When I go through the toy store or a Wal-Mart with my three year old, I know exactly what he will say. "Oh," he’ll exclaim with a mix of excitement and surprise. "I want THAT for Christmas!" What toddler boy doesn’t want a new train, truck, racecar or fighter jet? It’s a safe guess your toddler has a long list too. The question is, how can parents make the Christmas gifts last? How can you help your toddler enjoy and appreciate his new things for many days instead of five minutes of glory? Here are a few ideas that have worked for us and our friends:

1. Enjoy 12 days of Christmas. Do you have presents stacking up from grandma, grandpa, aunts and uncles? Or perhaps you’ve purchased 5 or 6 presents for junior yourself. Try starting Christmas on December 13 and allow your toddler to open one present per day until Christmas. This will spread out the excitement and allow your toddler to enjoy each gift. Why just have one day of Christmas when you can have twelve?

Now many of us don’t have enough gifts piled up to begin opening on December 13. Try opening a gift a day starting on December 20, or just open one on Christmas Eve, most gifts on Christmas day, and save one gift for New Year’s. The idea is to spread out the Christmas cheer.

2. If you’re traveling, open some gifts before your trip and after. If you’re headed to grandma’s house, the last thing you want to do is load your already packed suitcase with your toddler’s new bike. You can open your gifts at home before or afterwards. It’s always fun to save a gift at home so when you need some incentive for your toddler to behave well during that plane ride, you’ve got something to offer.

3. Do something special for someone else. Teach your toddler to give gifts to the less fortunate so he can be more grateful for the avalanche of things he will receive. This year, our family packed a shoebox full of toys for Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. That shoebox will be delivered to a boy who may live in a slum in Calcutta, or an orphanage in Johannesburg. Your toddler will remember the shoebox and begin to understand that there are many children in the world who have very little.

4. Re-gift! Search for a forgotten toy around the house, something your toddler used to love playing with six months ago. Wrap it up and give it to him again. You’ll be amazed at how much fun he’ll have with his long lost friend or toy.

Your toddler will have a Christmas to remember as you try these gift giving ideas!