Special Guest Post: A former buyer for Bloomingdale's and Barney's, Grace Kang founded Pink Olive out of her passion for finding unique items for gifting her nieces and nephews. Grace is a proud Auntie by Relation to seven, and Auntie by Choice to 20 lucky nieces and nephews! Pink Olive is a whimsical boutique filled with beautiful gifts that make would make any niece or nephew smile. Here are some of Pink Olive-approved tips to make toddler gifting fun, easy and personalized to the little ones you love:

The hardest part of buying gifts for your newborn nieces and nephews is the sheer number of options available. Do you get them clothes, books, furniture or toys? Do you get something cute or something purely functional? Once you’ve determined what type of gift you’re looking for, it really comes down to what you think the parents would like as well.

Buying presents for toddlers, however, can be much harder because you must also account for the child’s tastes as well as his or her ever-growing list of skills and interests. Toddlers are old enough to begin making decisions about what they like to wear and what they want to play with. Figuring out what your favorite toddler might like and matching your gift to the tough critic can be a challenge, but nothing that a Savvy Auntie can't handle!

Individuality rules
Toddlers’ newfound sense of individuality is a great trait to play off of when shopping for your niece or nephew. Whether you choose clothes to match their style or accessories that express their every whim, you will get major kudos for identifying their personality. Is he or she a smart cookie? An adventurer/ explorer? Maybe a foodie in the making? Once you’ve figured out what they’re interested in, you will have a much easier time picking out your gift. Craft and activity books are good gifts for even the hardest to shop for because they allow children to make items that are completely unique to them. Interactive toys and games are also great because the entire family can participate and bond with them. You can also encourage artistic expression with nontoxic/washable markers, pencils or crayons and a coloring book.

Play-sets and dress-up
Another fun way to get toddlers’ imaginations going and support their creative side is to get an assortment of dress-up or play kits (applicable for both boys and girls). Well-constructed and high-quality sets will last longer than cheaper ones so choose wisely! These sets can even make great decorative objects for a bedroom or play room. Again, be observant of your niece's or nephew's interests. If he or she gravitates toward adults when they’re cooking, it’s a safe bet that a kitchen set of their own would be a good gift. If they like to hear you tell stories from work, give them coordinating ties and heels to play off of that interest. Kits from companies like Playmobile and Lego enable kids to create entire worlds for themselves.

Encouraging mini-scholars
Many kids are beginning to read and write, this is one of the most exciting times in their learning careers! Celebrate this exciting time by giving books they can read themselves, or activity books that encourage expression of various kinds. Push the limits and get them books that they can strive toward reading in the near future. After all, what are Aunties for? Books with meaningful, lasting messages make great gifts that the child will cherish for years. Who doesn’t fondly remember the first book they ever read cover to cover? I know I do!

The Auntie influence
Aside from the child’s taste, or that of the parents, another taste to play off of is your own. Maybe there is a sport or activity that you are passionate about that you can share with your niece or nephew. A gift related to something that you're excited about will create a special bond with you and your niece or nephew. This could be something as simple as a cap from your favorite baseball team or a little shopping basket so you can share your love for organic farmers markets.

Ultimately, finding that perfect gift stems from knowing what is unique about the child who will be receiving it. My most memorable gift was given to me when I was five years old. It was this adorable, whimsical strawberry-shaped bag that was just perfect for me. When you can take the time to get to know what makes a child "spark," you’ll be able to choose a gift that will leave an impression for years to come.

By Grace Kang
For more great gifting ideas, visit PinkOlive.com

Published: August 24, 2011