We have some good friends who have a 2 year old son. His was the first Christmas present we bought this year – we saw it months ago and grabbed it on the spot for him.

On the weekend, we saw our friends and gave their son his gift. It was a little barn (made out of fabric like a small tent) with 8 soft animals (4 pairs of mother and baby). He wasn’t overly excited when it opened and I set up the barn for him, but he then played with his animals happily.

We all left together to go to carols by candlelight – and the barn came with us. One determined two year would not let go of his barn in the car or walking from the car to the park where we had carols, and likewise to go back to the car! He did put it down to run around the park and eat a doughnut, but we got the message that he loved his new barn and animals.

That is the sort of reaction we love when giving a present!