Fun Presents for Your Kids

They're young only once. As you raise your children and help them to navigate their way through life, remember to also help them not to take life so seriously all the time.

If there's a birthday or gift-giving occasion coming up, think beyond toys when you buy a present for your children. There are so many other creative ideas to help you give them a gift they will never forget.

Help your kiddos to embrace the more humorous side of life. There are some items that are so fun and silly that they could only be classified as novelty items, but that doesn't render them useless. Here are three novelty items for your kids that put the FUN in functional.

Professor Dumbledore himself knew the value in a pair of socks, so when you pick a pair for your kids, pick several! Mix and match designs: Food prints with animal socks, colored stripes and seasonal patterns. It's goofy, but most people wear socks every day, so it's a practical gift too.

It seems like the market has seen an onslaught of funny sleeping bags in recent years. If you search online, you definitely are given options: Sharks "eating" your child; mermaid tails; even a Tauntaun "sliced" open inspired by The Empire Strikes Back.

Have you ever seen one of these? They're so ridiculous that they are an instant hit — Junior's friends will be begging to use it when they whip out their pencil for the next test in class.

As long as your kids are reading, that's a good thing, right? Foster their imaginations at any age by giving them their favorite books as their next gift. All kids love to read, some just haven't found the right book for them yet.

The most popular novels for this age group are always changing, but classics are classics for a reason. There are some great book series for older kids to read.

In a dystopian future, children in what used to be America are forced to fight to the death in a televised arena. Told in the first person by fierce female Katniss Everdeen, the series is suspenseful and a little scary.

However, the heavy issues it faces like corrupt politicians and standing up for what you believe in can be appreciated by teens as well as parents.

With the opening line "It was a dark and stormy night" in the first book in the series, you can already guarantee that the series will be epic. Dealing with themes of magic, bending time and science fiction, there is so much to love about the stories in the five-book series.

Have you ever wanted to know what it would be like to be stranded alone in the wilderness after a plane crash with no tools but a single hatchet?

Younger kids are pretty easy to please when it comes to the written word, but since a lot of them aren't readers, the pictures are equally important. Some stories that are great for adults but also have fantastic imagery are given ahead.

Forest animals find a lone mitten one winter and decide to bundle up inside of it for warmth.

The theologist makes religion easy to understand in his incredible seven-book series that parallels the Bible.

After being bullied in her kindergarten class for her long name, the titular character (who happens to be a little mouse girl) learns to rise above them and be proud of who she is.

It's so much fun shopping for kids. The next time you need to buy yours a present, think of something that is practical, useful and of course, is fun.