When I think back to my childhood and the massive brawling Christmas's with a twin sister and four brothers, I remember the smell of turkey cooking, huddling over the floor register in the old farmhouse with my siblings, and the anticipation of a day filled with family. In large part, I remember the experiences, not the gifts.
My favorite received gifts, if I sift through my memory were a Goggly Eyes coloring book, new Nancy Drew books and one year a hard cover of Black Beauty. Books, books, books! As you search to find gifts for children in your life, large and small alike, turn to books. I remember curling up as a child, in a hidden corner, with a blanket and a good book many times. I went to far off lands and solved mysteries like the mystery in Avry and Atreus Save Christmas, one of the Marshmallow books. Written for ages 6-10, it is a captivating story that shows kindness really is the right answer, even for mean kids, and two heads can solve a mystery better than one.