HOW TO GIFT A MEANINGFUL EIDI?
- Gavrilev
- Jun 23, 2017
- 4 min read
I really hope Ramadan has been a fruitful spiritual experience for all my readers this year and with Eid around the corner I'm sure many are preparing their wads of cash for the traditional Eidi gifting. I hate to say it though but I'm that one crazy gal that loves to stir the pot and say "no" to the money.I just don't feel money is an appropriate sign of affection nor does it benefit the receiver in ways that some might intend.
Most commonly it's the thought that the kids can buy themselves what they really want that drives many a loving relatives to give them the attractive notes but the question arises: are kids equipped enough in maturity and sophisticated thought processes to make that judgement for themselves or does their ego tend to win the battles with common sense and practicality?
Either way, I'd rather avoid putting kids and their parents in such difficult deadlocks and try to come up with small thoughtful gifts that can still be fun but their aim is to also actively engage the receiver in some way.
DAILY PLANNERS
I usually print a planner with the guiding notes on the back and laminate it so it can work as a white board. Add a cute white board marker and a few kind words of encouragement and you might as well have set the foundation stone in helping someone improve themselves and their habits. If that's not a sign of love and caring I don't know what is. The images are A4 sized printable format.
BOARD GAMES
What better way to celebrate unity and gratitude than cultivating the bond between family members with some good old fashioned(and never out of fashion) board games? I would even go as far as to suggest second hand or DIY games that will complete the gift with a charm of their own and don't add any load on your environmental and consumer impact.
The Toy Chest is one such company which will help you in the quest of giving toys and games a second chance. All items are original brand hand picked and checked to make sure they are complete and usable, not to mention that their cost is significantly lighter on the pocket as well.
* It is worth mentioning that our favourite board game by far is Cracassonne.If you ever have the chance to grab one do so with utmost confidence, it's a game that engages both young and old and never gets boring.
You also have the option of making many fun games yourself, like the small pouch I converted into a tic tac toe set.You can sew or paint the grid on the outer side and collect some cute pebbles ant paint your x and 0 on them with acrylic paints and you instantly have a portable fun in a pouch.
SEWING KIT
I know it may sound old fashioned but every house needs one and every person ( boy or girl ) should practice their basic skill in sewing and many of them quite enjoy it. So if you have a niece who you know would enjoy some embroidery practice or would like to make clothes for her dolls be sure to gift them this vital kit that she may as well be taking with her to college one day as well.
Basic items to include:
a pallette of 10-12 thread colours
sewing needles
chalk
measuring tape
pins, buttons, fasteners, elastic
small scissors
glue
a storage basket(preferably with several pockets) or container with partitions
*optionally you may include cards with basic sewing techniques, patterns and project ideas.
BAKING KITS
These baking kits are absolutely brilliant. They may potentially teach the receiver the value of work by having to prepare the actual recipe themselves and the joy of sharing (they aren't gonna eat the whole batch by themselves after all) and spreading the atmosphere of Eid celebrations .There are so many cute ideas for elaborate kits on google. You may include pre-made ingredient mixes and even utensils and recipe sheets. I've kept it simple with this one and prepared the ingredient mixes for HOMEMADE OREOS (yum) and included handwritten instructions.
Mix A contains:
150 g flour
50 g cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
200 g brown sugar
Mix B contains:
2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup coconut milk powder
1/4 tsp salt
They will need to add 150 g butter and one large egg to Mix A and bake the cookies and beat 100 g butter and add contents of Mix B to make the filling. And then enjoy the results of their labour. Isn't that fun?
BOOKS OR GIFT VOUCHERS FOR BOOKS
No gadget or screen can replace the wonders and marvels of a well written inspirational or instructional book.Sheer food for the soul, mind and intellect.
DU'A BOX
To make it fun and encourage
little ones to stay connected to Allah in any and every situation.
NON TOXIC PLAY DOUGH
Play dough cannot disappoint any child nor parent. When you have a set of rainbow coloured dough the possibilities are endless and the fun is ever lasting but still productive(those brain cells get a good workout) This is the recipe I use to make my own. I follow it to the T and it's absolutely perfect.But if you're not a keen DIY-er Busy Li'l Hands is the company that will satisfy your requirements for locally made, safe, colourful and fragrant play dough with the added benefit of their wide range of complementary utensils offer.
This is it so far. I would like to hear some of your ideas for frugal, low impact and meaningful Eidi options.Let's spread the joy of gifting with purpose.
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