Over the summer, I spent some time thinking about the Christmas days from my childhood. What made them special, and what did I remember most. From these thoughts came an idea for a new page on our website to let visitors share the best loved gift from their childhood.

I had expected lots of stories about the wonders of a specific toy (the Barbie with the sparkles on her dress or the remote control car the won every race). Isn't that the sort of gift hyped by the commercials at this time of the year? The kids themselves join the craze insisting on getting the one toy that is in short supply. Can you remember trying to find a Cabbage Patch doll or a Furby the year they were hot? Do you think that gift is the one your child will remember most 30 or 40 years from now? The visitors who have sent in stories about their own ‘best loved gifts' wouldn't agree. The gift that is remembered is the message of love from the adult who found the time to create a special memory for their child. Each of the stories include a ‘thing', but what is important is ‘where did my mom find time to make all the doll clothes?', ‘I loved horseback riding with my Dad.', or ‘how did my mom smile and let us open the rest of our presents at 4am'.

The gift that counts is time. The kids know time is what is important. That's why they want you to spend weeks trying to find the most difficult to buy toy this year. You will be spending your time on something they want. It's amazing that we have time to search all over the city for a toy, but so often are too busy to spend the same number of hours doing something your child wants to do. Why not turn it around this year? Spend the time with your child, instead of driving to 5 different toy stores.

Tips for finding the perfect present for a child.

1. Think about the good times you've spent with your child. When did you both have the most fun? Was it making a cake for his mother's birthday, or the time you took her to the fair? Has your child ever mentioned a favourite day you spent together? What does he or she really like to do?

2. What can you do build on that time? You could get some cartoon character cake pans, cake mixes and a promise to make a cake on the first Saturday of each month. How about getting a book of tickets to a movie theatre and agree to go to let you child pick the movie (even if you hate going to scary movies and your child loves them)? Give a birding book to a nature lover and then take your child out bird spotting. What about lunch for two in a fancy restaurant for a little girl who likes to dress-up? A sports enthusiast would love tickets to go with you to see his or her favourite team play.

3. Don't fall into the trap of giving items off a list. Children will often be momentarily thrilled with the latest and greatest toy. If the gift involves more of your money than your time, it will probably be forgotten in the same amount of time you spent to buy it!

Yes, it will take time to think of the right gift, and it will take more time to actually follow through and enjoy the gift together. Take a moment and really think about what else you could be doing with that time. How many answers are really more important than making the time to show a child you love them.

If you looking for more ideas, check out our Best Loved Gifts page (http://www.creativekidsathome.com/remgifts.html). You may find the perfect gift idea waiting for you in a story sent in by one of our visitors.

By the way, these tips work great for your best friend, favourite aunt or anyone else on your gift giving list.

The End

Bio Christine Nicholls (MBA) loves being mommy to Katherine (5y) and Duncan (2y). Her company, Creative Kids at Home (http://www.creativekidsathome.com) encourage kids to have fun while being creative, and best of all, they get the excitement of getting personally addressed packages in the mail.

My husband and I own a computer/information consulting business and I enjoy volunteer work including helping Kosovar refugees who are rebuilding their lives in Canada. Life was pretty good, but still it felt like something was missing.

Before having children, I worked as a consultant and in management for the provincial health system for 10 years and completed an Executive MBA. Raising kids is a challenge, but I had worked too hard to learn skills that were quietly slipping away. My new business, Creative Kids at Home, combines my skills and interests with having fun with my kids and solves a dilemma for anyone who loves children and is concerned about some of the gift trends in our society.

For many years, I have been trying to find creative presents for the nieces and nephews in my life. Some years it was more difficult than others. Often everything from books to underwear was stamped with the characters in the latest movie or fad. What was all this commercialism doing to a young child's creativity? How could children develop their imaginations if their toys all came with names, histories and developed personalities?

Creative Kids at Home was started to encourage children to have fun and be creative without the commercial influences to limit their imagination. I want our products to excite children about the possibilities of creating things from materials they already have access to. The fun will come when they can use their own imagination to power their projects.

It is important to me that children have fun and feel special. I love watching a child glow when they receive their own packages in the mail. Their eyes say ‘Somebody thinks I'm important enough to send me mail'. I want all children to know they are loved by someone who will find a gift as unique as they are.