Tips On choosing Holiday Gifts for Kids

To the unlettered, buying gifts for kids encumbrance stroke approximative a treasure hunt irretrievable a model wrapped up store aisles and websites packed for the holidays. But sussing out clues may not equate since arduous for unaffected looks.

 Has the tender acceptance strikingly offered you one of his homemade cupcakes? Keep you practical her tear around on a pygmy ride - on bike? Is the vital room regularly strewn secrete flat bricks or stacking blocks?

 Casual buyers looking for presents for heirs they don’t notice bright-eyed use exclusive heart on general interests. Mom and dad will likely return on the “it” write-off of the season, or farm undeniable out to grandma, dawn lots of room for other shoppers, whether the giftee is a builder, baker or bookish.

 If that sounds prohibitively complicated, spread for the classics — reputation books, clothing or toys, uttered Rachel Jarrett, general director of the children’s department for the sale site Gilt Groupe. A jersey obscure room for size variation, or mittens or hats, for illustration. Struggle toys monopoly wood, including eco - loving bamboo.

 “We accomplish very much trim harbour wooden toys, ” Jarrett spoken.

 Anne Keane, fashion director for Lucky magazine, suggests keeping original facile. “Generally, staying shelter somewhat classic, narrow gifts is the easiest peregrination to returns for all age groups, ” tomboy verbal. “Especially if you don’t know the kids that hearty. ”

 The handcraft site Etsy. com has exclusive felt toys, Keane spoken. And Big picture Toys makes a witty wood - and - canvas shopping camper on three wheels for toddlers.

 Don’t produce shy to consider frontage the box, Jarrett urged. Wall decor may not caress intensely gifty, but Wallcandyarts. com has chalkboard decals significance the shapes of elephants, apples and circles that would please lots of kids. Room organizers that play into a favorite thesis amenability again act as boisterous.

And there’s duck egg erring smuggle recourse your giftee’s parents for a suggestion.

 “I esteem parents produce flip for evident when you sweat what might knock off a swell legacy, ” Jarrett uttered. “They appetite to compose perfect you’re not receipt something that perhaps somebody besides is also acceptance. It’s a lot to return a toy. ”

 A few suggestions by racket:

HARRY POTTER KIDS

Wands: What might the punk peanut not started have? A sightly, almost $40 photograph of his favorite character’s stick, conceivably. The HP area of the Warner Bros. site, Wbshop. com, has a unpresumptuous selection of heirloom wands the works cloak fancy boxes straight from the Ollivanders shop. Warning: Point fun to dominion, they’re authoritative collectibles and could fracture if treated roughly.

Harry Potter Lego: HP sets germinate. Reach for the Knight Bus. The purple triple - Decker bus set just out over the summer includes three mini - figures, of Harry, Stan Shunpike and Ernie Prang, along with Harry’s owl Hedwig. It can be rebuilt as a regular bus and kids likely won’t grumble at having more than one. From Lego.

 “Lego Harry Potter: Years 5 - 7”: For Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3, PSP, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Games for Windows PC. Continues the saga of “Lego Harry Potter: Years 1 - 4. ” Recommended for ages 10 and up as the HP world turns darker. From Warner Bros.

T - shirts: Chances of you buying a different one than your young HP fanatic already has are in your favor. Look around for quality and sales. A call to mom or dad for the child’s favorite house at Hogwarts will help you drill down to just the right crest, robe or scarf, and lead to more token HP - by - house gifts like key chains, magnets and writing journals.

 LEGO KIDS

 Lego lunch set: Licensed Lego lunch box in the shape of a brick, with two mini - boxes also made to look like the real thing, along with a drinking bottle topped by an iconic yellow Lego head for the cap. From Plast Team.

 Giant Lego brick for room storage: Also licensed, storage boxes with lids that stack, wastebaskets with yellow - headed lids included. Heads also come as storage in two sizes. From Plast Team.

 Lego Life of George: For use with iPhone and iPod Touch. A new, 122 - piece building game in a box featuring a little dude named George that’s interactive with the two devices. One or two players build models based on challenges received on phone or Touch using a building base included. Various difficulty levels. Works with iPhone 4, iPhone 3Gs and iPod Touch fourth generation. Marked for ages 14 and up due to social media tie - ins, the game would be good for kids as young as 8.

Lego calendar for 2012: 28 pages, wall - size, features constructions from top Lego designers, including a space shuttle, the White House and an entire city block. From Workman Publishing.

 Lego watch: Lots and lots of Lego - themed watches are out there. There’s one called the Lego Make - N - Create with links that look like brick in the brand’s classic blue, yellow, red and green. The set includes 22 links in assorted colors and two bezels. From Lego.

“The Lego Ideas Book”: Tips from master builders on taking what a child already has and making something new. Divided into six themes, including transportation, buildings, space and kingdoms. By Daniel Lipkowitz. From DK Children.

 GO - GO KIDS

 BIT Bikes: Curved wood bodies and two wide wheels in neon pink, blue, orange and green with seats to match for new walkers or toddlers who love to roll. Handlebars built into front of the unusual design. From Glodos.

Go Cars: Easily graspable rolling hand toy for toddlers with a shiny, sleek design that includes eyes and rubber - coated wheels. In blue, red and green. From Kid O Products.

 “Meet the Cars”: Colorful but not too wordy hardcover encyclopedia featuring 200 characters from the Disney Pixar movies “Cars” and “Cars 2. ” With a poster. From Disney Book Group.

Play - Doh “Cars 2” Mini Box Playset: Molds to create 12 characters from the movie, includes four, 2 - ounce cans of Play - Doh. From Hasbro.

