Latest / Whys & Finds / Christmas Gift for a Toddler Who Loves Animals
Transcript
- Ben: There's a toddler in your life who barks at every dog on the street. Or stretches up tall and says, "I'm a giraffe." The holidays are coming, and you need a gift. Where do you even start? Ellie: Welcome to Whys & Finds. I'm Ellie. Ben: And I'm Ben. Ellie: Today: what is a good Christmas gift for a toddler who loves animals? Ellie: I'd start with the animal itself. Not animals in general. The one this child loves. Then pick something they'll use every day, so that animal goes everywhere with them. A gift that's part of their day gets more use than one that sits on a shelf. Ben: Nice idea. But gift lists are full of animals. Cute ones, everywhere. Ellie: Sure. And many gift guides sort by age only, not by the child. Cute for everyone, made for no one in particular. That's the gift that can end up in the closet. Ben: Okay. So who the child is comes first. What does that mean for a two-year-old? Ellie: Three things. Their age. Their favorite animal. And what they do every day. Ben: Start with age. That's where a lot of gift guides start. Ellie: Right, so let's look at a real one. NAEYC, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, is a U.S. organization for early childhood educators. It has a page called "Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage." It lists toys for each age. But before the lists, it says: "keep in mind that each child develops at an individual pace." Ben: So the age on the box is a starting point. Not the answer. Ellie: Yes. The list is a guide. The child you're buying for decides. Ben: Fine. What's on NAEYC's list for an animal lover? Ellie: The list for one-year-olds has a group called things to pretend with. It names "stuffed toys" and "plastic animals." Puppets and dolls are there too. And puppets are on the list for two-year-olds as well. Ben: And at two? Ellie: About two-year-olds, NAEYC says they "have good control of their hands and fingers and like to do things with small objects." Ben: Small objects. So that's why pockets come home full of pebbles. Ellie: Pebbles, acorns, a tiny plastic cow. They pick things up, and they carry them around. Ben: Okay, second thing. The favorite animal. How do you find out, if it's not your kid? Ellie: Watch what they act out. A child who barks at the door, or stretches up tall like a giraffe, is telling you. And ask the parents. Which animal is in the drawings? In the bedtime books? In the bath? Ben: And if the parents say, "Oh, all of them"? Ellie: Then ask which one the child talks about. Or which sound they make the most. Ben: That's a very specific kind of research. Ellie: It's the useful kind. Ellie: Third: what the child does every day. Daycare, a trip to the grandparents, the park, the car. A lot of it means going somewhere. Ben: And taking the pebbles along. Ellie: Exactly. You said it yourself. They carry things. So a gift that holds their things, and has their animal on it, can go with them every day. Ben: Here's my worry, though. Isn't this just one more stuffed animal? A lot of toddlers already have a pile. Ellie: Fair. That's why I'd pick one that comes along. A plush in the pile often stays in the pile. A plush on their own bag goes to the park, to the car, to the grandparents. Ben: So the animal gets a job. Ellie: Yes. One practical option: Naturally KIDS makes a small backpack with a removable plush animal on the front. There's a dog, a giraffe, a frog and a teddy bear. Room for a snack and a treasure. Ben: How small is small? Ellie: 10 by 8 by 3 inches. The plush is 8 inches tall. The right size for a child's little shoulders. Ben: Okay. So the dog on the Naturally KIDS backpack comes out for a hug and goes back in. Ellie: Right. And when it's out, it sparks pretend play. The dog goes for a walk. The teddy bear has a picnic under the table. Ben: And the plush itself? Will it last past the first week? Ellie: It's a soft plush that stays soft and holds its shape hug after hug. Ben: And for under the tree? Ellie: It arrives gift-ready in a kraft box. Ben: Can I push back on something you said at the start? You said pick the animal this child loves. At two, that can change. Dogs one month, giraffes the next. Ellie: It can. Ben: So I wouldn't go by this week's animal. I'd go by the one that keeps coming back. The one in the drawings, the one in the books, the one they pretend to be. Ask the parents which one has lasted. Ellie: You're right. That's better than what I said. Not the animal of the week. The one that keeps coming back. That's the gift more likely to still get used later on. Ben: I'll take the win. Ellie: You earned it. Ellie: Now, a few different situations. If the favorite animal is a dinosaur or a unicorn, the same small backpack comes with a T-Rex, a triceratops or a unicorn. Ben: And if they already have a backpack they love? Ellie: Then give them more of the animal, not more bags. A puppet of that animal, say. Puppets are on NAEYC's lists too. Ben: And if the parents asked for no more toys? Ellie: Then give time together. Go and find that animal out in the world. The dogs at the park. The ducks on the pond. Ben: So the animal matters more than the thing. Ellie: It does. The thing just carries the animal. Ben: Okay, let me see if I've got it. One: start with the child, not the age on the box. NAEYC says each child develops at an individual pace. Two: NAEYC's list for one-year-olds names stuffed toys and plastic animals as things to pretend with. And it says two-year-olds like to do things with small objects. Three: find the animal that keeps coming back, not this week's. Ask the parents. Four: pick something they'll use every day, so that animal goes with them. And five: if they already have a bag, or the family wants no more toys, give a puppet of that animal, or time together looking for the real one. 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.