Lasting is caring: gifts with longevity

Gifts come in all shapes and forms. Among all the different types of presents my kids have received – or I have given to other children – my favourite gifts are the ones with longevity. These are the gifts that can be used and enjoyed for years and years. They can entertain and teach our kids during different stages of their development and growth.

There are many toys that would fit into that category. Based on my own childhood and my experiences as a mum, I came up with a selection of gifts that can be both fun and educational for a long period of time. Here is my list of gifts that do wonders for longer for children:

Building blocks

I loved playing with Lego – or any type of building blocks – when I was a child. These days I still have fun building castles and towers with my kids. It’s an incredibly useful toy to encourage creativity and imagination. It also helps your kids concentrate. My favourite types are the simple sets where the child’s inventiveness is in full swing. Kids from 2 to 12 play with it. Older kids play too, but may not admit this to their friends. And sometimes the parents have more fun than the kids. Remember your disappointment when your 3yo girl came and destroyed the state-of-art, colourful tower you were carefully crafting? Grow up dad!

Balls

One of the most basic – and inexpensive – gifts which will likely last anywhere between 2 and 10 years plus, depending on what your child does with it. There are lots of options of balls here: soccer, basketball, cricket, tennis, netball, etc – but they all do the same: keep your kid active while helping with their coordination. It also encourages playing in groups – as it is a lot more fun to throw balls around with someone else than by yourself. The only downside is that every now and then you will find your favourite decorative items broken as suddenly your living room has become a soccer field. It goes without saying that ball games are best played outdoors – another nice & healthy side effect!

Magnets

Another toy that is brilliantly simple and educational. Magnets come in different types and shapes – my preferred ones are the building blocks or geometrical shapes as they offer room for children to explore their imaginative instincts. Easy to use for a 2 years old while a 5-6 yo kid can still have fun playing with them.

Bicycle

A child’s favourite, a bike can last for a number of years. While the first bike will be outpaced by the kid’s growth when they are 4 or 5, a bike in the early 10s can last for 5 years or longer. My husband remembers riding the same BMX from when he was 11 to his ‘hate the world’ time (15-16). It is the ultimate way for children to explore nature, be outdoors and learn how to be adventurous yet responsible at the same time. Once your little ones are not so little anymore and are more interested in cars than bikes, there are special charities like Bikes 4 Life that will take your used bike – if maintained well – and send them to remote communities or to kids and families in need in poor countries.

Painting set

Art supplies in general are applicable to kids at many different ages. Painting sets are among my all time favourite gifts. All you need is a couple of brushes, a paint palette and 5-10 different colour paint pots. That can go from toddlers to early teenage years without much reinvestment required (just new brushes and few new colours). Beyond helping with coordination and creativity, painting is a powerful way for young kids to express their feelings and emotions while encouraging decision making. Every now and then things get a bit messy and brushes become optional, but that’s part of the fun.

Skateboard

Not every child may be into it, but a skateboard is a fantastic gift that can be enjoyed for 5 plus years. A wonderful way for your kid to be adventurous, work on his or her body balance and concentration. The only thing you may have to do after a while is to replace the sticker under the board as Peppa Pig is no longer cool when you are over 9.

A surfboard would also fall into this category, helping balance, concentration and teaching ‘responsibility’ – just don’t use that word around your kids, especially if they just watched Break Point.

Guitar

Okay, now I’m referring to kids from 8-9 or older. I chose guitar but that applies to most musical instruments. That would not necessarily be something I would give a child unless she or he had shown real interest in learning it, but if that was the case, great! Learning to play an instrument can go well beyond your childhood days and into your adult life. When you start at a young age, it helps developing your memory and coordination, exposes you to history and culture, and teaches to be responsible and to persevere.

So, that’s my list! What I like about it is that none of these items will break the bank. With the exception of a bike and a guitar, which may require some planning and savings upfront, all other items are more affordable.

The list is short I know and there are lots of other great toys that help our kids and can be enjoyed from toddler to pre-school to teenager to young adults. The truth is that kids don’t need to have all of them – just a few will do the job while keeping the little ones appreciative of what they’ve got.

I have also left experiences – classes, courses, lessons, travelling – out of this post as my focus was on the material items, but most experiences will likely extend or have a longevity component to it. Those gifts deserve a separate post on their own.

So what is your favourite gift with longevity? Let us know. We will add your suggestion(s) to our list and in the future we will post a more comprehensive list for other parents as well as friends giving those gifts to enjoy. Lasting is caring!