3. Host a Sleepover

This is another idea from my friend Andrea.  She is a SUPER-MOM of three kids and it never ceases to amaze me where she gets all her never-ending energy from.  The idea is to host a fun sleepover for the kids as a gift.  Plan a fun dinner of their favourite foods, a night of cool movies, and let the kids stay up late and as an extra treat they can munch on their favourite junk snacks!  Works best if the gift giver has kids too so that they can all play and stay up together.  An added bonus is that it gives the other parents a night off without the kids, so they will be thanking you too!

2. The gift of an investment

This idea comes from my friend Andrea and is similar to something I've done for my god-sons.  The kids may not be jumping up and down for joy for this gift, but they will thank you later on when they realize how the money has grown!  The idea is to give the child an investment that will mature or be available to them when he or she is 19 (or whatever age you want to set).  I've set up a trust fund in the past for my god-sons, and instead of buying toys at Christmas and birthdays, I would deposit money into the trust funds.  The money is meant for them when they reach 19 and to be used for university or whatever they want to spend it on when the time comes.