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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2017)
4 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - December 2017 Holiday gift-giving suggestions, from babies to teens By SUZANNE KENNEDY The holidays are coming, and if you’re anything like me, you’re planning. We live in a small house, and every year I’m determined to make the right choices and not choose gifts that make my life harder. The start of the fall season is purge time in our house. Closets get cleaned out, bags and boxes of junk get thrown away or taken to a thrift store if possible. The last thing I want to do is fill all that space right back up with more stuff! Going through the toys always makes me think of the ones that stand the test of time. You know, the ones that I always let them keep because they get played with consistently. I’ve decided to share my wisdom with all of you in a concerted effort to rid the world of Happy Meal type toys (no offense, McDonald’s.) Babies: Hands down, you want to go with something stackable. My kids have a set of stacking cups that I purchased from a home party (Usborne, maybe) for $12. They nest, so minimal storage needed. They somehow magically add up so that the first two cups pour perfectly into the third, and so on. The bottom of each has a raised imprint of an animal (in size order), perfect for pushing shapes into Play Dough. They’re brightly colored and went from baby toy to summertime sandbox toy and back to the bath tub again. I bought them 12 years ago, and they are still being used. Toddlers: Blocks. No question. Blocks are great for stacking, obvi- ously. During a well child check, our doctor actually asked if my kids could stack blocks — apparently it’s a milestone marker. When the kids get older, the blocks become part of other play. Marble obstacle courses, Hot Wheels race tracks down the hall, Lego City suburbs, you name it. Preschool: Here’s where we started to get into pretend play. Hit the sales after Halloween for great dress-up clothes. One plastic tub filled with sheriff’s vests, princess dresses, and a variety of different hats means hours of mommy quali- ty time developing imaginations. Be aware of sizes. Hats and accessories last for years. Dresses and wearable costumes won’t, so buy them a couple of sizes too big. Seeing them stumble around in them is half the fun and they really don’t care. Lower elementary: Outdoor fun. I always try to get the kids some- thing they can do actively outside like scooters, bikes, pogo sticks, stilts, and the like. Don’t get too caught up in specific sports quite yet. My husband made our son a “soft toss” machine that makes it possible for him to practice hitting without a pitcher. It sees more “in- side the garage” time than it does outside because he’s way more into football now. This year I’m leaning towards a human-sized Jenga game that I spotted at Target. Shhh. Upper elementary: Board games. Honestly, Monopoly makes me insane. We’ve found a couple that are really enjoyable for a wide variety of ages – including adult – and some that are great for older kids. My all-time favorite, fun-for- all-ages game is Labyrinth, hands down. Cards create a maze through which you move your marker to find certain treasurers. The kicker is that the maze is constantly being moved by each player. The run- ner up is Lego Minotaurus. It’s fun, easy, and fast-paced. Middle school: I think this is the toughest age for gifts. My daugh- ter wants clothes, but you know she isn’t going to like anything I pick out. I’d stick with sport- ing equip- ment: gym bags that can double as over- night bags, bats, athletic shoes, leo- tards, cool workout clothes for practices. I’d also consider getting some small, hand-held travel games for long car trips to attend all the “away” events. High school: I don’t have any in high school yet, but friends gave me a couple of ideas that are pure gold. Start building their own sets of “adulting” stuff: tool box, hunting gear, camping equipment, fishing tackle, etc. The other idea is to give “expe- rience” gifts like ski trips, concert tickets, movie tickets and the like. Love these! ________ Suzanne Kennedy is a former mid- dle school teacher who lives in Pendleton with her husband and three children. Af fordable Specialt y Care, For Your Children, Right Here At Home! THE BIG AUTHORITY ON LITTLE TEETH Call Today! 541-289-5433 1060 W. Elm, Suite #115, Hermiston, OR (across from Good Shepherd Medical Center) www.hermistonkidsdentist.com Offi ce Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm