"American" gifts

[lizabu]

I honestly don't think they have Old Navy in Germany so if you did the TShirt idea suggested previously it's pretty unlikely the kids would already have that style of shirt.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I was gone all day--but am honoerd so many of you thought of me

First things that came to mind reading the thread (it is late, I may forget stuff, sorry):

US flag stuff is iffy. Some Germans really like it, but many do not and I rarely see it on very young children.

We have Pez and Pez dispensers here (and, of course, there is that choking hazard issue).

I would not suggest bringing a USA Soccer item (nt only are we "rivals" but, honestly, the USA team is just not that well respected world wide yet--we are still learning). Baseball, on the other hand, tends to be a big deal. Local team jerseys in little kid sizes, or a ball cap might be a good idea. Or, if Diseny had baseball shirts out with characters now, that would probably be good too (DD had one with princesses, but that was at least a decade ago).

I'll sleep on it and have more ideas tomorrow.

 

[CdnCarrie]

I am not so sure about the US flag teeshirts or US flag decorated things. In Europe, they are nowhere near as overtly patriotic as we are here in the US. Our friends from both Germany and France think it's odd that we Americans wear our flag and our patriotism so openly.

I agree about the flag clothing.

 

[Unas]

I do know that when my parents were travel agents, they used to bring jeans/jean-type clothing and panty hose (although they're a little young for those!) because at that time, at least, lots of other countries didn't get those easily. Don't know if it's true now.

That's kind of post-war, Cold War thinking. When I was their in the late 60s, Jim Beam and Marlboro were the go to house gift.

 

[SwimBikeRun]

I have family in Europe.

I would stay away from anything with "USA" on it. The USA isn't so popular overseas. Kids are more likely to like shirts with characters or from a city like NYC.

Candy is popular at all ages. It is a special treat and can be saved for when it is appropriate to eat it. We always bring special treats when traveling either way..my family brings the cookies I love and we bring stuff they love. (I couldn't believe the amount of candy my kids get over there...but oh well, it is vacation!)

My family loves receiving peanut butter, pancake mix, syrup (less so since they don't eat it on anything but the pancakes).

I usually bring fun stuff for the kids: those blow up punch balls on a string, the paddle balls on a string, water balloons, etc.

Dr. Seuss books in English would be good too. Most European kids take English at some point and any learn to read books would be good. Also keychains with their names in English (if there is a translation)...they don't have that stuff in Europe as much as here and the kids love it!

For the families I usually go to Bed, Bath and Beyond and get some kind of "gadget". My hit gift was the foldable/collapsible colanders....European kitchens are very small.

Have a great time!

 

[SwimBikeRun]

That's kind of post-war, Cold War thinking. When I was their in the late 60s, Jim Beam and Marlboro were the go to house gift.

My family still comes to shop for Levis/jeans, Columbia/North Face, and Victoria's Secret. LOL!

They still love American booze and cigarettes!

 

[Parkhopper]

My friend from Germany loves my homemade chocolate chip cookies. I always send a big bag of chocolate chips too. I simply didn't realize that chocolate chips are not available in the stores there.

 

[IceSkatingPrincess]

Patriotic stuffed mickey mouse plushes?

 

[Ceila]

Again, many thanks to everyone who has responded!

I went to the Disney Store today, and they had some really cute t-shirts with the shape of Minnie's head made of sparkly English words (love, cutie, etc.). And, I added in a plush Piglet for the baby and a little art set for the toddler. Of course, I still have some time if I decide to bring something else, too.

There honestly wasn't any "US" themed merchandise to even consider at TDS, and although the swim suits were adorable, I've never met any of the people we'll be seeing, and my husband hasn't met the wife or kids, so I wasn't sure if swimwear would be considered an appropriate gift or not. And, especially in the middle of the World Cup, I'm not touching anything soccer-related with a 10-foot pole, lol!

I have to say, too, thank you to everyone who mentioned peanut butter. Our daughter became a vegetarian a couple of months ago, and I was planning on picking up some for her as a back-up source of protein. Now I know to be sure to pack our own!

 

[WDWBarb]

When I was their in the late 60s, Jim Beam and Marlboro were the go to house gift.

Here in Kentucky, they still are!

 

[NotUrsula]

That's easy: Slinkies. The size that is about 4" diameter works best. Get the name brand, not a knock-off; the knock-offs break too easily.

I always take them with me when I go home to visit family; the little ones love them and they don't seem to be sold in too many shops in Europe. Teach them how to walk them down a staircase and you are golden.

Taking US candy to Europeans isn't really a great move; their candy is almost always better than American candy. (Although it *can* be amusing to watch their expressions when they bite into it, LOL.)

