I don’t know about you, but my kids sure must be popular! I can’t say I blame folks for liking them; my aim in raising them is to end up with some likeable offspring. However, the number of birthday parties to which they’re invited is starting to be a bit of a problem. Like a financial problem. As in I may need to sell one of those likeable offspring in order to pay for all the birthday gifts for parties the others are invited to.
My youngest is in kindergarten, the land of absolute democracy. That means that if anyone’s having a birthday party, the entire class has to be invited. Right there she’s got 19 parties a year to attend. She also attends daycare, so throw in another dozen or so. She also has this annoying habit of making friends with kids in the neighbourhood.
You can see that all of these gift requirements add up pretty quickly, and while I don’t begrudge the average 5 year old a toy or two to celebrate another year, I do hate that last-minute dash to the toystore en route to the party.
That’s why when I find a gift that I really like, I tend to stock up. And I’m about to share with you what may well be the perfect gift closet purchase for the kindergarten and grade school set.
Anouk’s Ark is a Canadian company founded by artist Anouk Bikkers. A few years ago, she published her Endangered Species Memory Game, and I encourage you to pick up a game for the child in your life.
The game is made up of 36 pairs of cards, and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. They’re kid-friendly while still accurate and adorable. The game’s packed with information about 36 endangered species, including their names, habitats, food and behaviour.
The game is Canadian-made, and makes a fantastic gift idea. Each game is only $30, and you can pick them up at toy stores across the country or order online. I’m thinking that if the birthday party isn’t for one of my little girl’s “besties”, that this might be a good gift option for a couple of little party guests to go in on (another bonus of the joint gift; you’re only responsible for wrapping every other time).
Anouk’s Ark also has two-in-one puzzles for $25, and they’re perfect for all the birthday party gifts you’re going to need this year. I’m also stocking up for daycare teachers and end of year gifts; these are wonderful additions to any teacher’s collection.