Saturday, April 21, 2018

10 Cool Gifts for Kids

A few of the grand kids have birthdays coming up, and as we were discussing what to get them, I had some rather practical suggestions:

  1. Drone.  Drones are cool and drones are useful and I am kind of thinking that being able to use a drone may be a job description in the near future (if you buy an expensive one, make sure it has a GPS locator in it).
  2. Metal detector.  Kids like finding buried treasure and what better way to find things that are really valuable than with a metal detector?
  3. Gear for hunting or fishing or camping.  Having their very own gear will set them on the road to being self sufficient and teach them valuable outdoor skills.
  4. Cool science kits (everything from chemistry kits to crystal growing kits to robot kits).  Creating something amazing from a box of odds and ends can be really fascinating for kids.
  5. STEM summer camp tuition.  Fun science/technology camps can do a lot towards getting--and most importantly keeping--kids interested in these important fields.
  6. Sling shot/bow and arrow/firearm.  Every kid I knew grew up with these things (and no one ever went on a killing spree...go figure).  These items help develop a range of skills such as hand-eye coordination, accuracy, and most important, responsibility (needless to say, parental supervision should be mandatory when kids are using these things).
  7. Tools to help them create things.  Like a sewing machine, woodworking tools, candle making tools, etc.  Again, kids like to create things and having the proper tools encourages them to develop skills they will use into adulthood.
  8. Class tuition.  There are many classes geared towards kids in most communities.  Swimming lessons, life guarding class, intro to kayaking class, first aid class...basically if a kid can learn a useful skill, paying for them to attend the class can make a great gift.
  9. Annual passes.  If your kid has a particular passion, buying them an annual pass--whether for the zoo or the Children's Museum or the state parks--will allow them unlimited entry for an entire year (and often provides additional bonuses only given to annual pass holders).
  10. Sports fees.  Kid's after school and weekend sports (soccer league, football team, swimming team, etc.) can be fairly spendy.  Between uniforms, travel, participation fees et al, parents may have a hard time funding these activities if they have more than a kid or two.  By gifting the cost of these programs you not only keep kids busy and out of trouble but again, they develop skills like teamwork and leadership that they will use for the rest of their lives.
Needless to say, whichever gift you choose for the kids in your life, the most important part of the gift is you being there to help and guide them when they are enjoying these things!

No comments:

Post a Comment