New Year is just around the corner and children have already sent their letters to the North Pole. Every year, kids around the world enjoy listening and reading the stories about Santa and looking forward to presents in Christmas stockings and under the Christmas tree. In the meanwhile, parents are struggling to successfully play the role of Santa Clause. Holiday shopping for kids has never been easy because there are so many things to think of. You have to provide a sufficient budget for holiday shopping, buy age-appropriate toys, and try to teach your little ones to be grateful and modest. Therefore, we at Baby Swag made a guide to 2020 holiday shopping for kids which will, hopefully, help you choose the perfect presents, and most importantly, it will make sure your kids have that look of joy and excitement when they open their Christmas gifts.
First of all, there is no need to buy expensive toys for your children
Christmas is that time of the year when you have the opportunity to teach your kids one of the most important things and that is to treasure every single toy they receive, no matter how much they cost. Some kids may not fully understand the value of the toys and they tend to crave bigger and more expensive things every year. However, parents shouldn't spend a small fortune on a toy that will be forgotten after five minutes of play. Instead, choose simple, high-quality, and useful Christmas gifts that will help your kids learn through play. Besides, if you always give expensive gifts, your kids will have high expectations, and won't be satisfied with anything less. Thus, try to wrap some simple gift, like trendy gloves or hat, and give these as a present. This way you will teach them to be grateful and modest and to be happy with what they have.
Try not to overbuy when you go holiday shopping for kids
Christmas fever is already all around us. Stores are full of toys and parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives searching for perfect dolls, balls, and other toys that kids love. Driven by the shopping euphoria, adults tend to buy too many gifts for little ones. Of course, kids will be more than happy and excited to see a pile of presents under the Christmas tree. However, when there are too many presents, kids don’t focus on the present they just opened. Instead, they just jump on the next present, and the next, without enjoying and appreciating what they got. Instead, try to give them no more than two special and perfect gifts. If you still want to give them more than two presents, spread out the opening of the gifts over a few days.
Choose age-appropriate toys
Of course, you can shop for quality toddler clothes as a present, and that is a great present they always need, but we can all agree that children do not find clothes fun. Therefore, you should search for a perfect toy for your little bundle of joy. When you are deciding which toy to buy, pay attention to choose the toy that is right for your kid's stage of development. Children enjoy toy they can master, so here are some suggestions:
- Newborns – brightly colored toys attached to the crib that rotates above the baby, rattles or interactive play rugs
- One-year-olds – push/pull toys, musical instruments, balls, blocks
- Two - three-year-olds – large Legos or wooden blocks, puzzles, kitchen playsets, books
- Three – five-year-olds – books, bike, board games, drawing and playing sets
Keep safety in mind when choosing a toy
It is a common thought that expensive and well-known toy brands are a guarantee that the toys are safe for the kids to play. However, you shouldn’t rely on that. Instead, you should check the toy safety by yourself. If you have a baby who is at the stage of putting everything in its mouth, the toys you pick must not contain any small parts that can cause choking hazards. If a toy has small parts, like eyes or buttons, they must be firmly attached to the toy. Also, make sure that the toys have no sharp edges or points that can injure your kids. Be aware that the toy should be made of non-toxic materials. The safest toys are made of natural materials, such as wooden toys, that are very popular over the past few years. These kinds of toys are especially suitable for smaller children and they can't break easily.
