Book Gifts For Kids They Will Cherish Forever
Book gifts for kids is always my top choice when I am choosing a present! This is the best gift because it doesn’t just give them a fun time of reading it, it nurtures the love and reading can foster life long connections with the story.
Books can be mirrors or windows. This means that they can reflect experiences similar to the readers’ life like a mirror or they can be a window into the unknown and expose them to something new and exciting. Reading together gives children information to explore and understand the world around them.
Choosing book gifts for kids
So you want to gift a sweet new baby or a rambunctious toddler a wonderful book to enjoy, but maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by how many choices there are to pick between?
Let’s narrow it down!
Options to think about when picking a board book or picture book present:
- A topic you know is important to the parents- for example if they are huge hockey fans or lovers of elephants, they will love to share a book about something they are passionate about with their child
- A topic that you enjoy! If the parents know you as the friend who loves all ocean animals, reading a book about fish from you will make them think of you every time
- A book with a welcome message- many baby books have a sweet message welcoming the child to the world, these are also great to write an inscription in the front from you to the baby
- A goodnight book- there are always so many loving options for parents to share with their kids at bedtime
- A stuffed animal that you want to give and pair it with a coordinating book *I am going to be sharing some of my favorites book buddy pairs with stuffed animals that I crocheted!
Check out these blog posts for specific themed book recommendations!
Giraffes Can’t Dance is a beautiful story kids love to read over and over. It pairs perfectly with a handmade giraffe snugger.
Is a book a good gift?
Feeling silly to buy a book for a newborn who can’t read the book or even hold it? Well, I think a book is one of the best gifts you can give to children of all ages, for so many reasons!
It is beneficial for babies to look at pictures and colors in books. They also love to touch and feel them! Board books are special thick pages designed for little hands to be able to turn them.
Do you know there are even indestructible books created to withstand babies trying to chew and play with them? There are also so many varieties of sensory books that have taken “touch and feel books” to a whole new level!
Kids love to touch these interactive features while listening to a fun story!
If there is a book that sparks joy in you, it is a wonderful thing to share that with someone else.
A book for a baby or child can provide an opportunity for their guardian to spend time with them and share the joy of reading the book.
Space lovers cannot get enough of If You Had Your Birthday Party on The Moon! My son not only loves to act out being in space but he loves using this astronaut buddy toy to imagine blasting off with him.
Why do babies need books?
Babies are looking for ways to interact with the wonderful people around them! Reading together exposes them to communication and TONS of words.
Many children books are written to expose kids to important concepts such as numbers, letters, colors, and shapes in a fun way. It is a great way to practice these and start associations.
Reading with children also builds listening, memory, and vocabulary skills.
Stories can help your child get to know sounds, words and language, and begin early development of literacy skills. Introduce your child to the value of books and stories at a young age to foster a love of stories and reading.
The classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar pairs perfectly with this hungry ceterpillar stuffie and soft plush butterfly snuggler. Both are available in my crochet store here!
Why pair up a stuffed animal with a book? THE BEST GIFT!
Brings the story and characters to life
Kids get to hold a 3D version of the character while they are looking at the picture and listening to a story about it. This develops a personal connection to what is happening in the text.
Gives child something to hold or play with do with their hands while reading, the younger the child the shorter the attention span to listen to a story so having an associated toy to keep their little hands busy will encourage them to sit and listen to the story.
A matching snuggler can extend the character into imaginary play! Trust me I have seen first hand how much my kids latch on to a character from a story and having a toy representation allows that character to go everywhere with them like to the park, on a rocketship to the moon, or even to snuggle together in bed.
Give meaning to a toy by giving them a story and the enjoyable memory of being part of story time with an important adult.
Do you know a sports lover that loves to play so much they would actually cuddle the ball? No need, they can cuddly these soft cuddly football and baseball turtles instead! These pairings make amazing baby shower gifts! Check out Goodnight Football and Let’s Play Baseball on Amazon.
Are board books worth it?
When I was a new parent I always thought oh no a board book they are only going to read those as babies!! FALSE. My 4 year still picks board books for bedtime most nights.
Board books do not HAVE to mean a babyish book. Often traditional picture book stories are put into board books for little hands to hold while enjoying the story. So even though the child gets older, they can still enjoy the story and they don’t care if the pages are stiff verse soft!
Tips for reading with a baby
-pick books with bright colors or contrasting colors or photographs
– choose books with familiar animals or objects
-let them choose! Put out a pile or keep the bookshelf at a height they can reach the books safely
– if they want to flip the pages and not hear all of the words it is OK → it is most important that they enjoy the reading experience rather than hear every detail of the story
– talk about what you see, point to things in the picture, ask them questions or to point
-use voices for animals or characters to make the experience fun and interactive
-use hand motions where appropriate to make sounds or act out a part of the story
-make reading together a part of your daily routine
Read about gardening while the baby shakes a soft flower rattle. Perfect for introducing gardening or a spring baby. Two of our favorites are Planting a Rainbow and The Little Gardener.
Tips for reading with small children
-sit in a comfy spot or lay out a special blanket to sit on together
-let them be in charge or turning the pages even if that means not getting to finish all the words on the page
-point out things in the pictures
-model thinking about the story “aw, peter must feel sad that he lost his toy”
– make connections to their life “This birthday cake reminds me of the birthday cake we had for Aunt Sally last month!”
-notice feelings and emotions–> point out facial expressions of characters, talk about how you would feel if that happened to you
-make reading a fun exciting part of the day not just for bedtime, make storytime a daily activity
-mix up the type of book →educational, animal, magical, holiday, etc.
Pair Twinkle Twinkle Robot Beep with a snuggly robot!
Making reading with a child more interactive
- Ask them to point to things on the page depending on age that could be something purple or what they are eating for breakfast
- Ask them to identify the setting (where they are) and what clues they see in the pictures
- React together when the character feels something- clap for good things, say aw oh no for sad things
- Ask them what they think will happen next
- Make up voices for the different characters together
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