Christmas giving that doesn’t cost the earth! Thanks for sharing your ideas...
Giving ideas for preschoolers... many of you suggested spending special time with your littlies, having a special day out together or just taking time to read some good books. Lots of you suggested homemade play dough or bubble mixture and bubble wands made from wire from coat hangers or pipe cleaners. There are lots of recipes online to make both of these. Hours of fun! And a few really unique ideas too... a talking book which has been recorded by Nana or Grandad; a swan plant with monarch butterfly eggs on it so a child can see the whole process; encouraging the child to be ‘the Spirit of Christmas’ by giving rather than getting - they make, wrap, hide, and then distribute gifts on Christmas Eve; framing an artwork that they have done throughout the year; laminate a favourite picture or photo and give as a placemat. And we loved this idea – for a pre Christmas gift, make reindeer food (glitter and oats), package them up in small white paper bags, add Christmas stickers and a reindeer “Sprinkle on the lawn at night, The moon will make it sparkle bright, As Santa's reindeer fly and roam, This will guide them to your home”. And this lovely idea, though it may be a challenge to arrive in time for Christmas – a baby brother or sister to play with!
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Giving ideas for school aged kids... An idea that surfaced a lot was the gifting of arts and crafts. This can be accomplished fairly cheaply through the use of old household items such as toilet rolls, old magazines, string etc. We love the idea of giving children a packet of seeds for Christmas. Children are able to choose where they would like to plant their seeds, water them and take care of them. By learning the virtue of patience and nurturing, children watch their seeds grow into mature flowers or plants, a creative and fun learning experience. So what sort of seeds or plants should you get? Some mentioned giving sunflower seeds and running a competition to see which person’s sunflower grows the biggest, with a prize for the winner at the end. Gifting a swan plant is also a wonderful idea! Children are able to witness the beauty of nature by having their very own pet caterpillars and watching them transform into beautiful butterflies. Lastly, we love the idea of a day out at the Skate Park or BMX track with your boys. We all know that boys like to be adventurous and vigorous, so something exciting and outdoors works a treat!
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Giving ideas for teenagers/young adults... Becoming a teenager means finally getting to learn how to drive! Why not gift your time and skill this Christmas by grabbing the L plates and venturing out onto the road to provide some free driving lessons...If you’re brave enough! Not too keen on risking the driving lessons? Why not wash their car for them instead. For the younger teenagers that haven’t reached driving age yet, Mum/dad taxi vouchers will be well used! Create some DIY taxi chit vouchers which gives them the option to be picked up and dropped off anywhere...without any moaning mums or dads! Our favourite idea for this group was the idea of offering to teach your child something new such as surfing or playing the guitar. We like the idea that as they get older, you and your teenager could be strumming out songs on the guitar together by a camp fire, taking a surf trip together or knitting beanies and scarf’s in the winter by the fire, providing an everlasting gift that brings you and your teenager together.
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Giving ideas for adults... As you get older, you start to realise that Christmas is not about giving material things, but rather about spending time and cherishing moments with your loved ones. Why not take your partner out for a romantic day trip. This idea comes with endless opportunities that don’t burn a hole in your wallet! Beaches, parks, nature reserves are all spots that provide the perfect setting for any picnic, swim or day out. Let’s face it parents – although you love your children to bits, you do need a break every now and then. Gifting babysitting hours and giving parents some time to themselves, always goes down well. Parents will love you for it! Mentioned a lot, was taking the time to cook a meal for a loved one. After you’ve cooked it, why not take it a step further and deliver the meal to an elderly person living on their own. Once they open the door you can surprise them by signing a favourite Christmas carol to add to the Christmas spirit. The smallest things in life often bring the greatest pleasures so maybe it’s time to try out your artistic skills and create a collage of photos or memories to show how much they meant to you or to represent something that means a lot to them. It’s something that they will be able to keep for years to come and to look back on as the years go by.
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