Persephone Gift Guides 2012: For the Little Snot-Nosed Among Us

Okay, maybe not the most fair title, since I am currently quite full of cold-related snot myself, but come on, kids are reservoirs of snot. Just admit it.

I really, really love shopping for kids. First, they aren't able to afford their own stuff since they are too young to get a damn job and make themselves useful, so you don't have to worry about them already having bought themselves something, and secondly, kids are fickle in their attentions and will smother you with affection if you buy them stuff. Just watch out for the snot bubbles. This guide will deal with the younger kiddos; an older kids guide will follow shortly.

Clothing

Fair warning, this site — "Freddie Mercury !" Kids Clothes by San Ronan | Redbubble. — will lead you down a wormhole of awesomeness. There are about a zillion options for grown-ups and kids, and you can choose the color of the clothing for each design. What baby doesn't need this—

I cannot tell you how hard it was to pick one image to share. They have tons of Doctor Who options, the Muppets, Harry Potter, and on and on. Seriously, go check it out. It's amazeballs.

I Just Boldly Went – Baby Snapsuit.

That is hilarious. Just perfection.

Toys

I try to avoid buying toys when it comes to kids' stuff. Okay, I take that back. I try to avoid buying cheap plastic crap with a million tiny parts or that will break within the first five minutes of use. There are a ton of cool toys out there that kids LOVE that are also well made. One of my favorites is Melissa and Doug. They have tons of wooden toys, as well as fun art supplies/books/puzzles. While they can be a bit pricey in regular retail stores, Amazon has great deals, and you can often find them at Ross, Marshall's, TJ Maxx and the like.

Amazon.com: Melissa & Doug Wooden Sandwich-Making Set: Toys & Games.

Amazon.com: Melissa & Doug Food Groups: Toys & Games.

The little ones in my life, boys and girls, love to play kitchen. They love putting together plates of "food" and passing them around for everyone to enjoy. These two sets are just the beginning to a huge selection of items like this. Again, be sure to check Ross or other discount stores for the best deals on these.

Amazon.com: Melissa & Doug 100-Piece Wood Blocks Set: Toys & Games.

Blocks are a classic. You can never have too many blocks, in my opinion. Whether they are wooden or Lego, I have yet to meet a kid who doesn't enjoy blocks in one way or another. Some build beautiful palaces to house their dolls, some construct high walls to then demolish with cars or balls, and some kids just gnaw on them. Kids like blocks.

Amazon.com: Melissa & Doug Band in a Box: Toys & Games.

I grew up with big brothers who tortured the shit out of me on a regular basis. As payback, each of their children have or will receive this around their 2nd birthday:

Timing is important here, folks. If you get it before their 2nd birthday, they are not likely to play with it that often, or their parents may be able to hide it away because kids that young are easily manipulated and distracted. If you do it when they are three or four, they have pretty much figured out what their parents' boundaries are and know not to push too far past them. However, at age 2, they are manipulative little hell-beasts bent on the destruction of their parents' very last nerve. It is the perfect age for maximum revenge "music" making. What, like you all didn't already know I was an asshole? I have a long memory, my friends, and revenge truly is a dish best served cold. There is a reason that's a thing. When one of my brothers calls me, sounding weary and exhausted as the sound of rhythmic tambourines crashing against the kitchen cabinets in the background seeps through the phone line, I think, "That's for all those games of touch football that turned into tackle once I got the ball, motherfucker."

Dress Up/Pretend

Holy shit, this is adorable—

Little Girl Superhero Costume Tee and Pixie by LuckyNumberTutu.

That is adorable. The seller had Wonder Woman and Bat Girl, too.

 

We specialize in adventure making by superkidcapes on Etsy.

These are adorable and can be custom made for any kid in your life.

Handcrafted super capes for super kids by originalsupercapes.

This seller has TONS of cool capes to choose from

The Old Classic

If you are having trouble with gift ideas for kids, I have found that there is a tried and true, always adored gift — art supplies. A big box of crayons with the sharpener, markers, stacks of plain or colored construction paper, coloring books; they love it all.

And last, but certainly not least, and solely because I find them incredibly amusing—

Grillz Pacifier. Baby T-Rex Pacifier.