Shopping for a child who loves to read sounds easy. Just buy them a book, right? Then you walk into a bookstore and discover several thousand possibilities. Which one haven't they read? Which series do they already own? Are they still interested in dragons, or was that six months ago? Do they like fantasy or mysteries now? And how did a nine-year-old manage to accumulate more books than most adults? The wonderful thing about shopping for a reader is that you don't have to fin

It happens every Christmas. You thought you were finished shopping. Then you remember the nephew you’ll see at Christmas dinner. A package you ordered isn't going to arrive. Someone unexpectedly joins the family celebration. Or December simply moves much faster than you expected. Suddenly, you need a gift. The good news is that last-minute Christmas gifts for kids don't have to look like you bought them at the last minute. A thoughtful gift isn't defined by how many weeks you

Some children are incredibly easy to shop for. They've been talking about the same toy since July, sent you the exact link, specified the correct color, and probably know which store has it in stock. Then there are the children who seem to already own everything. Their room is full. Their playroom is full. Their bookshelf is full. Their parents can't think of anything else they need. And you're still expected to somehow arrive at Christmas with a present. If you're searching

Buying Christmas presents for one grandchild can be fun. Buying for five can start to feel like you're running a small fulfillment center out of your dining room. You need to remember ages, interests, sizes, wish lists, what each child already owns, what their siblings are getting, whether the gifts feel reasonably equal, and which package belongs to whom. And somehow you're supposed to accomplish all of this while enjoying the holidays. If you're looking for Christmas gifts

There are two very different reactions a child can have to an educational Christmas gift. The first is: “OH! THIS IS SO COOL!” The second is the facial expression of a child who has just realized someone wrapped homework. If you're shopping for educational Christmas gifts for kids, the goal isn't simply finding something adults consider educational. It's finding something the child will genuinely want to open, explore, read, build, create, or use. Fortunately, those two thing

Tablets, phones, video games, and streaming aren't going anywhere, and they don't need to. But that doesn't mean every Christmas present needs a charger. Screen-free Christmas gifts for kids can give children another way to spend their time: reading, building, drawing, exploring, pretending, creating, moving, or simply getting absorbed in something that isn't happening on a screen. The trick is choosing a screen-free gift because it's genuinely fun, not because an adult has d

Christmas morning is exciting. The wrapping paper is everywhere. Someone can't find the scissors even though they were just holding them. Batteries are suddenly the most valuable resource in the house. And then, surprisingly quickly, Christmas morning is over. That's one reason gifts that keep giving all year for kids can be so much fun. Instead of putting all of the excitement into one morning, these gifts give children something to look forward to, use, learn from, or enjoy

You found a book that seems perfect. You wrapped it. The child opens it. And then you hear: “I already have this one.” It's exactly the situation most people are trying to avoid when giving books as gifts. A child doesn't need two identical copies of the same book, and when you've carefully chosen a Christmas or birthday present, finding out they already own it can be disappointing for both the child and the person giving it. The problem is especially difficult for grandparen

Books can feel like the perfect gift for a child right up until one thought stops you: What if they already have it? That question gets harder when you're shopping for a child who loves to read. A grandchild with a packed bookshelf may own dozens or even hundreds of books, and unless you live in the same house, there is no reasonable way to remember all of them. Learning how to choose books for a child when you don't know what they already own isn't about finding some magical

Giving someone a book club for Christmas sounds simple until you start thinking through the details. Do you use your address or the child's address? Does something arrive before Christmas? What if the child already owns one of the books? Do the parents have to return anything? Does the gift automatically renew? And how do you make something shipped by a company actually feel like it came from you? Learning how to give a book club as a gift before you order can make the entire

If you've ever walked into your grandchild's playroom and wondered where another Christmas present could possibly go, you are not alone. The bins are full. The shelves are full. There are toys under the bed, toys behind the couch, toys with seventeen tiny pieces that somehow migrate throughout the entire house. And Christmas is coming. Finding gifts for grandkids who already have too many toys doesn't mean you have to stop giving them something fun to open. It simply means th

Shopping for grandchildren should be fun. Then someone asks what they want for Christmas. Suddenly you're trying to remember which characters they still like, what toys they already own, what size they wear now, whether they're allowed to play that particular video game, and what on earth a nine-year-old considers cool this year. Finding Christmas gifts for grandkids can be especially challenging when you don't live nearby. You may know your grandchildren incredibly well whil