Whenever I traveled with my children, we always had to get a souvenir for them. T-shirts were always a favorite. In fact, I remember picking up a Harvard shirt for my oldest (when she was but two-years old) when I visited Boston. So how do you pick out travel gifts that aren’t horrible – or as Matt Villano of Parenting.com shows us – “How To Buy Cool Souvenirs that Don’t Suck.” Among his suggestions,
Seek longevity
Most souvenirs are disposable; cheap stuff made overseas that is designed to be used a few times and then tossed aside. With this in mind, it’s usually best to hunt for trinkets with potential for a long shelf-life. Tops on this list: Books you can read over and over again (and then keep to read over and over to your younger kids when they’re ready). A runner-up: Stuffed animals, especially ones quirky enough to become characters in stories your kids make up.
Our other old standby is Christmas ornaments for our tree. As we put them up, we get to relive our favorite trips and laugh at some of the memories.
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