When I give gifts, I like to create a theme by matching several items—and I don’t mean buying multiple products with the same branded character. An “action item” and a book or CD can allow kids to have fun with a subject from a variety of angles. Here are a few ideas for those (like me) still finishing up your holiday shopping:
A set of plastic animals and a subscription to one of the National Wildlife Federation’s children’s magazines, Your Big Backyard (ages 3 to 7) or Ranger Rick (ages 7 and up). For younger children, go with a stuffed animal and a subscription to Wild Animal Baby.
A wooden birdhouse kit and a copy of Crinkleroot’s 25 Birds Every Child Should Know (for elementary-school kids) or Backyard Birds (for middle-schoolers). For teens (or adults), try a good but reasonably priced pair of binoculars and a copy of Bird Songs, a guide to 250 key North American birds, with color illustrations and a built-in audio player containing all the birds’ calls.
A set of Boomwhackers tuned percussion tubes and the Putumayo Kids’ Reggae Playground CD. (My son’s Music Together teacher uses Boomwhackers in class. They’re a great (and not too noisy) alternative to drums and maracas, and help teach the basics of pitch as well as being great fun to whack.)