Birthday gift ideas

Here's a list I was given years ago from the best Kindy teacher in the whole wide world, Patti Connolly.  I've kept it and refer to it often for gift inspiration.

• Tool box- with small real hand tools, nails, screws, sandpaper, pieces of wood...
• Sewing basket- filled with  pin cushion, pins, scissors, threads, embroidery floss... 
• Basket of materials- felt, wool, cotton... 
• Arts & Crafts- drawing paper, beeswax crayons, tape, scissors, clay, construction paper, glue stick, modeling beeswax... 
• Treasure bag- filled with marbles, crystals, geodes, buttons, polished stones, acorns... 
• Candle and candle holder for bedtime. 
• Gardening tools with seed packets, hand trowel, shovel, rake... 
• A tree or rosebush 
• Dress-up materials- silk squares, felt crown, shiny trim, cheesecloth square... 
• Clothespins for making playhouses with large cloth lengths 
• A fine china tea set 
• Wooden bowls and spoons 
• Cookie cutters, rolling pin, measuring spoons, mixing bowl... 
• An apron for working or dress ups... 
• A beautiful kite 
• Jumprope - with a handmade book of jump rhymes
• A big ball of yarn with little presents hidden within (marbles, hairclips...) 
• Rounds of wood cut from logs- tree blocks 
• Plain wooden blocks, trucks or trains 
• Wooden plank and a tree stump 
• Small plant and watering can   

I have found time and again the simple or handmade toys are the ones that children love giving and receiving the most.  And a wrapped present is so much more fun to open than a gift bag- even though I've certainly been known to give those when time is sparse!  

A gift we've given quite often this year and has been a hit is a pack of paintbrushes, paints and a plain bird house.