GIFT IDEAS FOR KIDS THAT ARE BETTER THAN HIGH FIVES

On your adventure, you’ll high five a ton of kids. Here are some gift ideas for those kids you meet along the way.

People will open their homes to you. It’s nice to have some gifts handy for them and their kids.

One of the great joys of adventure travel is the people you meet who invite you to share their lives for a moment. It enriches your understanding of a culture and the land you’re exploring and leaves you with experiences that will shape your trip. More often than not, many of the people you meet will be children, excitedly running from their houses to give you a high five, practice their English, and invite you in for tea. Often as travelers, we want to have gifts for these kids, some sort of token to remember the encounter by. Please stop giving the kids candy. If not candy though, what tokens can you carry that won’t cost too much when space is at a premium? Here are some gift ideas for kids that aren’t candy.

Stickers

Everyone loves stickers. They’re rad, and they take up virtually no weight or space in your bags. Try having stickers that are representative of your country, and you’ll spark a bit of curiosity and light up the faces of these young minds.

Postcards

Carrying postcards from home to give as gifts to kids and their families will go down smooth with your hosts. Plus as a bonus you can write them a thank you note on the back of the postcard, even if they don’t understand your language.

Flag pins

Anything with your country’s flag on it is going to go down pretty well.

You know those tiny lapel pins of a country’s flag you often see politicians wearing? Those make great gifts for kids. They’re tiny, lightweight, and definitely cool. Also, check with your local politician because you might be able to get a handful for free if you tell them about your trip and that you want to give them to kids along the way. No guarantees, but it’s worth a shot.

Photographs

This one might be less a gift idea for kids, and more an awesome thing to carry to share with hosts. I carry a photograph of my family back home, and when I show it to the people who take me in it builds a bridge over our differences. They all have families themselves, and showing a photo of your family, or your travels will likely be swiftly followed by their photo album appearing. It connects you and gives you so much insight into the lives of others.

Sharing experiences is one of the great joys of the world. It’s nice to have something to leave behind as a memento.

Coins

Carrying a handful of pennies or nickels will go down gangbusters with the kids along the way. They’re shiny and weird looking to them, so it’s a win all around. Plus we all have a bunch of coins lying around we’re never going to use, so it’s no real loss financially. I would say, however, you probably don’t want to carry too many because we all know they get heavy pretty quickly.

There you have it, a few small, easy to carry trinkets that will make you the talk of the town. Take these gift ideas for kids and run with them. Got a skill? Use it. Draw them a picture, teach them a song. Anything to make an impression because shared experiences are really what it’s all about.