Christmas with a new baby or child can be one of the most exciting and exhausting seasons. If you’re looking forward to celebrating the first Christmas of a family who has recently adopted but aren’t sure what to buy, we have a few ideas to get you started.

Here are some great ideas.

• Try giving them something they can enjoy as a family. For instance, give them a gift card to the movies, an amusement park, the zoo, a museum, or another family outing. This gift can inspire a wonderful family bonding time that is essential for adoptive families, especially if the children are older.

• You could offer your own services. Sometimes, adoptive parents, like all parents, feel overwhelmed with parenthood. It is nice to offer to do something like cooking a meal or cleaning the house because it can relieve just a little bit of stress from the parents. Everyone needs a little break every now and then.

• If you want to give something that the children can enjoy, think about giving them something that they can use with other children or their parents. Art supplies or books are great choices because they can paint with the other children or the parents can read them a bedtime story. These gifts also foster family bonding while letting the kids enjoy being kids.

• If you are a DIY kind of person, you could make a small Christmas tree ornament for the family. The ornament could celebrate the family’s first Christmas together or if the child has been adopted internationally, the ornament could reflect something from the child’s country of origin. Keep in mind the color theme of the family’s tree. Another DIY gift idea is artwork for the child’s room or the family room. You could use inspiring quotes or bible verses.

• This final gift idea is one of our favorites: a voucher for a professional family photo. This is a special, thoughtful, and inspiring gift. Adoption can be costly, so new families may not have the resources for “extras”.  Therefore, offering a gift this touching is something that will be greatly appreciated and valued for a lifetime.

We love all of these ideas, but whatever you choose, remember to focus on helping the family bond. Do you have suggestions about gift idea that we didn’t mention? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or tell us on one of our social media sites.