Need advice
Quick question for those of you with kids older than mine: A good friend of mine just had her second baby. I'm going to send her something for the baby but I want to get a small ($15 or under) present for the older kid too so he doesn't feel left out. He's 2 1/2, but because they live overseas, I haven't seen him since he was an infant, so I don't know how big he is or what his interests are. What can I get him? Would, say, a book about trains or something like that be a safe present? a book about being a big brother? some toy that is a universal hit with 2-3 year olds? Help!
posted by electriclady at 10:58 AM
9 Comments:
my gift to older siblings is always 'peter's chair' by ezra pound. a lovely book about a boy dealing with having a new sister and finding it hard. You can combine it with 'the snowy day' by the same author which is nothing to do with being a sibling, so that the child doesn't feel like everything is about the bloody baby! You could also give them 'a baby sister for frances' which is again great at letting the child express his frustration with this new creature.
HTH
oops sorry ezra jack KEATS not ezra pound the famous poet.
(i blame sleep deprivation)
I definitely think a book would be a great gift. I don't necessarily think it has to be baby-related.
Harold & The Purple Crayon is pretty good for that age. Or Ferdinand!
I'll go along with the book comments, as I haven't met a kid that age who doesn't like books. P is really getting into them now despite being quite a lot younger than the little boy you're talking about, so I think they are the best bet.
I can think of dozens of books I like for kids (thanks for making me do story time every week for two years Borders!), but I'll narrow it down:
Most titles by Laura Numeroff (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, etc)
Titles by Doreen Cronin (Click Clack Moo, etc)
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
Our current favourite is Everybody Poops, read 5 times in a row last night, peppered with screams of "Poop! Poop!" Don't know if that would make a very good gift though, heh.
Thalia really had me confused at first with the whole Ezra Pound thing...
We're also big fans of Peter's Chair and Everybody Poops here.
And I personally believe no 2 or 3 year old can ever have too much Play-Doh.
My boy's all about the trains. Specifically Thomas, but I'm not sure if that's such a big deal outside of the US or UK. He also loves Charlie and Lola books (and Max and Ruby books). Blocks are good...crayons and lots of paper are a big hit... He's also enamored of pirates. And I'll second the play-doh!
I'd get a book about something. Kids can never have too many books (plus, if you don't know the kid, you won't know what toys to pick out).
Good luck!
My daughter will be two an a half in another month and while she loves books, she's all about the coloring. I got some Crayola twistable crayons which were a big hit (plus she can't break them into tiny pieces like regular crayons) and Thomas the Train coloring books always go over well.
I've got a non-book idea for you. A kid's flashlight. Usually, the flashlight looks like some kind of animal (like a cow or pig). I've given these to 2-3 year olds, both boys and girls, and they seem to love shining the light on things.
Don't know how much parents like them, though.
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