10 Present Ideas for a Christening

So you have been invited to a little ones christening but have no idea what present to buy? Are you supposed to buy something for the parents, something practical for the child or something the child can have as a keepsake? Below are some ideas of presents available:

1. A piggy money box, this is a great idea of a present that will last as hopefully parents will put spare change in the piggy to save for the child and once full the money can go in the child's bank account. Pigs are available in blue or pink and can also be personalised with the child's name.

2. Bracelets are also a popular choice and again can be engraved with the child's name however the bracelet probably wouldn't fit them for long and would just end up in a folder somewhere as a keepsake.

3. Why not get them a keepsake box so parents can save all the memories of their child like pictures, first tooth, first strand of hair, first shoes, favourite outfit, snuggly teddy so the child will have something to look back on over all their favourite memories.

4. Record books are great for adults to record the child's height, first words, first time they walked and crawled, first time they lost a tooth, gained a tooth. Record books are available in many colours, can be personalised and are a great keepsake.

5. Gift baskets are more of a practical idea â€" These can include baby body lotions, nappies, nappy rash cream, maybe even a little toy relating to a specific theme. Normally they come in a wicker type basket and are wrapped with cellophane with a large bow at the top and the basket shows everything available neatly and all facing the front.

6. Hand crafted wooden Noah's ark usually comes complete with all the wooden animals and is a great colourful present for a child to look at, and then once they are older they can play with the present for hours of fun and it will also learn them about animals.

7. Wooden name blocks â€" These wooden letter blocks can be bought to spell out any name and make a great idea for a windowsill or shelf in a child's bedroom, as an alternative you could buy a plaque with the childs name on for their bedroom door, or a photo frame with the child's name and a meaning underneath.

8. Embroidery wall frames are becoming more popular â€" They are usually cross stitched with details of the baby name, where they were born and the time and date they were born. Optional extras can include the child's star sign and parents' names.

9. Teddy bears usually star with a child from when they are born up to when they are much older so a personalised or cute teddy, or teddy with blanket could be a great idea for a present.

10. Books especially hard back books like Humphreys corner make lovely keep sakes if they are looked after and they can be read to your child for years to come.

All these are just basic ideas on what you can buy for the child who is getting christened but there are a wealth of other products and ideas out there if you wanted to buy something a little different or more common.

Author Gemma Dawson is a mum of 3 and has an online store supplying disney cars party supplies

Image credit: ticklish_moose on Flickr