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What to get your 4-year-old this Christmas?
There are many different philosophies on gift giving.
For some parents, this is a time to shower their children with toys. Gift-giving may be their love language.
Other parents, like myself, are thinking about where all these gifts are going to go? And how the house is going to manage taking on more toys.
Some people think giving socks or body wash is a ridiculous Christmas gift. Those items are needed and should just be given on a random Tuesday.
My personal strategy is to give my children toys of course, but to also wrap up and give needed items like socks.
First of all, your child should learn to appreciate all items, not just toys. And secondly, it makes the pile of gifts under the tree look bigger.
Today we are going to move along the strategy of giving gifts in the categories of WANT, NEED, WEAR, and READ.
Wants
Jumping right into the wants is the easiest for most people and the most “fun” category. I struggle most here. I want to give fun gifts that they are going to play with. I hate seeing toys get ignored.
The other three categories are the most likely to get used. For example, if I get socks from the clothing category, those are 100% going to be worn.
Back to wants though.
I think it is extremely important to think about your child specifically before purchasing their wants.
How do they typically play with and enjoy toys?
Try to get them that perfect want they have been desiring, but also make it something they will use.
Large Wants
This could be a great toy for encouraging your child to go outside and just learn to relax. I think it is important to teach our children to simply chill and do nothing. This could also be a great place to read outdoors.
There are all sorts of different types of outside jumpers. You do not have to specifically give a trampoline.
Medium Wants
There are lots of different sets you could get. If block or magnetic tiles are not your jam maybe Legos would be great, or a little garden kit.
This toy is basically some kind of set.
If your little one is already shooting hoops this toy is not necessary. Some young children are very quick to develop ball-handling skills. They can play catch at 2 years old.
Others struggle with that hand-eye coordination. If your child is struggling this toy could be helpful in better developing that skill.
Small Wants
Nail Polish
Watch
Headband/Clips
Here are a couple of small items your 4-year-old may want for Christmas. The list could of course go on. These would make great stocking stuffers too!
Need
The needs are items you would have to get your child anyway. We are just throwing them in with Christmas items to make the gift haul look bigger and also teach your children to appreciate practical gifts.
Let’s jump into a few quick examples:
School Supplies
Lunchbox
Toothpaste
New Cup or Water Bottle
Think about future seasons and upcoming events. Your child may be starting school next year and you decide to give the backpack now. Maybe the cup they use regularly is getting pretty bad. You know it is time for a new cup. Make it a gift!
This is also about daily items like toothpaste. Do they need any refills or replacements on regularly used items?
Wear
Wear is a simple category. First, think about the basics. Shirts, pants, pajamas, underwear, and socks.
After that, start branching out into more unique categories.
Clothing in General
Pajamas
Belt
Coat
Hat
Swimsuit
Shoes in General
Take an inventory of your child’s wardrobe and use Christmas as an opportunity to stock up on any needed items.
Read
I take the category of “read” and make it read/educational.
Books are of course amazing for your child, but you might not like purchasing books. I am a big fan of the library!
Some options to complement books and reading are:
Deck of Cards/Card Games
Educational Flashcards
Reading is always going to be good for our children. It is sooo important!
I do want to also provide learning opportunities outside of reading. Some children are going to learn better with a puzzle that makes them move their hands. Some children are going to need to interact with a board game with multiple players.
Conclusion
It is completely up to you how many gifts and how much money you spend on Christmas. You may get one big item from each category. You may give them one big want and then lots of little needs.
These categories are a guide to help you hit different areas in your child’s life.
Foster children that appreciate their gifts. Teach them to appreciate the socks just as much as the camera.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas this year.
I would also like to say typically I only include links for products we own and have tested. Our child is turning 4 this year so we are looking into items and toys like this. We have not tried most of these items. I wanted to provide a strong roundup, so i cannot only link products we own.
The links are there if you are interested in checking out or purchasing a product, but I cannot guarantee anything about the product.
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