A: Thank you for this question! It is so easy to get swept up in the frenzy of buying “stuff,” so you should be commended for your commitment to choosing meaningful and useful gifts.

Building connections and secure attachments with children who have experienced trauma is critical to their healing, so you can never go wrong with gifting your time. If they enjoy sports, get tickets to watch a local sporting event. These don’t have to be expensive tickets to Nationals Park – there are minor league teams in the area as well as several college teams.

Similarly, if your child enjoys music or theater, there are many community theater and high school productions to choose from. Other experiences include trips to a museum, hiking at a local park, an afternoon of fishing, a trip to the bowling alle or escape room, or a “spa” day.

The possibilities are endless and the benefits of quality time with a caring adult are immeasurable.

Gift giving can also center around the strengths and passions of your child.

Too often our attention can default to kids’ challenges; it’s important to make the time and space to draw out their strengths. What are your child’s hobbies and interests? Budding artists will enjoy a case of art supplies or an easel with blank canvases. A fashionista might love sewing lessons with materials to design their own original styles. Your nature lover will delight in gardening tools, seed packets, and bug catchers. The tinkerer in your family can let their imagination run wild with some kid friendly tools and a bin of building materials. There is something for all types of interests and talents!

Finally, there are many toys and tools on the market that are not only fun, but also support healthy child development. Cooperative board games can enhance your family game nights. Swings, balance beams, slime, and weighted blankets can support sensory needs and integration. And timers, planners, games, and fidgets can help your children who struggle with attention, time management, and focus.

For more toy and play ideas, check out these curated lists of items to meet specific developmental needs:

For developmentally younger children, the National Association for the Education of Young Children lists Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage.

Discovery Toys offers a list of items that promote physical, sensory, developmental, and behavioral & emotional development.

The Be-Well Gift Guide for Dynamic Kids links to gifts that promote healthy habits and emotional regulation.

Regardless of the items you purchase for your children this holiday season, remember that it is often the small gestures and the human connection that breeds healing and growth for our foster, adoptive, and kinship families. Happy Holidays!

photo credit: freepik