9 on the 9th - Birthday GIfts for Kids

Welcome to the inaugural "All That Naz 9 on the 9th." Click here to learn how you can play along with me. And please remember, you can make your post to be a simple list, or you can expound on your list. Your choice.

My top 9 gift choices for a child's birthday

Having a four-year-old and a one-year-old means that weekends are usually reserved for Par-Tays. Birthday parties that is. Here are nine favorite gifts that the X-Factor and I like to give to help the birthday boy or girl celebrate the special day (I usually check with the parents first to make sure I'm not purchasing something that is already owned of a type of gift that is not needed). My goal when buying a gift is to find something that the child will love and that will not drive parents to the edge of sanity.

1) Books - I consider quality books a gift to both parent and child. The X-Factor and I both get excited when she receives a book, and we love time spent in the library or local book store. My favorite books to give to little girls are My Child, My Princess, Beth Moore; A Little Girl After God's Own Heart, Elizabeth George; and any book from the series "My First Little House Books." As for gender neutral books, one can never go wrong with children's books by Dr. Seuss, Max Lucado, and Margaret Wise Brown. And for you bargain hunters, check out Kohls for book deals.

2) Puzzles - Educational and fun for all ages. The X-Factor and I spent hours working on a life-size Belle. She was in love. Leap frog, Infantino, and Melissa and Doug also make outstanding puzzles (except the Melissa and Doug floor puzzle map of the US has some serious geographical issues).

3) Blocks - Wooden or the jumbo Duplo's that lock together are both fantastic, but wooden are my favorite. They can be used to build towers and words.

4) Art & Craft Supplies - Rolls of paper, washable paints and markers, smocks, paint brushes, stickers, art sets, craft sets, pompoms, and other artsy& crafty tools make fantastic presents. Once I bought some craft necessities and put them in a cute container that the child could decorate herself. Mess free art supplies like the Color Wonder(TM) kits from Crayola(c) tend to be a parent favorite.

5) Gift Cards to Some Place Fun - While it is not always the most fun to open, what child wouldn't love a visit to Chuck E Cheese, McDonalds, Chick-Fil-A, zoo, or other local fun spot. The X-factor once received tickets to ride a carousel at our local mall and a gift certificate to an ice cream shop.

6) Board Games - It doesn't get better than family fun. I love a good game of Hi-Ho Cherry-O, CandyLand, and Pretty, Pretty Princess. I tend to avoid noisy games and games with lots of extra parts and pieces.

7) Realistic Looking Fake Food - Both of my kiddos love to play with fake food. Since kids are drawn to objects that look real, I prefer to buy food that looks like the real stuff, but is impossible for the child to chomp. My local Dollar Tree sells some fantastic looking fake fruit and veggies. Avoid the grapes of course, but the apples, avocados, pears, carrots, and tomatoes grow fabulously in a pretend garden. One idea is to buy a few items and put them in a cute little basket, you could even add gardening tools.

8) The unexpected - Gifts that are atypical for birthday parties or don't seem to fit the birthday party budget are great buys. One way to do this is finding a toy on super sale. A few months ago, Toys R Us had a buy one get one free deal on Little Tykes Toys. I've also found $30 Fisher Price toys like "Little People" sets at Dollar General and other closeout stores for $10-$15. Another out of the ordinary gift that was a big hit was a giant bouncing ball. I wouldn't choose this gift for an apartment dwelling family, but for active kids who have a nice big yard, go for. Even more fun than that ball was placing it in a huge box. The child was thrilled to see such a huge package and then the box itself also became a toy.

9) Accessories - While I am a sucker for kids clothing, I usually don't buy it for birthday presents unless I include something the child thinks is fun or if the child loves clothing. There are some pretty trendy little fashioniestas among us. However, accessories are usually needed and appreciated by parent and child. Sun hats, ball caps, hair bows, slippers, shoes/flip-flops, umbrella's, socks, and jackets make great gifts on their own of as part of a package.