Two and a half-year-old David Jones wanted something from his father, that much was obvious. In the midst of hectic preparations for a business trip, Mike Jones could hear little David calling out again and again, "Daddy! Daddy look at me! Daddy! Look at me!"

Finally Mike paused long enough to see what his son wanted. When David had Mike’s full attention, he made his request, "Daddy, now smile at me."

Needless to say, Mike Jones was happy to give that gift of a smile to his son— and a whole lot more! But little David reminds us all that there are thousands of priceless, yet overlooked, gifts we can give to our children. If you’re looking for something unique and special to give your children this Christmas season, try one of more of these ideas:

Give a gift for the season with this box of snow-fun goodies. Include snowman accessories (such as large buttons, a carrot, a cap and muffler), snow painting accessories (like a spray bottle and food coloring) and snow-sculpting tools (such as a digging trowel and plastic Jell-O molds). Then pray for a white Christmas!

Perfect for the preschooler in your life! Take your child’s favorite picture book, then record yourself reading it—complete with wacky character voices and goofy sound effects. (Don’t forget the "turn the page" signals!) Teach your little one to operate the tape recorder, then listen to the fun together.

Give the gift of laughter by writing silly jokes on 3x5 cards. Hide the cards where your kids will find them—in a lunchbox, next to a toothbrush, under a pillow, in a backpack, taped to the TV, and so on. Remember the sillier the joke, the funnier it is!

Personalized ABC Book

Take pictures of 26 of your toddler’s favorite people, places, and objects, making sure each one begins with a different letter of the alphabet. Arrange them alphabetically in a small photo album and add ABC-book captions like "’C is for Cousin Chris." Or "M is for McDonalds." Give this instant-classic ABC book to your little one to enjoy.

Next time your kids face mounds of homework, offer your services as a Homework Helper. Drawing from Jesus’ example in John 13:1-17, a Homework Helper does things like serving hot chocolate, giving five-minute shoulder rubs, surfing the web for relevant facts, and generally being a cheerful servant while the child works.

Imagination

Share the gift of imagination with your preschooler by bringing home a giant, empty box. Spend an afternoon with your child inventing new games and crafts with the box. Use crayons and scissors to make a racecar. Cut out windows to make a playhouse. Use it as a "basket" for a game of paperwad basketball. Bang it like a drum, and…well, you get the idea!

Celebrate-a-Kid Day

Give an honorary day to each of your kids this year—an entire day for each child feel special. Cook the child’s favorite dinner (with dessert!). Have family members list 10 things they like about the child. Let the child choose the evening’s family entertainment. Applaud each time he or she enters a room. Close the day with a prayer of blessing for that special child in your life.

A Relationship with Jesus

Perhaps this holiday season is finally the time to explain to your child exactly why Jesus came to Earth and how Jesus can forgive sins. Give your child an opportunity to ask Jesus into his or her heart. That’s the best gift you could ever give for Christmas.