The Ultimate Kid's Gift Buying Guide

Buying gifts for kids isn’t always an easy feat. Although they are usually impressed with the silliest of gift ideas, sometimes you want to purchase a gift for them that really blows their minds if it’s a special occasion like a birthday or Christmas. Whether you’re buying for your own kids or a friend’s kids, getting a reputation as a great gift giver is a brilliant thing! Watching their faces light up is one of the best experiences ever. This ultimate kid’s gift buying guide will help you with your future gift shopping. Read on to learn more:

Get An Idea Of Things They Already Have

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If they’re your kids, this bit won’t be hard. However, if they’re not, getting an idea of things they already have is a must. It can be hard to buy kids something they haven’t already got, especially if they are spoiled by their parents and other relatives. By knowing the kind of things they have already, you won’t buy them something similar. You can also use your knowledge of what they have to buy them something complimentary. For games consoles, for example, you can purchase games and other accessories. Make sure you’re clued up before you go out shopping or your purchase might be met with disappointment. You should also bear in mind that just because they don’t own it already, it doesn’t mean someone else might not buy the same thing for this occasion. Speak to other people who are buying gifts to double check that yours will be unique. Always make sure you keep the receipts of gifts you buy, just incase somebody else does purchase the same thing. You can’t always help it!

Find Out Their Likes And Dislikes

All kids have different personalities, so don’t just assume that something is suitable for all kids. Some like to play outside, some like to stay in and read books. Some like both, but you should find out first. If one child is terrified of clowns, it would be pretty awful if you ended up buying them a clown doll or something representing a clown. If one can’t sit still long enough to read a book, you definitely don’t want to go buying them a novel. Just bear in mind that kids change their minds about what they like and dislike a lot. They’re allowed; they’re kids after all!

Listen To Things They Talk About A Lot 

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Usually, if a kid talks about something a lot, they really like it. They might mention something in passing  and never talk about it again, so make sure you really listen to them and pay attention to things they talk about a lot. They might constantly mention something their best friend has that they like. Some people get kids to circle things in catalogues or make a list, but this usually ends up in kids circling every single item and writing everything they can think of on their list. Listening to them instead will give you an idea of things they really care about.

Ask Other Parents

If you’re stuck for ideas, asking other parents about what’s popular could be a good idea. They might know what their own kids talk about, and it could help you to work out what will be popular among all the kids so yours isn’t left out. This is especially a good idea at Christmas. If you’re clever, you may even be able to buy them a gift that they can use alongside their best friend, like the same games console. The thing with gifts like games consoles is that if they don’t get the same one as their friend, they won’t be able to use it together. This is why you really need to listen so you  can buy them the best gift possible!

Buy Experiences Rather Than Things

If these kids have pretty much everything imaginable, or perhaps you just want to think outside of the box, you can buy them experiences rather than things. Experiences are worth more than physical gifts, each and every time! You could take them to a theme park, out exploring somewhere new, on holiday - anywhere that takes your fancy! Depending on their ages, there are a number of different experiences days they could enjoy with you too! Not only does this mean you get to bond and make great memories; you give them skills they can take with them for life. They may just develop a sense of adventure thanks to you!

Take Age Into Account

Taking age into account is quite important if you want to buy them an appropriate gift. If you buy them something too old for their current age, they may not be able to use it properly. Worse still, it might contain bad language (e.g. a CD, a game), or stuff they shouldn't be viewing. Make sure you always check the age against the recommended age on the gift and use your common sense.

Get Them Something Personalised

When you buy them something personalised, you pretty much guarantee they don’t own anything like it. Kids love stuff that has their name on it! If they have an unusual name, you can order it specially from places like Zoey’s Attic Personalized Gifts. If they can’t usually find their name on stuff, ordering it specially should really impress them! 

Make Sure Their Parents Don’t Mind 

Even if you’ve checked the age and things like that, it’s common courtesy to make sure their parents don’t mind. Obviously if you’re buying for your own children you can skip this bit. However, if they are not yours, double checking to make sure you’re not stepping on toes is important. Even if the gift is appropriate, it might be something that their parents wanted to buy themselves. You don’t want to upset anybody or cause resentment on a special occasion, which grandparents and aunts/uncles can do sometimes!

Buy Them Something They Really Need 

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Buying a kid something they really need might not be the most exciting gift, but at least it’s something they will use. For example, a new pair of shoes or some school books. If they already own pretty much anything a kid could ever want, this is the next logical choice. They might not jump for joy like you hoped, but you’ll likely earn some brownie points with parents for saving them hassle and cash.

Buy Them Something They’ll Use Again And Again

Some gifts tend to lose their novelty. They get used a handful of times and then thrown to the side and forgotten about forever. This is why it could be a good idea to buy them a gift they’ll use again and again. This could be a scooter, pair of roller blades,or even a bike. The benefits of gifts like this mean the kids can get active at the same time as enjoying themselves.

 Then you have gifts like tablets, computers, and laptops. They are expensive, but if your child likes writing, researching, and does school work then they are great gifts that should last a long time. If you want to make sure the kids aren’t sitting in front of a computer all day long, then buying gifts they can use outdoors like paddling pools, ball games, and bubble makers could be a good idea! Certain gifts can be more appropriate depending on the season too. If it’s winter, you’re hardly going to buy them something they can’t use for 6 months. They will have lost interest in it by then!

Don’t Worry About Money Too Much

We’d all like to buy gifts for the kids without worrying about money too much. However, if you’re on a budget, this can be difficult. You can still buy them a gift when you’re on a budget, you just need to spend a bit more time searching for the right one. If you have a really small budget, many gift sites will group their cheaper gifts together so you can find them all in one place. You could even buy secondhand from eBay or another selling site. You just need to make sure what you’re buying is in working order and genuine!

Take Them Shopping

If you’re really stuck for ideas, let them choose themselves. Take them shopping, give them a budget or spend limit and see what they want to purchase. This not only means they go home with gifts they are really happy with, they also get a fun day out with you. You could put money in a card for them, but it can be a bit impersonal. No thought goes into it and it just isn’t the same. Turn it into a fun day out instead!

Kids aren’t too hard to please, unless they happen to have been brought up incredibly spoiled! If you use the tips in this buying guide, you’re bound to think of some amazing presents that will get you some huge brownie points. Leave any present buying tips for kids you may have of your own below. Thanks for reading!