As featured on BBC National Radio
Just how do you go about choosing the perfect present for a child? It’s a question I get asked a lot and so I was very excited to be able to share my wisdom with over 1.5 million listeners during an interview on Mark Forrest’s BBC national radio show last week.
Mark Forrest
Mark’s show goes out live every weekday between 7 and 10pm and last Monday’s show was all about present giving – from finding the right present to hearing about some of the worst gifts people had received. Can you believe that one newly-wed couple received marriage guidance vouchers as a wedding present!
Choosing Gifts for Children
During my interview with Mark we focused on how to choose the right gifts for children. People are always keen to select a gift that children will love but it can be difficult to know what to choose, particularly for adults who don’t have children of their own.
Four Golden Rules of Buying Presents for Kids
So how do you go about choosing the perfect presents? Well here are my four golden rules, which I shared with Mark and his audience:
- Make sure the gift is age appropriate – even though not all children develop at the same time, it’s a great starting point in narrowing down the search for that perfect gift.
- Think about the child’s hobbies and interests – for example, if they are dinosaur mad, you’ll be onto a winner if you choose a dino-related gift.
- Pick something fun and educational – kids have a great sense of humour, so try to buy something that is both fun and educational, such as a Science Lab Bouncy Ball Experiment, (this will go down well with parents too).
- Think outside the toy box! Kids’ gifts don’t necessarily have to be a toy. Practical gifts are great for kids too and are much more likely to be used time after time rather than ending up in the back of a cupboard. Our research has also shown that many parents really appreciate gifts for kids that are useful. A couple of my favourites include magical Colour-changing Umbrellas and Make Your Own Chocolate Pizza Kits.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Duplicated Gifts
During the interview we also discussed what to do if the child already has the gift you give. My advice is to try and avoid the situation by choosing something that’s a little out of the ordinary and different from the norm. However, if by chance you do find the child already has the item you’ve bought, don’t panic – most reputable retailers will be more than happy to exchange it for an alternative gift – I know we would.
So I bet you’re all dying to know if I have ever received an awful gift, and that was one of the questions Mark asked me. And of course the answer is yes! I was once given a Pet Rock – simply a large black stone that came in a cardboard pet carrier! At least it needed no looking after!
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
You can listen to the interview in full below.
Article by Lisa Bradburn
Lisa is the managing director of what2buy4kids. Lisa’s wish is to make your job of finding a gift for the children in your life easier, or help you to take some of the time and frustration out of the search for that special gift for kids.
You can follow her on Twitter @what2buy4kids and Facebook
at facebook.com/What2Buy4Kids