B a r b a r a s h e r I l L u s t r a t I o n s b y r a L p h

Games for 3- to 6-Year-Olds
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Gift 6
A magnifying glass is something no self-respecting five-year-old should be
without. Add a length of yarn and turn a small magnifying glass into a
necklace. I gave that to my child when she was five, and she wore it con-
stantly for weeks, checking out the whole world, up close and personal.
Gift 7
A ream of paper and a package of colored felt-tip pens is a dream gift. I can’t
imagine an up-and-coming artist, writer, or scribbler alive who wouldn’t
love five hundred sheets of paper and a package of pens all her own!
Gift 8
An assortment of colored ribbons can win a girl’s heart. Get a yard of each
of several colors and in a variety of materials, such as satin, velveteen, and
woven fibers. Then get a floral tin (or decorate a shoe box) to put them in,
along with a small pair of scissors.
Gift 9
Fill a tackle box or toolbox with a collection of small toys and other fun
and unusual items. (I have found interesting items in the toy section of
import shops.) Here are some examples:
Modeling clay
Spinning top
Package of farm animals
Package of craft sticks
Bottle of bubble solution
Squirting water toy
I did this for my twin grandsons when they were three years old and
labeled the box “Mama’s Five-Minute Break Box.” When Mom needed
some time to herself, she could pull one of these items from the box and
“take five.” The boys were equally delighted with the gear box!
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Attention Games
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Gift 10
My late husband would stop twice yearly at a large Salvation Army store
and ask for their broken costume jewelry. They would always give him a
large bag full, and our daughters found this an unending treasure of deco-
rative possibilities.
Gift 11
Of course, you can never go wrong buying your children books. It’s impos-
sible to overestimate the importance of books in a child’s development. A
child who is read to develops vocabulary and language more easily, has a
larger sense of the world around her, and, most important, feels cared for.
If you want to give your children true wealth, read to them.