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I love this time of year. How many times have you heard me say this over the past couple months? Maybe 10 times? I lost count! I just feel so at peace during this season. I get excited for just about everything these days. From the focus on love and friendship, comfort foods and gift giving… what isn’t there to love? I’m continuing my tradition of giving really meaningful gifts this year, including five gifts that give kids a better future. Thanks to our friends at ScholarShare for sponsoring this post as part of my Ambassadorship for 2015.
Finding the perfect gift is one of the best things. When you see it and you know the recipient is going to love it… well it just doesn’t get any better. When I am planning my gift purchases, I start by writing a list of what I think they will like and then I add a twist to it. I make sure that it will help them in the future.
Here are my top five gifts that give kids a better future.
1. Books. I love to give books. Books can take the reader far away, or help then enjoy where they are right now more. A basket of well picked books is one of the best gifts out there. Look for books that already interest the reader and some that stretch them beyond what they already love.
2. Experiences. I think like should be full of adventures and experiences… so why not gift one? National Park tickets, a high tea, whale watching, or a food tour in a nearby city all make awesome gifts. Kids will remember this gift and it will inspire them to be their best now, and in the future.
3. Travel. Give a child a travel adventure. Show them another part of the world that they haven’t seen… or even a trip just down the road for some cultural insight different than their own. Exploring a new place is fun and can spurs a lifelong journey of discovery.
4. Lessons. Gift a child a cooking class, a dance lesson, or some music instructions. The possibilities are endless. Summer camp at your local zoo for the animal lover or a robotics camp for the child that loves to put things together can be the turning point for the next computer master mind!
5. Money for their college savings. Give them the gift of an advanced education. A gift of money into their ScholarShare account this holiday season can make a huge impact on their future. It all adds up and if you deposit money into their ScholarShare accounts regularly, you can make a big jump in their saving for college and and future income earning for many years to come. We have learned a lot about ScholarShare accounts and feel they make a great partner in savings for college.
Love gifts that actually make a positive impact on kids!!! Too much technology these days!
I love giving my kids books! They love reading and I love encouraging it.
Wonderful blog! It is the little things, the simple things, that make the biggest difference!
I love these kinds of gifts. It shouldn’t always be about mindless giving, but gifts that can propel our kids forward to a brighter future!
I’ve always seeing the typical gift posts, love how different yours is. Thanks for sharing, I’m definitely planning to get my daughter more books.
Books and experiences are my favorites. I try to have more experiencs with my nieces and nephews now that they are older.
I totally agree on this post 100% if we can just encourage our kids to be more engaged with nature than technology/gadgets. Kids are growing more healthy and they will enjoy and appreciate life.
I love giving my family a taste of adventure, whether it is hiking or traveling. Those are the kind of memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime!
These are all great gifts that would be great for kids and create memories and experiences. I love to give my kids books too. We have far too many books around the house.
I’m all about lessons for gifts! We’ve done tai kwon do and dance so far. It’s been great!
Great post! It is the small things, the simple, but meaningful things, that make a big difference!
These are great ideas for kids. My nephew would love a new experience as a gift. Me personally, I would love to receive travel or a trip as a gift this year – I need a vacation. One year, my sweetie took me to Hawaii in January as a Christmas gift.
I love giving gifts that have more meaning than a toy! Now that my nieces are older I can’t wait to do more experiences with just us!
I love these ideas. I would prefer an experience with my family way more than any physical gift. The memories are just priceless!
I love these gifts. They have so much meaning behind them and will last a lifetime. I have a college fund for my kids and I am so glad that I did that. I love to read so I always buy books. My kids pick on me and say that I can easily read on my IPad. But I don’t dig not being able to physically touch a page to turn it. SO, I started buying them books and oddly enough I see them reading them. Thanks for sharing your list