Camp Creek Press

I nearly lost my NaBloPoMo footing and forgot to post today. We have three birthdays mixed in with Halloween and Thanksgiving, and one of them is today. The cake above is the one my mom made for Jack last weekend; you can see that he experimented with candle placement.

Then I saw this post over at AT:Nursery, started to post a reply, then ... bwa-ha-ha, I remembered I didn't post today and here's my opportunity.

The question posed was: "My daughter is three and has started preschool. She is now being invited to birthday parties ALL THE TIME. Is there a standard every-kid-loves-this gift you recommend that won't break the bank and will be easy to buy?"

So, having owned a preschool for seven years and attended far, far more than my share of children's birthday parties (far, far, FAR more), I am going to let you in on the secret to giving a gift that a little kid will love. Oh, you are going to thank me, and you are going to use it yourself forever.

Everyone wants to give the good gift, the one that makes a kid go "yay!" and not the one that gives them a sour expression as they drop your gift like yesterday's trash or that makes them pout and yell "I already have this!"

The AT:Nursery staff says give books, which is nice, but kids don't light up like a Christmas tree when they open books at a party, I can tell you that. However, if you want to give books, go ahead. The birthday present trick I am about to bestow on you works for books, too. Personally, I always give art supplies.

Whatever your gift -- art supplies (lovely sketchbook + new markers or colored pencils) or books or whatever -- the key to giving the "yay!" gift is ... I feel like I'm sharing how to bend steel with your mind ... when you wrap the gift, tie to the top, with the curly ribbon, some stickers (glitter stickers are even better) and a small, cheap, plastic toy. Could be a small sword or gun (you're going for "yay!"; you don't care about gun control right now), could be a fantastic Hotwheel, could be a horse, could be anything.

The young child will focus on the goodies on top (which cost you two bucks), drop the gift (art supplies, books), and crow loudly as the other children gaze with utter longing at their spinning-plastic-dog-pop or whatever. Think about the stuff your child always begs for as you're trying desperately to leave Toys-R-Us. This is when you answer that fantasy.

Now, I have bestowed my magical knowledge, and I must go make birthday dinner.