Very "American" gifts?

[Lillyfer]

We a currently visiting my family in the US and all of our friends back home have requested "very American gifts" for their children. All of the children we know are between 2 months and ~2 years.

I have been looking everywhere we go and just come back stumped. I am American, but am not sure what would be a good "American" gift. Specifically I am looking for something for one of the boys who is between 1-1.5 years.

If you are from the US is there anything you children miss?
If you're from anywhere else is there anything you can think of that is American and would make a good gift?

Thank you in advance!

[Coton90]

Originally Posted by Lillyfer

We a currently visiting my family in the US and all of our friends back home have requested "very American gifts" for their children. All of the children we know are between 2 months and ~2 years.

I have been looking everywhere we go and just come back stumped. I am American, but am not sure what would be a good "American" gift. Specifically I am looking for something for one of the boys who is between 1-1.5 years.

If you are from the US is there anything you children miss?
If you're from anywhere else is there anything you can think of that is American and would make a good gift?

Thank you in advance!

Toys are probably not a good idea because much of what is sold in the US is available here and most of them are manufactured in the Far East anyway. At any rate you are buying for a very young child.

How about American theme articles of clothing such as sweat shirts, T-Shirts, Baseball Caps, wool hats, etc, especially sports oriented? Don't get a Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt because I'm a Redskins fan.

Good Luck.

[Bevdeforges]

Genuine American t-shirts and sweatshirts are always popular. (And the knock-off t-shirts and stuff they have here are so lame! )

For real little kids you might get some picture books. I have yet to see an equivalent of "Pat the Bunny" here in France - and it has the added caché of giving the kids a little start in learning English.
Cheers,
Bev

[dijid]

My first thought goes to food. My second thought is clothes like Old Navy flag shirts, or sports stuff (and definitely no Dallas Cowboys! I'm a Steelers fan LOL). Third thought was books/CDs.

American Candy - SweetTarts, Spree, Circus Peanuts (yuck!, but my kids liked them), Red Hots, Wint-O-Green Lifesavers that can be crunched in the dark and you can watch the sparks.

Other American Food - Jell-O, Kraft Mac-n-cheese, chili seasoning, cans of refried beans, good tortillas and real salsa or Pace picante sauce so they can have a good bean burrito. Maybe even a Jell-o No Bake Cheesecake mix.

Books/CDs - If they would like to expose their kids to English, then some easy reader books on CD would be nice. Kids can read along and turn the pages with the CD. For the ages you are looking at, the Cedarmont Kids CDs are an excellent choice for traditional American kids songs. Toddler Tunes and another one for Preschool kids were favorites of my kids and my sister's kids. (They do sell mostly Bible songs, but it's not all they sell.) You could also get one of the Wee Sings Books + CD which include the words to the songs. Animals, Animals, Animals is good for little ones. They do an American Songs one, but it's really aimed at older kids. Oh - there is Yankee Doodle Mickey which has patriotic songs mixed in with Mickey and his pals. Definitely "Very American," but I'm not sure how someone here might feel about their kids learning to belt out "God Bless America."

Oh - just thought of one other thing. Craft kits. There isn't nearly the same choice here in France as you'd find in Joann's and Hobby Lobby.

[Charlot]

Originally Posted by Lillyfer

We a currently visiting my family in the US and all of our friends back home have requested "very American gifts" for their children. All of the children we know are between 2 months and ~2 years.

I have been looking everywhere we go and just come back stumped. I am American, but am not sure what would be a good "American" gift. Specifically I am looking for something for one of the boys who is between 1-1.5 years.

If you are from the US is there anything you children miss?
If you're from anywhere else is there anything you can think of that is American and would make a good gift?

Thank you in advance!

In addition to the good suggestions above, how about Florida-themed t-shirts? That is, if you're visiting family there. Many of my French friends are floridaphiles and, though it may seem a cliché, I know they would love a cute tee for their kids with an alligator or an astronaut. Or anything that says Miami, Key West etc. Also, tees are easy to pack!

Enjoy your visit, Charlot

[Lillyfer]

Thank you so much for all of the replies!

Coton- I agree on the toys. That was a major concern of mine since I have seen *some* version of American toys in France. I’m a pretty big Gator fan, so we have already bought a gift with that theme. I was concerned with sports teams though, because I figured the parents won’t know who. Somehow I think they would know the Dallas Cowboys

Bev- Thanks for the suggestions. A few years ago we bought the local tees/sweatshirts for the kids, and to be honest I don’t think I saw any of the parents put it on their kids, now that I think about it. Hmm. I do love the idea of picture books. I’m a teacher and always love giving education related things. Sometimes though, I feel like they get annoyed at me for speaking English and I can’t help but wonder if they would feel I was pushing it on their kids?

Dijid- I really like the idea of Old Navy flag shirts. You couldn’t get more American than that. Do they sell them at this time of year? I’ll have to check. I plan on bringing back tons of American food! We enjoy having people over to try all of our “weird” American foods. Good example- Cheese Wiz and Poptarts! Cd books are a great idea for pronunciation! I may have to do that for the inlaws! Love the craft ideas too! So great. J

Charlot- Thanks for the suggestions. We did do that a few years back, but it reminded me of seashells! The kids may enjoy seeing them and they are readily available. I could do a t-shirt/shell gift. Good idea!