We have lived in our new house just about two years now and have finally met the neighbors on both sides. One set of neighbors has three boys (ages 13, 11, 3 i think) and we have a 2 yrs old little guy. They have been SOOOO gracious in letting my little guy use their trampoline and mini playground in their yard. They always tell us to bring him over anytime to play on it, and we do, almost daily. He loves to jump on the trampoline and ride his mini four wheeler down the sidewalk to the mini playground thing. They are never outside when we are there, so the kids don't get a lot of interaction. They do not have a fence around their yard, making it easy for us to access their yard for play. We do have a fence, but we really don't have much for outdoor activities to invite them to use anyway. (They have been in the game much longer with the older kiddos and have collected more!) Our relationship is basically hellos in passing and every once in a while a quick chat outside in the driveway. I would like to show them our thanks for letting my little guy use all of their "toys". I really do appreciate it, i just dont know what kind of thank you is appropriate. A card, gift card, what????? We are not so close that I would ever have a clue as to what kind of things their kiddos are interested in to get for them as a gift, but feel like I should get something beyond the thank you's we say in passing. Any Ideas?
Thank you all soooo much for all of the great ideas. After talking to my husband, I think we will get them a gift card for the ice cream place down the street now, and then at the end of the summer have them over for a bbq. Maybe invite some other neighbors too. And, of course, a handwritten thank you note!
Why not invite them over for dinner? A relationship is the best, most neighborly gift you can give. It will certainly be enjoyed more than anything you can buy.
How about you invite them over for a BBQ? This way you can start to spark up a conversation and hopefully open the door for more communication.
If you want to get the kids something, perhaps a gift card to Target - there is such a wide selection in a store like that.
Maybe a gift card for a fun family outing like bowling, miniature golf, or such? If you'd like to get to know them better, maybe invite their family over for a BBQ this summer.
I'm not sure how big an age gap there is between your 2 year old and their youngest but if it's closer to 1 year and not more like 2 years, you could reciprocate for playing with their toys by inviting the youngest over once in a while for playdates. My son is 2 1/2 and his best friend across the street is 3 1/2 (there's a 13 month age difference) and they get along great.
Good luck,
K.
Well I would say I the kids are older than yours are. A gift card to a fun park ( mini golf or go carts, water parks ect.) something for the family to enjoy together. Or a nice dinner at your house that way you can get to know them better. And the kids can play or get to know each other as well.
I'm always a big fan of making homemade banana bread or chocolate chip cookies and dropping them off. I guess this would work if you cook and bake. If not, maybe buying a gift certificate to one of the following:
Movie Theater
Pizza Restaurant
Minautre Golf
Netflix (3 mos.)
That's all that I can come up with right now. I really want to commend you for being a thoughtful neighbor and showing gratitude for their graciousness. It's seems to be a lost skill sometimes.
First off, a heart felt thank you is always welcome - either handwritten or verbal, the simple act of acknowledging and showing your appreciation of their generosity is usually all most people would really want at the end of the day. They're offering as good neighbors.
Our neighbors have a little girl slightly older than our son, and she has a trampoline. Our kids are there often, and it sometimes give us a break to finish things at home we need. So, we reciprocate and let her come over. Perhaps extending the offer of taking the little one to the mini-playground when you're heading up there next would be a welcome break.
Also, gift cards for restaurants, etc. are always welcome. You could even get a $30 gift card for a local movie theatre and let them use it as they wish.
But, I think most neighbors really want to help each other out. Our next-door-neighbors who have 5 kids had a fire in their house several weeks ago. They're out while the house is rebuilt (interior ruined), and we take care of their yard, so it's one headache they don't have to worry about. Their appreciation is more than enough, and they're really good about thanking us for doing it.
I would bake some cookies or bread or something and drop it over at their house with a little note of thanks. Something simple like that will go a long way in establishing a friendly relationship with them. I don't think you need to buy anything elaborate for them. But, a nice thank you will probably go a long way in letting them know of your appreciation.
We have a locally owned Ice Cream shop. Giving and receiving gift cards to this place is considered a big deal.. I bet you guys have local places for treats up there too..
I love the idea of inviting them over for a BBQ.. That sounds like fun and you all can get to know each other better.
My suggestion would be to invite them over for a BBQ or dinner. This will give the parents a chance to know each other better as well.
I think you should bake them some cookies and have a little thank you note on them. They have kiddos so their kids would really enjoy the cookies.
