Following a conversation about the trouble with birthday parties, a wiser friend called and suggested something very simple. It made a lot of sense and hence it finds itself replicated here. Birthday invites tend to come in at the eleventh hour… then begins the rush for finding a suitable gift and packing it. There is always the easy way of buying a huge box of chocolates or an assorted box of cookies and juices, but since we have already established that we will not take the easy route out even if it kills us, here is a list of things that one can stock up at home that make excellent gifts:
Crayons – They come in a pack of 12 with 6 colour crayons in each.
Colouring books – Buy a large variety, some join the dots, some with puzzles and mazes, some with stories, you get the idea, right?
Pencils – Regular pencils in bright colours or with a fancy pencil top.
Erasers and sharpeners – Again, go in for fancy shapes and colours.
Story books – Personally, I prefer the Amar Chitra Katha series, but you can also stock up on fairy tales etc. These days, I find a lot of books by Indian writers for children. They are fun and the children relate to them. Unlike the Enid Blyton’s of yore which left me wondering about butter scones and English picnics in the park .
Toddler toys – Teethers/ Soothers, rattlers, water-proof books, little stuffed toys … for first or second birthdays.
Puzzles – Simple ones with easy to understand themes, they are almost always a winner.
Assorted stuff – This lot can include anything under the sun, anything that catches you fancy while in a market like an interesting new whistle, a crazy hat, a pair of cute bracelets, bubble blowers, quirky pens and so on.
Stocking up on these will leave you with enough time to do that other job better – wrapping the gift.
Uma Iyer is a writer, a mother and a freelance consultant for marketing communication to several organisations. She was raised in Mumbai and currently lives in Delhi. Her retirement plan includes two dogs, many books and a shack by the sea.
This post was previously published @ Dove blogs, Yahoo.com