If you are spending Xmas day away from home this year, it can be tricky trying to work out which gifts to take with you - particularly so if you are flying anywhere!
Airlines often have strict luggage weight and size allowances, not to mention babies and young children often don't have their own luggage allowance, so you are already sharing a suitcase. Whatever your mode of transport, it can be hard to find gifts that are exciting for little ones, whilst also being lightweight and flexible!
Here are some of the gift ideas I came up with for Arthur - luckily he can't yet read so this wont spoil a thing!
There are also some great tips for memorable travel with children here.
Clothes:
Although they aren't especially exciting for a baby/toddler, clothes area great way of taking some items with you that you may need, whilst also creating a present for your child to open on Xmas day. They can be squashed into a suitcase, bag or car without worry of breaking them!
Here are some items I love which I would wrap and pack for Arthur:
(photos courtesy of Mamas and Papas)
I love these two outfits for Xmas day, or boxing day - smart, but also comfy, with removable layers which still look great for any ad-hoc photos! Even better now that he is walking.
(photos courtesy of The White Company)
We already have a check flannel sleepsuit of this style for Arthur and he looks so cute in it - it is definitely one of my favourites and they even have gorgeous little pockets on the bottom!! (This definitely came in handy when Arthur tried to crawl somewhere he shouldn't one day and I was able to quickly grab the pocket!) - I love both of these colours, I'm not sure which I would prefer to wrap up and give him!
Sensory Treasure Box:
If you have read my blog posts before then you will know that I have already bought lots of different sensory items for Arthur in the past, ( click here to read my baby sensory toddler sensory post) so this treasure box is really to give him some items that he will enjoy playing with which are tailored to his interests!
He loves to open and close containers with lids, so the Xmas box to keep everything inside really was a must! (Originally I was just going to put everything in a stocking)
Inside Arthur's box I have included the following:
- Pale blue foil tissue paper - he loves his space blanket, but this is on a smaller scale, but equally as shiny and scrunchy!
- A credit card wallet/holder - Inside there is a photo of me on one side and a photo of his Daddy on the other. He loves to look at photos on my phone, or in an album and points and says 'mama' or 'dada' - this means he has his very own to look at when he wants to.
- Mini blue bucket - we have a big one of these next to his play area which is filled with his toys, this means we can keep a bit of familiarity away from home and also opens up comparisons of size so that we can introduce 'big' and 'small' language.
- Slinky - I really wanted a mini one of these but I couldn't find one in time, so a big one will have to do - I've no doubt it will get tangled in no time! He played with a mini one at a baby class we attend and was obsessed!
- Tangle teaser - Arthur loves to watch me brush my hair and he takes the brush and tries to brush his own hair, the bristles on this are soft and are great for exploring!
- Plastic spiral hairbands - I originally had these for my hair and he loves to pull them, put them on his fingers and toes and explore, so naturally a few made their way into his box.
- A material makeup sponge - this feels lovely and soft and I am interest to see whether he makes any connections after watching me put my makeup on!
- Travel toothbrush - he loves to open and close things, so the flip on this is perfect! Again, it is a real life object that he is familiar with and goes along with his current interest in brushes.
- Silicone frog glove - this is actually for holding hot plates, but i think it makes a great puppet and being silicone, it is also teeth friendly!
- Star wand - Arthur has a real interest in stars. It was his first word, and he notices them in his environment all the time. He loves to point them out and say 'star', so this was an obvious choice - it is a great distraction when he is being resistant to a nappy change!
Soft toys:
(photos courtesy of Ikea)
Soft toys are a great choice as they are squashable and lightweight. I have gone with the non - obvious here, rather than a teddy or a doll I have bought Arthur some fruit and vegetable baskets. These are great if you have a child who is at the single word naming stage as you can take out each item and name them. For older children, distinguishing between fruits and vegetables is also another option. Fantastic resources for role play and make-believe, and of course, for Arthur, will satisfy his need to take toys out of a container and put them back in again!
The finger puppets are small, but really cute and will open up endless possibilities for stories and games with your little one, as well as helping with naming certain animals and adding an animal sound to go along side them!
So there we have it, just a couple of ideas if you are spending Xmas day elsewhere, to make things a little lighter!
Do you have any other ideas? Leave me a comment below...
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