Gift Certificates for New Parents
For a photography sitting that includes an 8×10 photo of the new baby.
To a restaurant for the new parents for the first date night after the baby.
To a great take-out restaurant for those tired parents who do not want to cook.
For an errand service to deliver their groceries to their door. Check in our Services section…they can deliver milk, perishables, diapers and much more….
A gift certificate for a spa service for some pampering after the baby arrives. Go to our Health & Fitness area to find spas that even provide child care.
For a personal chef that can drop off as many dinners as you would like. A nice way for parents to get both a great dinner without having to go out and get a babysitter.
A gift certificate to Dream Dinners or go there yourself and share some of your prepped meals with the new parents.
Send them a basket from Incredibly Edible Delights, a unique healthy gift of fresh fruit for parents to enjoy.
Gift Certificates for Kids Birthdays
A Zoo or Museum membership
For a series of classes. (ie: swim lessons, Gymboree, My Gym, dance, tennis, etc.)
–Submitted by D. Arviso
The children in my life have so many toys – I give them a $25 check to their California Scholarshare (college savings) Account. If the child does not have an account I download the form and complete it and include my check. Anyone can start an account with as little as $25.
–Submitted by N. McKenzie
Give tickets to a show, or to a fun place like the zoo, put-put golf, or even a short train trip.
–Submitted by J. Wagner
My favorite gifts to both receive and give are the gifts of “”experience.”” My son definitely does not need any more toys in the closet! Membership to the zoo or museum or Gymboree, or classes such as Kindermusik or swim lessons are super great, and we enjoy them all year long. Also good are one-time experiences, like movie tickets or play tickets or a pass for ceramic painting. Even a raincheck for a future playdate are looked forward to with enthusiasm (by both of us!).
Magazines
Magazine subscriptions are a great gift idea especially for friends that are out of town. There are wonderful family magazines for new parents and childrens magazines for kids birthdays.
Baby Shower Gifts
Clothes and blankets are always wonderful for first time parents. If you are buying clothes, don’t always get the newborn sizes. They grow out of these quickly and will need some of the larger sizes. Make sure to think of what season you are buying for so you get the correct size. If the baby will be 12 months during the winter, don’t buy a 12-18 month bathing suit.
Often though parents need some of the bigger items (strollers, cribs, exersaucers, etc.). It is great to get several friends or family members to go in on one of the these.
Another item needed by many expecting parents is a camera or video camera. This makes a great group gift. Even if it means getting them a certificate to put towards the item.
Go to the Baby Showers page for a list of businesses that have great baby shower gifts.
Gifts for Grandparents, parents, etc.
High quality posters made from your child’s very own artwork. Using their precious masterpieces as the basis for the design, they scan & then use them to create a truly personalized & unique poster that becomes a piece of cherished artwork onto itself.
Fun Gifts for Kids
–Submitted by M. FitzgeraldFun gift for kids and economical…bath tints (little tablets that color the bath water and you can make different colors like purple and orange) and Sponge creatures-come in a pack of 12 or so and theyare sponge animals in gelatin capsules that your child can hold under water-then a creature emerges. Both are inexpensive and can be gifted together!
–Submitted by N. McKenzie
For children who love to unwrap gifts, wrap many small inexpensive gifts, or wrap each part of a gift that goes together. Have a treasure hunt around your livingroom to find all the pieces.
–Submitted by A. Jacobs
One of my favorite gifts is a gift card to any bookstore. The gift of reading is priceless and children love to be able to pick out a book they want to read! You can’t go wrong!
–Submitted by J. Butler
I purchased from the Old Navy website multiples of all of their costumes left. They were 50%+ off and so I had the idea to purchase hat boxes and fill them with one of each costume. I will give them as “”dress-up boxes”” to all the little girls who have birthdays coming up. Kids, boys and girls, love to dress up and pretend play!
–Submitted by A. Blair
Personalized anything; seeds; garden tools; special place settings; paper airplane; ornaments; handmade items; globe; science kit; post office kit; treasure box; sleeping bag; songs; coupons (foot rubs); charm for bracelet; fishing pole; bank account; antique; grant-a-wish; dress-up clothes; bandaids; and alarm clock.
–Submitted by W. Gillespie
The ultimate choice for a gift that will delight and inspire any child recipient is: miscellaneous dress up clothes. (of non specific type) boas, gloves, various hats, jackets, crowns, boots, scarves, ties, glasses, rainbow “”toe socks!,”” wigs, frills and western attire. Too often parents grab for a pre-made dress up costume and rob their children of the imaginative process! There are characters beyond tinkerbell, mickey mouse and cinderella!Kids like to imitate life and given choices, they would just as often dress up as a doctor, teacher or housewife!!!
–Submitted by C. McDaniel
The most creative gift my boy/girl twins received for their third birthday was a large plastic storage container filled with costumes that my friend had collected from garage sales (tutu, tap shoes, scarves, necklaces, fancy dresses, hats, western vest, sheriff’s badge, neck scarf and cowboy boots, mini tuxedo, magician’s cape, crown). The top of the box was decorated with their names and fancy stickers. They have an awful lot of fun dressing up.
Gift Alternatives
–Submitted by M. DusetteWe have had birthday parties where guests brought books to donate … in our case, we gave to the hospital. You can choose any organization that is meaningful to you and find out what they need that you can provide. Make it known on the invites that this is where the gifts are intended – not for your child. Later, with your child you bring these items to the organization, and it is a very meaningful lesson learned.
Teacher Gifts
Are you trying to figure out the perfect gift for your child’s teacher? Below are some ideas submitted by parents and teachers. Do something special for the person who is making a difference in your child’s lifea and education.
I have found that the best gifts for teachers are gift cards. Sometimes we may not know our child’s teacher on a personal level or know their interests. Most teachers would love to go out to dinner and to a movie without cost. More and more places are offering gift cards and certificates with special deals and some will mail them to you, so you don’t have to go out. I subscribe to a service where I can buy $25 gift cards for $20 each to stores like Target. Most of the time teachers receive these gifts when school gets out prior to the holiday and they can shop for themselves or others. Try to get other parents to contribute with too.
We bought tickets for our teacher and a guest to see the Nutcracker – best seats in the house. Several other families pitched in to make this an affordable and unique gift.
My sister and my mother-in-law are both teachers. Their favorite gifts are things like a $5 Starbucks gift certificate. It’s fast and easy to get and useful. They get hundreds of coffee mugs, candles and #1 teacher gifts that they really don’t have room for, and end up just cluttering desks and cupboards. My mother-in-law has some major dietary restrictions because she has celiac, so always check with teachers before giving food gifts.
As a teacher in the past, the best gifts I received were gift certificates to places like; restaurants, coffee houses, salons, massages, and/or a nice card.
We have lavender growing in the yard, so we make lavender sachets! I get little sachet bags, and the kids and I “”harvest”” some lavender and fill the bags. It makes a great presentation, smells terrific, and it is something little hands can do!
My mom is a teacher and with the stress of constant budget crisis problems, having a parent come in and volunteer to donate something like a set of stamps, markers or even kleenex would light up their day and take an unbelieveable weight off of their shoulders. As a personal gift though, these teachers never stop, so a spa treatment of any sort does amazing things for these people.
