birthday gift ideas 5 year old daughter image
Q. My 5 yr old daughters bday is coming up. Party favor bags are fun, and deemed necessary for proper party ettiquete. However they are expensive, and basically filled with usless crap. I am wondering if there is an alternative? Perhaps something small and with more worth then candy or cheap crappy toys, that is fairly inexpensive that I can give out as a parting gift?
Thanks
Thanks
Answer
I totally agree. I call those goody bags full of cheap plastic junk "bags of crap". We can all do without another bag 'o crap. Most of it I throw away anyway within a day of my kids bringing them home. I have done books as well; trickier with 5's as most of them aren't reading yet, but I've bought boxed sets from the Scholastic book orders the schools send home and given those books out; they end up being about $2 each. I will give a book with a fancy lollipop (hard to describe but it's on a 10" stick with a heart or flower shaped candy piece at the end. That way there's still the candy element but not so much that it's overkill. With 5's you need to assume a parent will read the book; go with something with mass appeal like Strawberry Shortcake. Maybe if you go the book route you can consider those paint with water books.
I've also given out seasonally appropriate t-shirts; one of my daughter's birthday is in May and I have given out patriotic tshirts (in stores for Memorial Day, continue wearing all summer/4th of July.) These shirts are easy to find at Target for $5; a little less at Kohls if you use a coupon. Again I package with a lolipop. I have seen them on kids all summer. Other friends who feel the same way have given out hula hoops, those skip-it things (like a jumprope that attaches to your ankle and has a ball at the end), and a stuffed fairy. There are a lot of perfectly cute toys out there in the $5 range; too cheap to give as a gift but perfect as a "party favor" which is what you are giving instead of a bag of crap.
Five year olds might not "get it" right away as to why they aren't getting a plastic bag filled with yo-yos that don't work, teeny paper pads they don't use, etc. but it's fine to explain you are giving "one nice thing" instead of a bunch of "little stuff your mom just throws out".
I totally agree. I call those goody bags full of cheap plastic junk "bags of crap". We can all do without another bag 'o crap. Most of it I throw away anyway within a day of my kids bringing them home. I have done books as well; trickier with 5's as most of them aren't reading yet, but I've bought boxed sets from the Scholastic book orders the schools send home and given those books out; they end up being about $2 each. I will give a book with a fancy lollipop (hard to describe but it's on a 10" stick with a heart or flower shaped candy piece at the end. That way there's still the candy element but not so much that it's overkill. With 5's you need to assume a parent will read the book; go with something with mass appeal like Strawberry Shortcake. Maybe if you go the book route you can consider those paint with water books.
I've also given out seasonally appropriate t-shirts; one of my daughter's birthday is in May and I have given out patriotic tshirts (in stores for Memorial Day, continue wearing all summer/4th of July.) These shirts are easy to find at Target for $5; a little less at Kohls if you use a coupon. Again I package with a lolipop. I have seen them on kids all summer. Other friends who feel the same way have given out hula hoops, those skip-it things (like a jumprope that attaches to your ankle and has a ball at the end), and a stuffed fairy. There are a lot of perfectly cute toys out there in the $5 range; too cheap to give as a gift but perfect as a "party favor" which is what you are giving instead of a bag of crap.
Five year olds might not "get it" right away as to why they aren't getting a plastic bag filled with yo-yos that don't work, teeny paper pads they don't use, etc. but it's fine to explain you are giving "one nice thing" instead of a bunch of "little stuff your mom just throws out".
What are the best gift ideas for a spoiled 16 year old?
butterflee
My daughter is turning sixteen and for the most part, has everything she wants. So - what do you get that a 16 year old would love and appreciate (AND NOT A CAR)!!!
Answer
I don't know you or your child, but honestly, if you have spent 16 years spoiling your daughter to the point where even her own mother has no trouble calling her "spoiled", then I doubt she will truly appreciate anything you give her, as she has evidently not learned the values of sacrifice, delayed gratification, and working for what one wants.
That said, and since you claim she has all the material possessions she wants, try giving her something I think is far more valuable: a little culture. Purchase memberships for the two of you to your local art museum, science museum, opera company, botanical gardens, theater company, adult education centers, etc. Schedule time for the two of you to attend performances, lectures, hands-on classes, plays, and other events at these institutions. At first, she will balk and pronounce it "lame", but insist she accompany you. I guarantee after the first few times, she'll love the events, and the time you spend together. She will gain knowledge and insight into art, music, history and dance, begin to make larger-world connections to some of the things she studies in school, increase her vocabulary, and become a more well-rounded person. The two of you will talk more, too; you never know when a conversation about a design on a 5th century Chinese vase will lead to a discussion of situations in her life of which you weren't even aware.
Finally, this is a gift you can give her with lasting value. At 35 years old, I can name maybe five of the objects I was given as birthday or Christmas gifts. However, I still remember vividly all the plays, concerts, circuses, museums and art shows my mother took me to as a child. The time I spent with her is part of our bond, and made me the arts lover I am today.
I don't know you or your child, but honestly, if you have spent 16 years spoiling your daughter to the point where even her own mother has no trouble calling her "spoiled", then I doubt she will truly appreciate anything you give her, as she has evidently not learned the values of sacrifice, delayed gratification, and working for what one wants.
That said, and since you claim she has all the material possessions she wants, try giving her something I think is far more valuable: a little culture. Purchase memberships for the two of you to your local art museum, science museum, opera company, botanical gardens, theater company, adult education centers, etc. Schedule time for the two of you to attend performances, lectures, hands-on classes, plays, and other events at these institutions. At first, she will balk and pronounce it "lame", but insist she accompany you. I guarantee after the first few times, she'll love the events, and the time you spend together. She will gain knowledge and insight into art, music, history and dance, begin to make larger-world connections to some of the things she studies in school, increase her vocabulary, and become a more well-rounded person. The two of you will talk more, too; you never know when a conversation about a design on a 5th century Chinese vase will lead to a discussion of situations in her life of which you weren't even aware.
Finally, this is a gift you can give her with lasting value. At 35 years old, I can name maybe five of the objects I was given as birthday or Christmas gifts. However, I still remember vividly all the plays, concerts, circuses, museums and art shows my mother took me to as a child. The time I spent with her is part of our bond, and made me the arts lover I am today.
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