Brian Jenkins asked:
Are you looking for a gift for a child and not sure what to get? Kids stationery is a surprisingly welcome gift for a child of any age, something most children are not even aware that they want until they get their own. Believe it or not, kids buy stationery products for themselves all the time – notebooks with cool covers, stickers, novelty pencils and pens. Boys and girls both love unusual stationery gifts, but most of them never think of buying kids stationery sets for themselves. Why is kids’ stationery such a great gift for a child? Here are some reasons that kids will love a gift of stationery on many different occasions – with suggestions for special stationery gifts by age group.
Kids love to express their personalities.
Walk down the stationery aisle in any store and take note of all the stationery products aimed at kids. You’ll notice dozens of different styles of notebooks – decorative covers, unusual shapes, different colored papers – as well as memo pads, pencil boxes, novelty pens and rolls of stickers. Kid’s stationery sets are an inexpensive way to give a child a gift that says you see and appreciate the unique personality that they are.
Kids HAVE to write thank you notes.
The process is much less tedious when they have fun and unique stationery on which to write. You can help encourage a lifelong habit that will stand them in good stead as they get older. Did you know that hiring managers in hundreds of companies say that an applicant that takes the time to send a thank you note after an interview stands out in their mind as more qualified? Just think – the gift you give can help a child get a job in the future.
Personalized stationery makes writing letters more fun for kids.
Writing letters is not, as many would have you believe, a lost art. It’s an art well worth learning, because letters bring joy to so many people. Personalized stationery in a design that expresses their personality will encourage kids to write letters to friends and family.
Stationery gifts that include writing paper, a matching pen and stickers are just fun.
Girls especially love stationery kits that include matching pens and stickers. There’s something very grown up about a boxed set of stationery that includes writing paper, matching note cards and post cards.
A gift of personalized, professional stationery is an excellent gift for a high school or college graduate.
High quality stationery engraved or thermal printed with name and address is an excellent gift for a graduate getting ready to enter the job market. Professional looking stationery is a gift that says “Welcome to the adult world, kid”.
Ages to 5 – Yes, you can buy stationery for children even in the preschool range. Littler kids love ‘writing’ to grandma and favorite aunts and uncles long before they can write. Choose a ‘grown-up gift’ of boxed stationery in a design that has a colorful border, and add a box of crayons. Younger kids will love having a built-in picture frame for their masterpieces, complete with matching envelope so that they can send them to their favorite people.
Ages 5-8 – Remember the dreaded thank you note ritual? You can make it far less painful and help instill a good habit with stationery that makes it fun to write. Pick stationery that matches the child’s personality – there are literally hundreds of prints and styles available, so it’s not hard to find puppies and kitties for the cute enthusiast or basketballs and baseball bats for the sports lover.
Ages 9-12 – Encourage the habit of writing by giving children in this age group personalized stationery. Kids in this age group love things printed with their names, from mirrors to bike tags. There’s something magical about stationery printed with your very own name. This is also the time to encourage writing letters for more than ‘thank you’ notes. Encourage them to write by writing letters to them yourself so that they learn how very special it feels to receive a hand-written note addressed to them.
Choose printed note cards with matching envelopes for this age group. They’re much less intimidating than trying to fill a whole sheet of note paper with a note.
Teens – Teens tend to fall out of the habit of writing letters as they learn other ways to communicate via text messages, online instant messengers and email. This is a great time to reinforce the habit of thank you notes with personalized thank notes. Girls and boys alike will find many uses for fold-over personalized note cards and post cards, and a gift of personalized stationery will encourage kids away at summer camp to take a few moments to write home while they’re gone.
Stationery may seem like an old-fashioned gift in these computerized and connected days, but it can be surprisingly welcome. Next time you’re looking for a gift for that special child in your life, wander through an online stationery catalog and see what you can find.
