Gift ideas for birthdays

If your kid is a little socialite, you must be constantly looking for birthday gift ideas through the year. Having said that, every child is unique and the best gifts are dependent on their nature and temperament. To give you some inspiration, here's an age-wise gifting guide that should (hopefully) help you navigate the next course of parties. 0-2 years: For the first 3-6 months of their lives, their vision is still blurry. Also, some might start teething as early as 5 months. Hence, babies under 1 would fancy bright colored rattles, soft toys, teethers, floor gyms and fabric balls. Somewhere between their 1st & 2nd birthday when they are comfortable sitting up but still shaky on their feet, you can move on to stacking toys, push or pull-up toys, hammering sets, wooden puzzles with limited pieces and their first set of wheels. Also, while they're still too young to learn ABC's (or maybe not), they tend to love interactive speaking toys at this stage. 3-5 years: Technically known as the 'preschoolers', this age-group is more mobile, independent and see a tremendous burst in learning ability. Little girls start enjoying pretend play around this time so showering them with dolls, stuffed animals, dress-up clothes, accessories and kitchen sets would be a good idea. Boys, on the other hand are typically into balls, cars and musical instruments while moving on to construction toys and puzzles of greater complexity as they age. Art easels, Lego, puzzles and simple board games are generally suited to both genders. 6-8 years: By this time, most kids have a mind of their own. Their interests are specific which makes gifting easier, provided they don’t already have everything in the first place. Top toys for girls and boys are board games that include strategy (Junior Monopoly, Chess, Guess Who), computer and video games, science kits, crafting kits and sports equipments. Other unique ideas include a personalized jersey, a personalized journal, sewing kits for girls and Polaroid cameras for them both. Tweens: These 9-12 year olds are neither juvenile nor all grown-up, yet love to open presents! Think Bluetooth speakers, headphones, electronic gizmos and gadgets, personalized passport holders, adult Lego, Pokémon cards, necklaces, bracelets and jewelry boxes for girls, funky socks (why not!) and age-appropriate books. Teens: Exit happy, enter moody; what do teenagers like anyway? If you have a teen boy to buy for, consider clothing, sneakers, backpacks, caps, glares, watches and a Fitbit tracker, perhaps. Gifts for girls though, are as varied as the teen itself. Jewelry, clutches and totes for the fashionista; diaries, journals and books for the intellectual and fresh perfumes, scented candles and quirky room décor for the artist should cut it; more or less.