Children's Gift Basket Ideas (and Books) that Inspire Creativity

Just Add Imagination!

Remember the days when you played with a pot and a spoon and imagined that you were in a rock band? How about the times you tied a blanket around your shoulders and pretended to be a super hero? It seems to me that some of today’s toys take all of the “pretend” and “imagine” out of play. But this sort of play-time experience is exactly what our children need. In fact, creative play during childhood leads to better problem solving skills and the ability to “think out of the box” in adulthood.

Below are a few ideas for children’s gift baskets that inspire creativity and imaginative play. You can customize these ideas for your special little recipient; these ideas are focused primarily on the four- to eight-year-old age range. With a little bit of tweaking, you can make them work for your gift-giving needs.

• Ahoy, Mates! Pirate Basket – Use a treasure chest as your base. You can find cardboard versions in many novelty outlets. Include some treasure maps, a pirate hat or scarf, a flag, a play telescope, a compass, and some gold coins in a loot bag. As a finishing touch, for the younger crowd, try the book How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long and illustrated by David Shannon. Older children may prefer the Magic Tree House book #4 Pirates Past Noon by Mary Pope Osborne and the accompanying Magic Tree House Research Guide Pirates by Will Osborne and Mary Pope Osborne.

• Abracadabra! Magician Basket – Use a black top hat as your base. Add a plush white rabbit, a magic wand, a cape, a bow tie, some white gloves, a few small magic trick kits, and a how-to book of magic tricks for kids. Some great how-to books come from the Self-Working Magic series by Karl Fulves. Younger children will enjoy Arthur’s April Fool by Marc Brown or Franklin and the Magic Show by Sharon Jennings.