Latest / Whys & Finds / Christmas Gift to Mail to a Grandchild Far Away
Transcript
- Ben: Your grandchild lives a long plane ride away. You won't be there when they open it. And you're picking a gift for a kid you last saw when they were a lot smaller. What do you even put in the box? Ellie: Welcome to Whys & Finds. I'm Ellie. Ben: And I'm Ben. Ellie: Today: what Christmas gift can grandparents mail to a toddler who lives far away? Ellie: From what I've read, a gift that travels well does three things. It arrives ready to give, so the parents don't have to wrap it or put it together. It matches what the child is into right now, not what they loved in your last photo. And it gives the two of you something to play with on a call. Ben: Three things. That's a lot to ask of one box. Ellie: A lot of gift lists start with the toy. When you're far away, I'd start with the child. Ben: Meaning what? Ellie: Mississippi State University Extension is a university service for families. It has a short guide on choosing toys for young children. The first line says: "When choosing toys for your child, it is necessary to consider the child's age." Ben: That sounds obvious. Ellie: It is, when you see them every week. From far away, the age in your head can be a year old. A toddler can change a lot in a year. Ben: Fair. In the last photo the little one couldn't climb the stairs. Now the parents say the kid climbs everything. Ellie: That's the trap. You shop for the kid in your memory. Ben: Okay. So what does the guide actually list for a two-year-old? Ellie: Picture books. Dolls and accessories. Dress-up clothes. And one more you'll like: "Large cardboard boxes." Ben: Wait. Cardboard boxes are on the list? Ellie: For 2-year-olds, yes. Right there with the picture books. Ben: So the box I mail it in is part of the fun. Ellie: It could be. Your grandchild might climb right in while you're on the call. Ben: So the box can stay. Ellie: Let it stay. But don't send only the box. Ben: Here's the real problem for a grandparent. You can't see your grandchild. You're buying from a picture. Ellie: That's where a mailed gift can miss. A picture doesn't show you the child. So I'd send a message to the parents before you buy. Three questions. What does the child play with every day right now? Which animal do they love this month? And what does the family already have too much of? Ben: The last one is smart. A third toy truck isn't much of a gift. Ellie: Exactly. From far away you can't see the toy shelf. The parents can. Ben: And then? Ellie: Then you pick one gift that fits all three answers. Not five different things. Ben: Why not five? More to open. Ellie: Five different things in one box can get lost in the paper. One gift the child uses every day can come up on your calls. Ben: Okay. Say the parents tell you the little one carries things around all day. Their snack, their cars, a rock from the park. Ellie: Then I'd look at a small backpack with a plush animal on the front. One practical option: Naturally KIDS makes one. It arrives gift-ready in a kraft box, so the parents don't have to box it up again. Ben: And inside? Ellie: Room for a snack and a treasure. Padded, adjustable straps and an easy zipper small hands open on their own. The plush is removable. Your grandchild can take it out, make it talk, and put it back. Ben: How big is it? Ellie: The small one is 10 by 8 by 3 inches. Ben: And if you want more in the box? Ellie: There are sets too, with a dinosaur or a unicorn backpack: the backpack, a 9-inch toy and 4 mini toys in one box. The minis are made so a child's hand can grab one and hold on. Ben: Okay, here's what I like. The Naturally KIDS plush can come to the phone. The little one holds up the T-Rex, and the T-Rex says hello. Ellie: That's the part that works from far away. Ask where the T-Rex is going today. They pack it a snack. It goes on a trip to grandma's. You play the game together from two different houses. Ben: And from far away, how do you know how other families rate it? Ellie: Naturally KIDS has more than 27,000 ratings on Amazon, with a 4.8 average. Ben: And when it needs a wash? It will. Ellie: You can machine wash the backpack in cold water on a gentle cycle. Ben: Let me disagree with one thing. We both keep coming back to the call. A two-year-old on a call can look at the screen, wave, and run off. Ellie: Some calls go like that. Ben: So don't pick the gift for the call. Pick it for their day. The call is up to the parents. Ellie: That's fair. You're right on that one. The gift has to work on the days you don't call at all. They pack it, carry it, play with the T-Rex at home. Ben: And if they show it to you on a call, that's a bonus. Ellie: A bonus. And the parents decide when and how long. Ellie: Now, a few different situations. If the parents say no more toys in the house, send a picture book. It's on the same list. Read it together on the call, page by page. Ben: And the little one turns the pages on their end. Ellie: Yes, if you keep a copy for yourself. If the child loves a different animal, the same small backpack comes with a dog, a giraffe, a frog or a teddy bear. Ben: And if they're the dress-up kind? Ellie: Then dress-up clothes. They're on the guide's list too. A hat and a cape can turn into a whole game on a video call. Ben: And if the family is coming to visit for the holidays? Ellie: Then don't mail it. Keep it, and watch them open it. Ben: So you start from the child, not from the box. Ellie: That's it. Ben: Okay, let me see if I've got it. One: Mississippi State University Extension says it is necessary to consider the child's age. From far away, check the age you have in your head. Two: for 2-year-olds, its guide lists picture books, dolls, dress-up clothes, and even large cardboard boxes. Three: before you buy, ask the parents what the child plays with, which animal they love, and what the family already has too much of. Four: pick one gift that arrives ready to give. And five: pick it for their everyday, not for the call. If they show it to you on a call, that's a bonus. Ellie: You've got it. Ellie: That's it for today. A reminder: the voices in this episode are AI-generated. Whys & Finds is made by Naturally KIDS. Ellie: That's today's why. See you at the next find.