Questions to ask when present shopping for children

Buying for kids can be a real stress. Will they like it? What’s the lastest trend? Will their parents thank me? Here are our top-tips for buying the perfect present for children.

1. How much will this get used?

Is this a will-be-excited-for-five-minutes job or is this a gift that keeps on giving? The ideal children’s gift is one that they will come back to time after time after time. That’s not to say the can-only-do-once gifts aren’t welcome - a craft set or a make your own… may be just what parents would love to have ready for a rainy afternoon to fill a few hours. But some toys have that revisit-ability.

2. Is this something that will hold their interest for longer than a month?

We so often fall into the trap of buying a correctly ‘aged’ gift that once given, the child in question grows out of before the next birthday/Christmas. It’s worth asking yourself about the pitch of the gift (especially with very young children). You don’t want to over-pitch it and give a gift that they cannot play with at all. But equally, you don’t want to ‘baby’ a child. If in doubt, ask the parents! They may be more than happy for their nearly-two-year-old to play with 3+ puzzles.

3. What will happen to this present next?

The eco question, if you will. It’s always worth thinking about where your gift is going to go next. Once you’ve bought it, lovingly wrapped and given it, what next? Is this a sentimental, keep-forever-in-a-memory-box type gift? Or is a ‘use it till it falls apart’ gift? Or is a ‘use it on rotation for a few months then landfill? Or charity shop? Or passed on to another owner? Look at what the present is made of and what its lifespan will be. Wooden toys are always a hit and tend to have a longer life-span that an all-plastic, all-singing all-dancing plastic thing. But that doesn’t make them the right choice every time. Your gift-receiver may be someone who looks carefully after their gift and then repurposes them. It’s worth bearing in mind where it will be next.

4. Is this gift worth the money?

A great question when buying for teens! It’s boring but often teenagers want money! If you want to buy them a gift, check if it’s worth it. If it’s not (and this is strange advice from a gift-list site!) give them cash!

5. Ask the parents!

Perhaps the child already has a carefully crafted Wishable list for you to navigate and use. Either way, the parents know the child’s hobbies, past-times, interests, things that will grab their attention. If you’re planning to drop a lot of money on a gift for a child, check with the parents first. Is it a gift they know no one else is getting? Is it something that will hold the interest of the child? Is it similar to something they already have? Trust me, the parents are almost as excited about the children’s gifts as the children are!