel and stick - and can be washed with soap and water. The whole family can have fun decorating the kids’ room with some awesome huge Dino’s!
Click to get the Dinosaur Wall Stickers Set on Amazon

Dinosaur Night Lights

Dinosarus make a perfect theme for night lights for the children. Who better to guard you during the night? There are several options for Dino themed night lights on Amazon, but these three I really liked (click on any of them to get to their page) -

Dinosaur Quilt

I absolutely adore quilts, so this is one item I would love to have as a gift for my kids room And I know they would love getting one as well (you should have seen them when they got a set of Spiderman sheets!) Click on the image if you wanna see more about it.

In my post about unique stuffed animals toys I did mention one particular brand name - Webkinz. So, what’s so special about these stuffed animals toys? In a stroke of genius, the manufacturers, a company by the name of Ganz, came up with a way to bring them to life - online!

When you purchase a webkinz toy, it comes with its own unique 8 character code. That code lets you log into the Webkinz website and create a virtual “live” pet in the form of the toy that you bought. Once inside the virtual Webkinz world, you need to look after your virtual pet and buy stuff for it, using their own special KinzCash “money”. Getting that game money is a fun challenge in its own right, involving games and tasks presented to you on the site. Trust me, it can be very addictive! It gets even more complicated with various items available for you to purchase in real life, for which you are rewarded in the virtual world.

Did I say addictive already? That’s the main drawback of Webkinz. I highly suggest talking to the parents first, before gifting a child with a Webkinz toy. Granted, not everyone gets addicted, but most do, and parents need to be aware of that particular risk.

First and foremost, Webkinz are stuffed animals. It is possible to enjoy them just for that as well, without bringing their online character to life. These are high quality products, and come highly recommended by this fan of stuffed animals toys.

These are the most popular Webkinz at Amazon.com at the time of posting this. There is a huge selection though, and prices vary from one toy to another, so browse the main Webkinz page to see it all:

Webkinz by Amazon

I am often amazed at how addicted my boys can get to something they see on television. They don’t mind seeing the same shows over and over again, and new episodes are a cause for celebration. On Ron’s birthday, the most frequently used of all the gifts were the DVD’s featuring his favorite television shows.

Here are the most popular choices on Amazon.com. I picked these up from their list of TV best-sellers in the family category. It took a while finding the ones that are actually for kids, and younger kids at that, not teenagers, but here are the results - great gifts for any kid of the right age -

1. The Smurfs - Season One, Vol. One

It was great to see this classic so high up on the charts! I loved the Smurfs as a kid, and my kids love them today, so truly a classic.

2. Justice League - The New Frontier (Two-Disc Special Edition)

There is no doubt in my mind that for my two boys, this one should be in #1. They absolutely love watching anything related to super-heroes, so the Justice League is just the best thing ever for them.

3. Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition)

Another classic of the 70’s and 80’s. A great way to have kids learn something while staring at the screen!

4. Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume One

5. Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Two

Well, not much else to say about Looney Tunes - a classic for the entire family, as they say. Personally, I stay out of the room when they play that DVD, but my Dad loves them, so the kids get to watch them with Grandpa!