Newsgroups: misc.kids
From: sandra@csri.toronto.edu (sandra smith)
Subject: Re: Present for 4 year old?
Date: 12 Aug 92 13:16:48 GMT

I wrote:

>Here's a question for all you parents of 4+ year olds.  I need some
>ideas for a birthday present for my 4 year old niece.  I'm afraid I used
>up all my great ideas when my 16 year old niece was growing up.  
>Money is really no object - my daughter is the beneficiary of this family's
>generosity (and the fact that they have 2 girls, 2 1/2 and 4, who conveniently
>grow out of cribs, clothes, etc. :-))

>Thanks for any suggestions.

>--sandra

Thanks to all the misc.kids readers who responded to my question with many 
great suggestions.  I've kept a list if anyone is interested.  I'm including
a reply that I received from Susanne Gilliam, with her permission, because
I think that her ideas are wonderful, and appropriate for all ages.

(And I haven't gone shopping yet.)

--sandra


>  The ideas that spring to my mind are slightly more time intensive than
>"money intensive", but perhaps they will give you some ideas.  I've got
>a 5 year old son, a 2 year old daughter, and 11 neices and nephews between
>3 and 15, so I've had a few gift buying trips myself!
>  My favorites are "collections" of things.  For example, my son, and
>increasingly my daughter love to play "office".  So, an "office" collection
>might include paper clips, some index cards, a clip board, a few rubber
>stamps (the self inking ones are best, and they don't have to have anything
>to do with real office work), a couple of pens or pencils, a hole punch,
>an eraser, etc, etc.  I just stand around in a stationary store and pick
>stuff out until I run out of money.  A simple collection can also be
>put together in a grocery store or larger drug store (with 2 kids and a
>full time job and a spouse that travels a lot, I don't always have time
>to trot down to the stationary store!)
>  A "crafts" collection would include colored construction paper, maybe a
>glue stick and/or paste and/or glue, some colorful stickers (don't look
>in toy stores for stickers, look in stationary stores/aisles; my kids
>love even just the round stickers that are often used as price tags; they
>come in colors and you get far more for your money), some pipe cleaners,
>some glitter (or glitter pens, which are neater), a package of feathers
>if you can find them, some paper lace doilies (look in with paper plates
>at the grocery store), some washable markers or crayons or colored 
>pencils, some white paper, maybe some tracing paper (my kids are facinated
>by this, and I remember being the same as a child; not sure why).  I often
>include a book of craft ideas with this "kit", but not always.
>  Another, slightly higher effort, but lots of fun idea is to collect
>"dress up stuff".  This does for girls or boys, and mainly involves going
>to a 2nd hand store or garage sales or whatever.  If the parents or child
>seem very "sterotyped" in the sort of games the child plays, then you can
>stick with a variety of hats, ties, mens shoes, a belt etc for a boy,
>and the purses, shoes, hats, scarves, etc for girls (womans slips and
>camisoles make lovely dress up stuff for kids because they are often the
>kind of soft, silky fabric that kids equate with kings/queens/princesses).
>With a more flexible mindset, you can put together a varied collection
>that lets either a boy or a girl play a wide variety of roles (I'm happy
>to say that my 5 year old son is still as likely to pull out a "girl" thing
>as a "boy" thing, and often fights his sister for use of the necklaces).
>Any kind of an official looking badge, pin, medal, etc is likely to be
>a big hit.  Costume jewlery is often available at the same places too,
>and is often very popular.
>  If the parents have some time, and are "involved" enough not to resent it,
>you can do a "cooking collection", even for a 4 year old.  I get a child
>sized apron, a book of recipies for kids, and ingredients for some of them.
>I sometimes also include an appropriate pan, or measuring spoon/cups, or
>other kitchen equipment if it seems "right" (my son owns his own French
>wisk because ours was too big for him, and I found a really nice small
>one).
>  A "garden collection" is also only for those who's parents are willing
>to undertake the effort, but would include a book on gardening with kids,
>some of the nicer kid's garden tools, kid sized gloves (there is a 
>really nice set available in the "HearthSong" catalog, and I've since 
>seen them for sale in several stores near me), and some seeds.  One
>fairly easy-on-everyone idea for those with enough property is the 
>"sprinkle cans" of seeds, mostly flowers, that can be purchased.  They
>have seeds, fertilizer, etc all mixed together, and basically all you
>do is to loosen the soil, rake out the big lumps, and sprinkle the stuff
>on the surface of the soil.  You then get a glorious garden.  We've
>done this 3 years in a row in a fairly small area in front of our house.
>It is very successful, and very low effort.
>  A "tool box" is great, in my opinion, for girls or boys, and my kids both
>love theirs.  The younger the child, the simplier the collection, but
>I buy the real thing.  By 2, both my kids were ok with screwdrivers (if
>supervised "lightly").  Wrenches are safe even before that, unless the
>child is apt to bop another kid with one.  My kids have box ends, open
>ends, and adjustable wrenches in their collections.  A handful of misc 
>nuts and bolts, and anything else lying around that looks "hardware-ish",
>and something to keep the collection in makes a terrific gift, and if
>they can keep track of them long enough, can actually form the basis
>for the tools nobody should be without.  My son didn't get a real hammer
>until he was 5, but that was the last of the major tools.  He is now
>at the age where he will enthusiastically take anything apart, regardless
>of whether you want him to or not!  We have never had problems with the
>tools being used inappropriately; I'm not sure why.  However, this
>"collection" received more play than any other single type of toy in our
>house.
>  I could go on and on, but you no doubt got the idea long ago!  You can
>tailor these gifts both to the interests of the child and your budget
>for time and money.  Because they involve a lot of different pieces, they
>can be put to lots of different uses.  All of them require imagination,
>and none require batteries, both of which I think are plusses!
>  Have a great time.  I love to put together these kinds of gifts.
> 
>					Susanne Gilliam
Newsgroups: misc.kids