Unless it’s my own child, I rarely give toys for one and two year old birthday presents. I figure the child’s parents and grandparents have probably spoiled them with toys galore, so I like to go the practical route! The toddler doesn’t know any different, and the parents appreciate it greatly.
I got this gift idea from a mom/food blogger who always used these divided trays to display her creative toddler meals. The bite-sized pieces always looked so appealing on them and – what I like even more – they didn’t have superheroes or ballerinas like most toddler plates out there! They are modern and clean:
The BPA-free plates come in pink, purple, red and blue. After using them for several months, I can attest that they hold up great through the dishwasher, too.
The nice thing is that they are from Target. The awesome thing is that you can get four of them for under $5.00. Yes, $5.00!
Now $5.00 may seem like a “cheapo” gift to some, but I truly believe that a gift’s significance has nothing to do with it’s price, but with it’s thoughtfulness instead.
Frankly, I think the giving of birthday gifts has gotten a little out of hand: if you spend $30-40 one every niece, nephew, cousin, and classmate out there, you are spending a boatload of money on birthday presents! Some people have offset this craziness by saying “no gifts” on birthday invitations, but I have issues with that on occasion, too. (More on that in another blog post!)
Bottom line: yes, there are great $30-40 presents out there, but there are $10-15 that are just as cute and thoughtful for the little ones. I will be posting more examples soon!
And if you absolutely feel you must add something to this toddler plate gift then a set of utensils or a healthy toddler cookbook would be super cute with them! I love the weelicious one:
Wrapped up with some ribbon and a little card, you have an easy gift for a one or two year old that can be put together on the way to the birthday party. (Not while driving, though!)
I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue: does price matter when giving a gift?? Comment below!
Happy Giving!
Sources:
Plates: Target (in store only)
Ribbon: Target (in store only)
Cookbook: Amazon
Perfect idea. In my house, new dishware is an exciting thing! Thanks for the good idea for gifting it as well!
I love these plates. FYI – they are actually called “trays” by Target, found in the regular plate/utensil section at Target (not the baby aisle). Enjoy and thanks for commenting! It’s so much fun to get comments:)!
I am in love with this idea!! My sister is so hard to shop for and this would be perfect!!!
So glad you like this! And thanks for commenting!