Gift giving is a time honored tradition shared by children and adults alike the world over. With time the memory of an ordinary gift will fade. One thing you can do to make a lasting impression on children is offer them a gift that is unique, memorable and out of the ordinary. You may find years after the fact that the child still speaks of your gift with fondness and affection. They may even keep it for years after they have grown. Shopping for ordinary gifts is not hard. Shopping for the extraordinary gift requires a little more thought and a small amount of effort. The long term rewards are well worth the investment in time however. So how exactly do you create memorable and long lasting gifts for children? Whether you are looking for a memorable gift for children or adults, the main thing you want to be on the look out for is a gift that will be personal to the individual in some way. When shopping for a child, consider the child?s age, hobbies, likes and dislikes and even personality. If you want to create a great gift for a child other than your own, consider chatting with the child?s parents to find out what types of things their child is into. You may find that the child has a favorite cartoon character or book. You can create a great gift around a theme like this. Here are some great gift ideas that children will remember for years to come: - Have a caricature drawn of them standing with their favorite cartoon character. - Buy them a whole series of their favorite characters books and write a personal message on the inside of each one. - Take a snapshot of the two of you and make a home made picture frame. - Buy some plaster and make hand ceramic plates together. Decorate them for the occasion. - Create an album of the child?s life including stickers, quotes and other memorabilia and give to the child on a significant birthday. - Write a song about the child. Have a professional put it to music and record a CD for the child. - Craft a unique poem about the child. Have it framed. - Write a story about the child and have it printed at a printing shop to make it an official book. Read the story aloud to the child whenever you get together. - Take your child with you to the store and let them pick out something they feel is truly meaningful and representative of your relationship. There are many things you can do to create lasting memories. Remember that childhood is such a short time in a child?s life. Your better off making the most of it while you can.