We have a newly minted 7 year old in our home! It was so fun to gift these 7 year old boy’s birthday gifts to A yesterday on his special day. He was thrilled!
Experience: YES DAY
Have you ever seen the movie Yes Day? (There’s also this cute book called Yes Day along the same lines.) Essentially, the kids in this film are frustrated that their parents are making all the decisions and they feel they can’t do anything fun. So to give them some fun (and also teach them a bit about how much effort it is to do the planning and organizing), the parents plan a YES day – a day in which whatever the kids request, the parents say yes to.
There are a few caveats, of course – no asking for money, no traveling far away, etc. etc. But anything within reason is fair game.
Our kids have always loved the idea of this, and have on and off joked about how great it would be for a couple years, so we decided this year to make it happen. Each kid gets a YES day!
We’ll give them a budget (thinking probably around $100-125), and they get to choose everything about the day. Ice cream for breakfast? Sure! Rock climbing with a couple friends? Done! They just have to stay within the time and money allotment. This was, by FAR, what A was most excited about as far as gifts go – he’s talked about it nonstop since his birthday a couple days ago. I’m excited to see what they all decide.
Super Soaker Water Sprayer
A has been really excited about water play at a couple school activities, and has been wanting a big soaker for months. It’s not really seasonally appropriate, haha, but he was thrilled!
Book
I always gift my kids a book for each birthday and it’s so fun picking it out. A loves nonfiction tidbits, especially anything to do with animals, so I think he’ll spend lots of time poring over this Weird But True book. He loves these kinds of little factoids!
Game
Our kids played a few card games nonstop in the car and in different hotels this summer, and Grandpa Beck games are the perennial favorites. I’ve heard amazing things about Gnoming Around, and think A will love playing it with his siblings.
Friend Gifts
We had a very low-key, casual, and super fun party in the park with another little girl with whom A shares a birthday, and a few families kindly brought some gifts. Here are a few other gifts he received from friends that he received (and loved!) if you’re curious:
(These aren’t exact as they were purchased here in London, but similar!)
- Starlight Lantern
- Fingerprint Kit
- Scrabble Junior
- Mini Connect 4
- Geode
- Star Wars Lego Set
- Summertime Stories
- £20 mall gift card
- Watercolor book
