Gift Giving Ideas

Thank you for sponsoring a Taos kid for the holidays! We know there are lots of ways to  give for the holidays, and we are grateful you have chosen to give your support through SHINE (Sharing Hope - Interagency Network Effort).

The SHINE group is a collaboration of agencies now in their third year of ensuring kids in Taos have quality backpacks and school supplies for the school year and holiday gifts in the winter. SHINE partners include Twirl, Taos Behavioral Health, Saint James Episcopal Church, Common Grounds, Peñasco's SPOT, CYFD, SOMOS, and Sin Fronteras.. Each one of these providers works to make an impact on children and families in Taos.

On the list below, you will find some ideas for gift giving by age. This is a non-comprehensive list – we know boys can love pink, girls love dinosaurs and everything in-between… so have fun! 

Babies:

The best baby gifts stimulate their senses, and can withstand a good layer of drool. They include sensory toys, teething toys and play gyms, mats and tables. The best baby toys engage them, focusing on the contrast they are able to see or the sounds and movements they can make themselves.

1 year olds:

Favorite activities include pushing and pulling, putting things together and taking them apart and — yes — moving things in and out of boxes. Building blocks, activity centers, push, pull and ride on toys, stuffed animals and dolls, musical toys, puzzles and shape-sorters, and board books.

2 year olds:

Two-year-olds are using pretend play and love kitchen items, trucks and baby dolls to be part of the adult world. Developmental toys, sensory feedback (clay, play dough, thinking putty), outdoor toys, blocks and building toys (Magformers, train tracks, Duplo building blocks), dolls and stuffed animals, cars, trucks and vehicle play sets, chunky crayons, bath toys, and books.

3 year olds:

The best gifts for 3-year-olds will include plenty of opportunities to explore as toddlers grow and develop more imaginative play. Three-year-olds are highly social and love toys that help them practice tasks like dressing themselves. Dress up, imaginative play, building sets, puzzles, sensory toys, accessories, outdoor play, coloring and crafts, and books.

4-5 year olds:

Help their imaginations come alive! Four and five-year-olds are enthralled by storytelling, pretend play and exploration. They are becoming more social and love group play and games, so the best gifts for this age include classic board games and puzzles.

6-7 year olds:

Storytelling, writing, drawing detailed pictures, building and creating. Books, board games, robotics, sensory toys

8-9 year olds:

Eight and nine year olds are expressing their individuality. They are more physically adept, independent and sophisticated in their problem-solving. Imaginative play may now stretch over days or weeks and involve friends, creativity, and family game nights. Slacklines, outdoor play, tech accessories, and brain games. That means they’re ready for more complicated games and middle-grade novels, along with graphic novels and picture books. And as their writing and drawing skills improve, they'll want plenty of time with their own notebooks.

10-12 year olds:

Outdoor, STEM, board games, electronics, Tamagotchis, sensory and fidget toys, science kits, Pop Culture, book series’.

12-14 year olds:

Fidget toys, gravity mazes, board games, paint pens, craft and journaling supplies, science and astronomy models, stickers, water bottles, lip balm.

14-18 year olds:

Clothing and accessories, Tech – like cool headphones, beauty supplies, gamer gifts, sports and outdoor supplies.