Meaningful Baptism Gift Ideas for Children

A baptism gift is a lovely thing to be asked to bring, and a slightly nerve-wracking one. You want it to mean something. You also do not want it to sit in a cupboard.

The gifts that seem to land tend to do one of two things. They last long enough to be found again years later, or they get used often enough to become part of ordinary life. Both are good. Here are ideas in each direction.

Things they will find again someday

• A children's Bible with their name written inside. Add the date and who it came from. Years later, the inscription is often the part they hold onto, more than the book itself.
• A keepsake figure for the shelf. Something tied to a story they will grow into rather than a character they will grow out of.
• A letter for them to open when they are older. Costs nothing, takes ten minutes, and has a way of becoming the most treasured thing in the box.

Things they will actually use this month

• Something for the backpack. Small, everyday, and it goes where they go. Our Jesus Keychain carries Proverbs 28:1 on the back, "the righteous are bold as a lion," which is a good thing to have swinging off your bag on a hard morning.
• An activity to do together. A paint-your-own figure turns the gift into an afternoon with someone who loves them. The figure is nice. The afternoon is the actual gift.

If you are buying for a whole group

For a class, a Sunday school group, or a churchful of kids, small and consistent beats one big thing every time. Everyone gets the same, nobody is comparing, and it travels home in a pocket. Our keychains come in 3-packs partly for this reason, and if you need a larger number, email us at hello@happiestlion.com and we will sort something out with you.

A gentle thought

Some of the most beautiful baptism gifts are the ones the child cannot touch yet. Framed art, engraved silver, the good icon. There is nothing wrong with those, and one day they will mean a great deal.

If you would like the gift to mean something to them now though, it helps if it is something they are allowed to pick up with sticky hands. Both kinds have a place. It is just worth knowing which one you are giving.