5 Ways to Spoil Your Nieces and Nephews

Toot loves to be spoiled by her Aunt Kelly. She doesn’t even care that Aunt Kelly is not even related to us. She just knows Aunt Kelly comes to visit for the weekend sometimes and she brings gifts and wants to play!

Kelly is one of my best friends and does not have her own kids to spoil yet. So she likes to spend all of her money on Toot and our other friend’s son. Kelly is also a writer and a blogger over at The Procrastinating Novelist. She wrote a guest post for us about how to spoil your nieces and nephews! So without further ado, I give you Toot’s Aunt Kelly.

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I’m at that age when all of my friends are getting married and having babies. I’m a little behind the pack at the moment, and so I live vicariously through those friends at the moment. While I’m waiting for my own little ones, I am having a lot of fun being the awesome aunt. For my part, I have a ‘niece’ and a ‘nephew’ whom I love dearly, and for whom I would do (or buy) just about anything. And with Christmas fast approaching, I need a lot of different ideas. To that end, here are five categories I prefer to choose from.

Global Gifts

It’s never too early to teach a baby about the world. There are many options to choose from, and these are two of my favorites. The B. Global Glowball Musical Toy is something a baby can roll around and play music from around the world. There are 39 songs from 6 continents. The Laugh & Learn Greetings Globe teaches baby key phrases in several different languages. This toy also comes with an interactive story and three levels of play to grow with baby. Unlike the Glowball, this globe is fixed to its base. As a lover of languages, I would probably prefer the Laugh & Learn.

Her favorite stacking cups that Aunt Kelly kept knocking over.

Puzzles

Sometimes, it’s fun to confuse kids, just for the heck of it. Okay, it’s actually fun to help kids figure out how to solve problems by introducing them to puzzles. There are all kinds of different brands to choose from, but you can’t go wrong if you pick something designed by Melissa and Doug. You can choose a literal puzzle like a wooden jigsaw set, or you can go for a kind of brainteaser. So long as the little one is stimulated, you’re doing well.

Books

When it comes to reading, I say start them as young as you can. I would suggest board books for the younger children (6 mo – 2 yrs), as they’ll hopefully last a little longer. Touch and Feel books (like this or this) are also recommended for the younger set. This helps them learn about different textures in a safe way. However, don’t be afraid to plan for the future. I particularly like this book about dragons and tacos; two of my favorite things.

Actual onesie that Toot owns

Clothes

There are also arguments to be made for helping your niece or nephew greet the world in style. You can choose clothes that let everyone know what an awesome aunt the little tyke has, or extols his or her nerdy side. It can also be fun to dress them like tiny adults and see what they look like in little leggings or suits. When it comes to babies and clothes, it’s usually best to go big. This is not only so baby can grow into them, but also because it can be difficult to find clothes that fit all 6-month-olds (or whatever age) the same.

Stuffed Animals

I’m personally a big believer in a ridiculous amount of stuffed animals. And really, the softer, the better. Now, if you know any toddlers at the moment, they’re probably fans of things like Doc McStuffins, Daniel Tiger, The Wiggles or (in one specific young child’s case) Zootopia. The best thing about popular TV shows and movies is that they are big on multi-level marketing, so you can definitely find stuffed animals based on these programs. If you don’t feel like getting too specific, I reiterate that you find the softest toy you can. Something like this cute lamb would be a good idea.

Now, as all my fellow awesome aunts can tell you, every niece and nephew are different. What one may like, the other may ignore completely. In that case, there’s one fail-safe present you can always fall back on. It’s also the cheapest option, and it’s simply your presence. Playing with your niece or nephew is fun for everyone involved. And if you just so happen to wind him or her up to the point where mom and dad can’t get them to bed, well, that just means you’re succeeding in your auntly duties.

Are you a cool aunt that likes to spoil?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Kelly writes fantasy and sci-fi novels for adults and young adults and blogs at The Procrastinating Novelist. She lives in the Midwest with her cats, Firefly and Dragonfly, who detest each other.

Follow her on Twitter or Facebook.