Gifts an integral part of childhood and they play a very important role in a child’s life. The gifts you buy your child need not be expensive but should be a possession your child enjoys using, feels proud to show around and helps bring positive development in your child physically and mentally.
Here is a list of the top 10 responses from parents on the best gifts they gave their child. Our list might help solve your dilemma the next time around on your child’s birthday:
1. I gave my child a book on origami and got her origami paper too. She is delighted by all the animals and birds she can make out of it. It is creative and intelligent – Ankita A Talwar.
Positives: Origami is known to develop fine motor movements, hand-eye co-ordination, symmetry, attention to detail to name a few. With small children, it will require adult supervision but older ones can remain engrossed for hours.
2. My 12-year-old always wanted to learn dancing but we belong to a conservative family. I convinced my in-laws to allow her. As a gift I got her enrolled in a dance class and she is very happy- Prince Gupta
Positives: Dancing helps boost self confidence, teaches self control via the movements, and improves memory by learning the sequences.
3. I got my 10-year-son a small camera. It is not expensive. But he never leaves it alone and spends a lot of time clicking pictures outdoors with it. – Gaurav Kandpal
Positives: A camera helps one capture memories in forms of photographs, encourages presentation skills, allows your child to display their potential through creativity. It also develops child’s interest in the environment and people around him.
4. I gave my 5-year-old daughter a gold fish. She loves her pet. Though I have to take care of it most of the time, she is learning to take care of it and nurture it. – Meenu
Positives: Looking after a pet teaches a child to be responsible, they learn to associate and nurture another creature; children with pets display improved impulse control, social skills and self-esteem. But be prepared to take care of the pet as much. Children can be forgetful about feeding and cleaning schedules.
5. My 8-year-old son loves baking. I got him a silicone baking set with moulds and icing equipment. I supervise him when he is baking but he loves it. - Ravia Ranjanava
Positives: Baking will help develop your child’s motor skills, learning how properties change, improves creativity and imagination. It can also be a positive boost to his talent and boost self confidence.
6. When my daughter turned 3, we got her a set of story books. We read the stories together every day and she loved them. Now they are like her prized possessions and no one is supposed to touch them without her consent! – Anurima
Positives: Improves communication skills, boosts imagination, enhances concentration and creates a strong bond with the parent when read to.
7. I gave a life sized teddy bear (soft toy) for my daughter when she was 2 years old. Now she is 7 and loves the teddy dearly. She has been hugging it to sleep for 5 years now and it has become her best companion. – Sujata
Positives: A cuddle or a comfort toy gives comfort and security to the child. Having a conversation with the toy can help a child deal with difficult emotions. Stuffed toys also boost imagination and help child related to other people in her life.
8. My 8 year old daughter loves making things. She draws birthday cards for her friends, tries making gifts like bracelets, hair bands and other accessories for friends and family. So I try to buy her little DIY packs with glitter, glue, stickers, colours and the like. She keeps them with care and makes wonderful little gifts with those. I think I have a budding designer at home! – Padma.
Positives: DIY (Do It Yourself) projects improve creativity, imagination, boost confidence and provide the child with a sense of independence. They also keep the child busy for a long time and children learn to become self-occupied and not television addicts. But do take care of small parts and things like superglue and scissors around a small child.
9. I gave my son a guitar on his 11th birthday. He had no lessons but learnt playing it on his own. He is now 13 and is quite an expert. Listening to him play makes us very proud- Prakash.
Positives: The benefits of playing an instrument are numerous. Its helps improve concentration, teaches perseverance, enhances coordination, boosts team skills and teaches organisation skills. It also directs energy in a positive direction.
10. Looking at how my daughter loved listening to music, we got her an iPod shuffle about a couple of years back. She is now 14 and has been listening to the iPod regularly. She takes care of it, asks us before downloading songs on it, respects rules and does not listen when she has to study or do other tasks and finally, she has never asked for it to be replaced by new and more advanced gadgets such as the iPod touch or even an iPhone. We are so proud of her!- Ruby
Positives: Listening to appropriate music develops a child listening skills, stimulates the brain, increases attention span and relieves stress.
Sometimes a gift may not be a tangible object; it could well be an investment of your time with your child such as a going on a holiday as a family. What matters are the positive experiences and the memories your child creates with the precious gift given by you.
Please share your experiences on the most precious gift you think you gave your child.
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