Tender memories of Christmas joys are only enhanced when the gifts mean a little more. As each of us roam through the golden toned corridors of our Christmases past we can select a few cherished moments and gifts that shine a little brighter than others. In homage to these meaningful Christmases of our youth new parents embark on a frenzied journey each year to buy those toys that will in turn shine brightly in the adulthood memories of their new babies.

Nostalgia is priceless

There is no way to put a price value on these holiday gifts. The gift itself may have cost a small amount, but the love felt with its giving and the memories that span a life time are without price. It will be the same for your children. It may not always be possible to gage what gift will be the one to engender such fond memories.

Parents are surprised to find their babies and toddlers paying much more attention to the trinkets in their stockings than the elaborate gifts beneath the tree. For a child there is no mystery - it is not the price tag they count, but the imagination, time and love that is put into the gift itself.

Make it personal

Not all nostalgia toys come from a store. Kids love to hear stories that are true. My children's interest is never piqued more nor held longer than when I relate stories to them from my or their father's own childhood. They love to hear about what toys and candies we ate, the movies we loved, the songs we sang and the traditions our families had for different celebrations. Hardly a week fails to pass that they request a 'mommy' or 'daddy' story at bedtime instead of the usual book. Our children are not alone in this interest. My nieces and nephews and friend's children share a similar obsession with their parent's past. Each child latches onto a different memory and takes it to heart.

Keep these stories in mind when shopping for your toddler's Christmas gifts. Purchasing a doll that resembles your beloved Emma-Lou, will delight your own baby girl when she knows the full story connected with her new baby doll. The same is true of boys. My son's favorite gifts for Christmas to date were a collection of well-loved and abused Star Wars action figures that his dad had played with as a boy.

Old is New

Don't panic if all your childhood toys went to Goodwill years ago. You can still get your child a gift with a story. A growing trend among toy manufacturers is to recommission toys from yesteryear. If you are new to the Christmas shopping scene for youngsters it might surprise you to see how many familiar toys you will find greeting you like old friends from store shelves. Nostalgia toys are fun not only for the children to get, but for parents to give. This year as you shop for your baby and toddler and bask in the magical memories of your childhood Christmases you may discover that it is truly better to give then to receive.

If you are not inclined to share your much loved toys or they are no longer in your possession, why not start a new tradition? Pedal cars, trains, tractors and even pedal airplanes are making a big comeback for the new generation, in classic and new colors sure to please the little ones in your life.