When it comes to picking the Best Gifts For Nieces and Nephews in the modern world, we tend to choose gifts for children that keep them occupied. Electrical gifts or toys are what people tend to opt for. Especially when the whole ‘Look who buys the best gifts for the kid’s attitude’ kicks in.
We tend to think the Best Gifts For Nieces and Nephews are the biggest, the shiniest and the most expensive, but that is an adult attitude. It’s a common theme in the festive period, that the kid opens the new toy car that they can actually drive, and first thing they do, as we all know, is play with the box.
Do you know why that is? Because kids love to imagine, and a car that looks like a Ferrari that cost hundreds of dollars doesn’t float their boat, it floats yours.
I am an uncle and I have more nieces and nephews almost than I can count, I think 26 at the moment. I certainly couldn’t afford to buy fancy pressies for all of them. I like to buy them things that adults would think are rubbish, but the kids absolutely love. So, here’s my guide to picking the Best Gifts For Nieces and Nephews.
My nephew was only 1 year old and while the grandparents competed for the fanciest pressie award, I bought a small football/soccer ball for $5. He played with it endlessly for the whole year while the fancy gifts that cost 5 times as much, were hidden away in the toy cupboard gathering dust.
I have always tried to chose gifts that don’t break the bank but are useful. Here are the Best Gifts For Nieces and Nephews that will leave you certain to win you the super cool aunty or uncle award this year and every year thereafter.
1.Sport and Recreation Gifts
First in the list of the Best Gifts For Nieces and Nephews are sport and recreation gifts. In the bargain bucket in sports stores, you can find loads of great deals at this time of year. Footballs, tennis sets, cricket sets, baseball sets or the always fun and Frisby, all of which encourage them to be active and engaging with each other. I find these are a good place to start for the very young ones. Good healthy fun! What could be better than that?
2. Art and Craft Kits
Second in the list of the Best Gifts For Nieces and Nephews is art and craft kits. Try paints, colouring stuff or craft kits, sewing or knitting for kids. Would you rather see your niece or nephew creating something amazing or staring at a screen? I know which I’d chose.
3. Musical Instruments
Third in the list of the Best Gifts For Nieces and Nephews is musical instruments. I love these gifts. They annoy the parents because they’re noisy, which is clearly your duty as an aunty or uncle. I’ve never seen a parent take the batteries out of a bongo drum to shut it up. Drums, maracas, tambourines or shakers are a good place to start when they’re young. As they get older, ukuleles are great, inexpensive and relatively easy to learn to play. You can get electric keyboards, recorders, tin whistles or harmonicas, for not too much money and these are great too.
4. Dress up Stuff
At 4 on the list of Best Gifts For Nieces and Nephews is dress up stuff. Encourage imagination and interactive play with some dress up stuff. Funny clothes, wigs or hats dark glasses or fake beards. They can make up plays or circuses and act out the stories they dream up. If you’re broke, you can always donate some of your old clothes to the cause. You’ll be amazed by the stuff they come up with.
5. Books
And last on the list of the Best Gifts For Nieces and Nephews is books. Sorry, I have to put this on the list, as I’m a kid’s author that creates engaging and exciting children’s books. Get the imagination working with a little quality and intelligent literature. Whether it’s fact or fiction picture books or graphic novels there’s always a world to be explored in a book. Check out my shop page to peruse the books I’ve written and of course check out Amazon, other online stores and high street book shops, depending on your shopping style.
So when you start to decide on the gift ideas, think imagination, engagement, creation and don’t forget noise! And your niece or nephew could be the next Beckham, Stella McCartney, Rembrandt, Natalie Portman, Mozart or even J.k. Rowling (would have loved to have said Barry S. Brunswick but I’m not quite there yet!) and you will be responsible, at least in part, for the start of the journey.
Happy shopping!
Next week: Don’t miss the fantastic blog, a poem that has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, complete with fun illustrations.
Barry S. Brunswick is an author. You can buy his books on Amazon:
Dreamland Part 1 – The Fabric of Dreams
Dreamland Part 2 – The Masters of Light
The War of The Turnips
Barry Brunswick’s Tall Tales – A Short Story Collection
Inner Outer – A Poetry Collection
