Best Gifts for Kids with Cancer: 6 Things You Must Know

To really determine the best gifts for kids with cancer, there are a few things you might want to consider—things that can make the difference between an okay gift, a great gift, and even a horrible gift.

The Best Gifts for Kids with Cancer: What You Should Know Before You Shop

1. Does it Smell?

Many kids who are going through cancer treatment can develop sensitivities to smell. It’s very common.

The US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health has published studies on this side effect that comes with chemotherapy. And cancer.org has written about it on their website.

Cancer and its treatments can change your senses of taste and smell. These changes can affect your appetite and are often described as a bitter or metallic taste. 

Cancer.org

I remember as a child with cancer, all sorts of things happened with my sense of smell and taste.

Not only did the drugs they use to treat my cancer make lots of foods taste really funny, but the use of an “ice cap” made me sensitive to the smell of anything that smelled like a refrigerator.

You see, the idea behind the ice cap was that by applying cold to the head during treatment, hair loss could be avoided or minimized.

So, with every treatment, I would basically wear what looked to be a frozen helmet. And, it smelled exactly like a refrigerator.

Over time, I associated the smell of the refrigerator with getting chemo and the moments before I would get nauseous and sick with chemotherapy. Sometimes just opening the refrigerator at home would make me woozy. This took me years to get over.

Yep, all of those times, I would open the refrigerator to grab a Caprisun, or an icecream sandwich often meant nausea.

So, the takeaway here is this. When getting gifts for kids with cancer, based on my experience, I’d recommend steering clear of items that smell. For example, toys and stickers that smell like food, and even items with a strong odor all together.

2. Are You Sending Food?

After reading number 1 up above, this one probably doesn’t need much explaining. However, it’s worth mentioning that although well-intended, often giving any food item to a child going through cancer treatment can be an issue. So it’s probably just a safe idea to not send the candy unless specifically requested.

I can remember sometimes people would send me food when I couldn’t have it or was too sick to eat it. It was either frustrating, nauseating, or both.

But, when I did request food, it was always banana pudding from my grandmother, Bamba, and chicken and dumplings from my “Granny.” Yeah, so maybe I milked it a little bit.

*Update! For some boxes it’s been requested that we ship candy. So we are doing so. If this is a problem, please contact us when you order.*

3. Does Your Gift Provide Short-term Distraction?

This is what gifts for kids with cancer, or gifts going to a kid in the hospital is all about, a distraction from treatment, procedures, and anxiety, among other things.

Simple gifts and toys can be magic for a kid who is stuck in the hospital for days at a time. The toys can give children something else to focus on rather than worrying about the next procedure, surgery, or chemo treatment.

Yes, a child’s energy levels and how they feel overall can determine what gifts might be best for them. However, card games, play pads, squishies, puzzles, thinks they can build, watch grow, and watch change colors are always fun. Trust me on this one.

4. Does Your Gift Give a Child Something to Look Forward to?

When my grandmother used to bring me my Bamba Box, she would let me know ahead of time.

“When you are done with this thing, I’ll have you some goodies waiting on you,” she’d say.

It would usually be after surgery, a bone marrow biopsy, or chemo treatment. And let me tell you, the anticipation alone really made me excited.

Yes, I still worried, but knowing I was getting a box of surprise gifts after whatever event was about to take place made things so much better.

So, remember to incorporate a little anticipation into giving gifts to kids with cancer or who are in the hospital.

5. Group Games

Games are fun. I always liked playing games as a kid, like a lot of kids.

I can remember playing simple card games like solitaire and go fish with my family. These types of games were always enjoyable. And, the reason was simple: I got to hang out with my family.

Having made this point, when a child who is sick or in the hospital is up for it, a break to play games with friends and family can be a great experience. It’s something that makes everything feel “normal.”

Today, kids can choose from a wide variety of games that can be played on mobile devices, or they can just stick to the games we all grew up on. Games like go fish, Old Maid, Solitaire, UNO, LIFE, Clue, crossword puzzles, and others.

All Bamba Boxes include some sort of game.

6. Why Our Gift Boxes for Kids with Cancer Work so Well

Bamba Boxes work great for kids with cancer or kids who simply need a better day. I know because they used to work for me, and the feedback on our Bamba Boxes has been amazing.

Children, parents, hospitals, and Ronald McDonald Houses have all expressed what a hit our gift boxes have been with children.

Bamba Boxes aren’t Just a Gift Box

Another thing to note is that Bamba Boxes, which come with some of the best gifts for kids with cancer, are more than just a gift box. They come with a personalized letter and access to the member’s area of BambaBox.com.

In the member’s area of BambaBox.com, kids can watch my welcome message, see me perform my song, “Where Hope Lives,” written for the American Cancer Society, and download two of my songs free.

Also, every child that receives a Bamba Box has a chance to win a virtual concert where I will perform my song, “Where Hope Lives” via FaceTime, Skype, etc.

Ready to send a box to a child, or “gift a box” to one of the organizations where we deliver boxes? Get started here!