Great Gift Ideas For Your Friend’s Kids (And What To Avoid)

You lot know I don’t have kids (unless you count my adorable pug Sonny!), so buying a gift for a child can be a tricky business, especially if you only see them infrequently. Getting the wrong gift for an adult can result in a polite smile and a thank you, but the wrong gift for a child can be a major let down. Buying for your friend might be easy, but their child can be a wholly different scenario. Here are some great tips on gifts to give your friend’s children to ensure you get the right response and ones to avoid at all costs. 

Pajamas

For older children, pajamas are a brilliant gift because there are so many fun varieties out there. Avoid very famous characters unless you know the child likes them, but bright colors and slogans on boys and girls pajamas are fantastic. Toys can be very subjective, but every child needs something warm and comfortable to wear at night. Children will want to make use of their present right away, so buy appropriately for the time of year. Short sleeves and shorts are better for summer months, while heavier long-sleeved fabrics are preferable when the colder weather hits. 

Books from Your Childhood

If you had a favorite series of books or an author you loved in your childhood check if they are still in print. Sharing a book from your childhood is a brilliant way to open up a conversation with the child and get to know them a bit better. You can check in with them as they read and talk about their favorite bits of the story. If reading wasn’t your thing, look for books that have characters the child can see themselves in. Being able to identify with a character will encourage the child to keep reading and imagine themselves into the excitement of the story. 

Colouring In Structures

Coloring-in books is a fantastic way to entertain yourself for a few hours but once they are finished, they are discarded. A coloring-in cardboard house is brilliant because once the coloring-in is finished the child can still have months if not years of fun playing inside the structure. Coloring-in cardboard houses are an excellent choice if the parent is environmentally conscious because the toy can be recycled when the child is finished with it. 

Avoid the Three S’s. 

When buying gifts for a child you don’t know very well there are some things you should always stay away from. 

Sugar

Sugary gifts need to be avoided because some parents will want to limit the child’s intake of sweet treats to protect their teeth and nutrition. If you don’t know the child’s dietary requirements it may be best to avoid food and drink gifts altogether to ensure you don’t accidentally buy them a treat that contains allergens they react to. 

Screens

Avoid buying video games or vouchers for online apps. Parents may have strict guidelines over the amount of screentime the child has. You do not want to cause tension within their household by purchasing a gift that they can only use for short periods each week. 

Socks

Finally, avoid socks. Socks are a gift an adult might love. But few children will be very excited to get a pack of socks.