Gifts For Kids

If you’re looking for a cool and yet affordable gift for any child aged 2-5, you can never go wrong with a ride-on! For the younger kids, I’d recommend a push ride-on, and for those 4-5 year olds, a self propelled pedal ride-on could be just perfect.

There’s an absolutely amazing selection of ride-ons on the market today, with most of them being under $100 a piece. That’s not a lot, I think, for a huge sized gift that kids are absolutely crazy about. If we’re talking about a family with more than one child aged under six, I would strongly recommend getting two ride-ons!

So, which are my favorite models? As always, Amazon is my destination of choice, with a huge selection of, well, everything, really. They don’t disappoint when it comes to ride-ons either - with hundreds of models available, for all ages. I’m going to do some ride-on reviews over the coming few days, finding the best value ride-ons there for you, for every budget -

The very basic Little Tikes Push & Ride Racer is perfect for younger children aged 1-3. It’s solid and is just the right height for them. Nice and simple design, with basic colors and handles which are easy for those small hands to grasp. The main disadvantage here is that you have to bend over to push it, although if the child is old enough, they should be able to manage a small excursion using their own feet. The original intent with this product is for it to be used as a doll walker, but trust me, and the user images on Amazon, this one will get ridden on! At under $30 at the time of writing this post, this one makes a perfect low-budget gift for any toddler.

Click here to get to the Little Tikes Push & Ride Racer page on Amazon, or to it’s pretty girly version the
Little Tikes Push & Ride Doll Walker - both are the same, apart for the colors, and both are among the bestselling models on Amazon.

By that I mean, gifts that come with their own storage space.

Welcome to one of my personal pet peeves as a mom: gifts that include a zillion pieces, yet come without a proper storage box. All of these see-through nylon bags, or nets, that hold colorful pieces of, usually, plastic. The wrap is ripped apart and thrown away, and within days, if not hours, the pieces are scattered all over. And when we pick them up, where do they go to?

At first, they go to the general toy box, but it doesn’t take long for them to get mixed up with other sets. In other words, they get lost. The pieces are all there, hopefully, but they’re not accessible anymore for a proper play session with the entire set.

That’s why I try and make a point of buying toys and games that come in a proper box. That way, when playtime is over, everything is neatly stored into one small box, to be pulled out at a later date and enjoyed as a full set.

The Green Angle

Yes, this post actually has a green angle too! See, when you take care of these sets, by way of proper storage, you can make the most of them for longer. With the “scattered sets”, every once in a while, we just go through the toys box and throw away all of the orphaned pieces - not a green end to quite a lot of plastic and wood.

A short post today to recommend a nice blog that I recently found. This shopping blog is a great resource for coupons, special deals and freebies. Covering more than gifts for kids - you can find some useful coupons and deals for pretty much anything, following the links provided by Julie.

Check it out here: Frugal Shopping with Julie

My two boys aren’t exactly fashion fanatics. I consider it a blessing, myself, not having to deal with “what do I wear today” issues. I’ve been told that girls can be very different when it comes to fashion statements and all I can say to that is “Whew!”

For some reason or other though, my boys most definitely pay attention to their footwear. Their absolutely favorites are their Crocs - what else but Spiderman and Batman Crocs?

If you’re looking for a really cool gift, that would make any kid happy, get them a pair of Crocs. I would advise discussing this with their parents first, to try and get a feel of their favorite cartoon characters, and of course to check for shoe sizes!

With such a huge selection, shopping for Crocs online is actually a lot of fun. Try this page on Amazon to see which the most popular Crocs for kids models are:

Crocs for Kids at Amazon

Right now, as I write this post, the most popular model for girls is a bright pink pair featuring Dora the Explorer. For the boys, Bob the Builder on a many black shoe seems to be “it”. Don’t go for what’s popular though - check with the parents and see which pair of Crocs will be the best for the kid you’re shopping for.

The Green Angle

Deciding just how “green” Crocs are can be a challenge. After some online research, here’s what I found -

While Crocs are not made from recycled plastic, they are recyclable (although you should check with local authorities - as some places limit the type of plastic they can recycle). In fact, they’re easier to recycle than regular shoes (which are made from mixed materials). What’s more, being so durable, these shoes are perfect for donations. Either wash them and give to a local charity, or check the Soles Unite website for ways to donate your Crocs to other countries.

Crocs are made in China, so if you’re in the US or Europe, there is a carbon footprint to be considered. That said, many types of shoes are manufactured in China, especially sports shoes, so I’m not sure that skipping Crocs in favor of another shoe is a “green” move. Actually, with Crocs being so lightweight, their carbon footprint is likely to be significantly smaller compared to heavier shoes made in China.

All in all, I feel that as long as you’re conscious of the recycling issue, Crocs are just as green, if not greener, than most shoes worn by kids.

After the last post, with its high-tech Lego kits, I thought it would be appropriate to address the younger kids’ building experiences. I mean, if you’re looking for a gift for a toddler, or just above, then you could even go for something simpler than Lego blocks.

In fact, the most popular blocks sets sold on Amazon is this delightful set by Melissa and Doug -

Click to View the Full Product Page

With the high standard of all Melissa and Doug’s products, and the natural wood gorgeous blocks, this one is a sure winner with children and parents a link. The attractive box makes sure the blocks have a good storage box, uncluttered and appealing.

As for the benefits of this wonderful game, allow me to quote from Amazon’s description -

Wooden blocks have been around for centuries and make an excellent tool to teach basic math concepts, organizational skills, sequential skills, and spatial relations. It is no surprise that blocks are found in almost every pre-school and kindergarten classroom. Youngsters become the architect of their own world as they fit pieces together to form their vision. This open-ended play set stimulates creativity and hones basic motor skills.

The Green Angle

I don’t know much about the origins of the product, and where the wood it’s made of comes from. However, this being wood, it certainly has a green feel to it - it is definitely degradable and thus less contaminating to the planet. More importantly, these sturdy classic blocks aren’t likely to be thrown away too soon. This is almost a family heirloom, a classic that will last for more than one generation.