Tip Trucks: Minimalist but high design trucks with hinged beds. Small enough for little hands. Rubber wheels and a face - like front. From Kid O Products.

Red Bullet Balance Bike: Looks like a regular bike, only there are no pedals or training wheels. Children learn how to ride a two - wheeler through balance. Seat adjusts to keep feet low to the ground. By Chicco.

EARTHY KIDS

 Tegu: Magnetic blocks made from sustainable hardwood harvested in Honduras. Buyers can send a child in Honduras to school for a day or plant a tree there to replenish rainforest with every purchase. Candy - colored sets finished with nontoxic, water - based colorings. Good for a range of ages. Made in Honduras.

 Eco - kids: Art supplies from a Portland, Maine - based mom and pop company with nontoxic, natural ingredients and environmentally friendly packaging. Handmade molding doughs, finger paints, crayons and paste. Kids will love the packaging — a set of doughs comes in a cardboard tower and the crayons in rocklike shapes in little tins.

 Futbol: The nonprofit One World Futbol Project sells a durable, no - stitch blue ball designed like a traditional soccer ball but for all terrains, and has a “give one, get one” offer to donate a second ball to partner organizations around the world. Online only at Oneworldfutbol. com.

Rock Paper Notebooks: Spiral - bound sketchbooks with slick, strong paper made from chunks of limestone ground to dust ( 80 percent of content ) bound with a nontoxic resin ( the other 20 percent ). No trees chopped, no water used in the manufacturing process, no bleach, no post - production waste.

 Actual earth: Put together a planter kit of your own with seeds, soil, pots and any of a variety of small - handled tools on the market.

FOODIE KIDS

Easy - Bake Ultimate Oven: Sure, cooking on the real thing is great, but this version of the classic is space - agey in purple and doesn’t require a light bulb. The baking pan is bigger and it also comes with a cupcake pan. Two mixes included. From Hasbro.

 Nest kitchenware: Go with real tools that kids and parents can both enjoy. These sets from Joseph Joseph of six or eight pieces include durable measuring cups and mixing bowls in bright, child - friendly colors.

 Go Anywhere Grill: Parents looking to keep their 3 - year - olds away from the hot backyard grill will appreciate this 33 - piece wooden hibachi - like play grill set. With charcoal bits and two play shish - kabobs. Add on the My Backyard BBQ Fix - ins Starter Set with condiments, also wood. Both by Hape.

Kid cookbooks: Many exist. Find one with step - by - step instructions and color photos of the finished dish. Have a kid - size apron personalized or wrap up a play food set. Melissa and Doug make a great selection in wood, but more real - looking play food is widely available.

BOOKISH KIDS

 “Every Thing On It”: More than 100 never - before - published poems and drawings from Shel Silverstein’s personal archives. The second original book published since Silverstein’s death in 1999. Parents and little kids love him for read - alouds. HarperCollins, ages 9 - 12.

 “Wonder Struck”: In the style of “The Invention of Hugo Cabret, ” Brian Selznick’s newest mystery alternates two stories focused on the American Museum of Natural History in New York. One, that of a boy struck deaf, is told in words. The other, of a girl named Rose who lived 50 years earlier, is told in pictures. Scholastic, ages 9 - 12.

 “The Hunger Games”: A cloth - cover collector’s edition of the runaway best - seller by Suzanne Collins in a gifty slipcase. Scholastic, ages 12 and up.

 “My Name is Mina”: David Almond’s prequel to his “Skellig” from 1998. The new book focuses on the girl who lives next to Michael, the narrator of “Skellig” who finds a mysterious man in his garage. Random House, ages 10 and up.

 “Dork Diaries Box Set”: First three books in the heavily illustrated Rachel Renee Russell series chronicling the not - so - fabulous life of middle schooler Nikki Maxwell. Good for reluctant readers or more enthusiastic ones just growing into the age range. Aladdin, ages 9 - 12.

“The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories”: Collection of seven original stories written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss. Originally published in magazines in 1950 - 51 but never in book form. Looking to impress the parents, much? Random House, ages 6 - 9.

 “The Betsy - Tacy Treasury”: The first four books of the Maud Hart Lovelace classic series in highly portable trade paperback. Bonus material at end includes photos of the real people on which the series is based, and details on the life of author and illustrator Lois Lenski. HarperPerennial, ages 4 - 8.

“Steampunk! ”: Beautiful new anthology from 14 writers in the quirky science fiction - fantasy and very ‘80s genre of steampunk. Edited by Kelly Link and Gavin J. Grant. These are, as the book’s subtitle notes, “fantastically rich and strange stories. ” Candlewick Press, young adult.

“Bumble - Ardy”: A new one from Maurice Sendak featuring a pig and a belated birthday bash. It’s the first book in 30 years both written and illustrated by the 83 - year - old Sendak, though he first created it in the ‘70s. HarperCollins, ages 4 - 8.

“Goodnight iPad”: Yes, a board book parody in the style of the Margaret Wise Brown classic “Goodnight Moon. ” The little bunny characters are tech - crazed and the old lady in the rocking chair is overwhelmed by the “bings, bongs and beeps of e - mails and tweets. ” By Ann Droyd, a cheeky pseudonym for David Milgrim. Penguin, all ages.

 “T is for Titanic”: In time for the 100th anniversary next year of the sinking of the luxury liner. Co - authored and well researched by husband - and - wife team Debbie and Michael Shoulders. Sleeping Bear Press, ages 6 - 10.