FWIW, IME most Europeans don't mind when their children are given gifts of candy. It has been traditional since WW2, when most European kids didn't see any candy at all for at least 4 years. Older people love to give sweets to children, and it is considered churlish not to let them have them unless there is a medical issue. Rationing how much they can consume at once is fine, of course, but refusing to allow it at all is considered rather odd. My kids LOVE going home to visit the old folks, because the old folks shower them with yummy goodies, just as they did for me when I was wee.

 

[NHdisneylover]

My friend from Germany loves my homemade chocolate chip cookies. I always send a big bag of chocolate chips too. I simply didn't realize that chocolate chips are not available in the stores there.

Chocolate chips are available, but extremely expensive and not come in little containers--but it is easy enough to chop a chocolate bar. The real part that makes a difference is that Germans have something they call brown sugar, but it is really just unbleached cane sugar or what we might call sugar in the raw.
I cannot tell you how many Germans we know who love chocolate chip cookies, go the recipe and have tried for years to reproduce them and cannot figure out what is wrong and then we tell them to go to the local British grocery store (because we seem to have a lot of those) and buy what Americans and Brits call brown sugar and later we hear from them and they are thrilled to finally know the secret.

Again, many thanks to everyone who has responded!

I went to the Disney Store today, and they had some really cute t-shirts with the shape of Minnie's head made of sparkly English words (love, cutie, etc.). And, I added in a plush Piglet for the baby and a little art set for the toddler. Of course, I still have some time if I decide to bring something else, too.

There honestly wasn't any "US" themed merchandise to even consider at TDS, and although the swim suits were adorable, I've never met any of the people we'll be seeing, and my husband hasn't met the wife or kids, so I wasn't sure if swimwear would be considered an appropriate gift or not. And, especially in the middle of the World Cup, I'm not touching anything soccer-related with a 10-foot pole, lol!

I have to say, too, thank you to everyone who mentioned peanut butter. Our daughter became a vegetarian a couple of months ago, and I was planning on picking up some for her as a back-up source of protein. Now I know to be sure to pack our own!

First, before I forget, peanutbutter in just jars is available in every German grocery store--thank goodness, my son would have starved his first year here without it. It is still not a super common food to older Germans, but truthfully, for 5 years now I have bought it every week and not ever been unable to find it.
It is not quite as good as the US brands (it is milder) but it isn't bad. It is a bit pricier (expect to pay about 2 euro for a jar that holds about 2 cups of peanut butter. You can get creamy or crunchy. Personally, I would not waste suitcase space and weight to pack it for your trip.

PPs are correct that candy with peanutbutter in it is hard to come by here though. We have a visitor from the US right now and we asked him to please bring a big bag of peanut butter M&Ms for us. Mmmmmm.

I also agree with PPs that bringing candy wouldn't upset anybody. Any candy with peanutbutter in it is not one we can get here. Also things like nerds, sweet tarts, mike n ikes, etc (other than M&Ms, it is a relatively safe bet that anything with lots of artificial colors in it is not for sale here ) but you do certainly have to think about the choking hazard issue for the littler one.


I think the shirts sound cute and will be appreciated. Do be aware that it is not common for Germans to dress their children in character attire the way it is in the US, UK, Spain, etc. Even the big German character, like Princess Lilifrei ends up on backpacks and notebooks and water bottles and what not but I never see a shirt.

I have even had Germans who lived in the US, when we live there, ask WHY we want our kids to be "walking billboard" So, I am sure the sentiment will be appreciated and the girls will like them (and possibly, if the family loves Disney they will not care--you DO see character shirts once in a while, just rarely), but they may not get worn much (and I double checked with my teens this morning, since one works with the first graders at his school and the other often babysits and volunteers at a preschool program, so they are more aware of what little kids wear than I am). Perhaps other parts of Germany have a different attitude, but this is what we have seen.

You almost never see character clothing, baseball hats or things with flags on them (except during the world cup!) but you often see shirts with names of specific cities or tourist attractions (including in the US, so a shirt that says San Francisco or Grand Canyon would be common, but not one with the stars and strips, for example).

I am sure the plush and art set will be loved, and truly people will be very appreciative of anything You are sweet to worry so much about it and try so hard. I also think the shirts are fine, but if you want something that will get more use, I would go for water bottles or little dish sets with the characters on them (or umbrellas--it rains a lot here and people walk and take public transit everywhere).

Not that I am really an expert or anything, just going by my observations.

Oh, and I DO know more and more is available here (even in the 5 years we have lived here we have seen that--two examples that come to mind are Dr Pepper and Microwave popcorn, both of which you could no buy 5 years ago and both of which are in most stores now), so the PP may have had that experience with slinkys in the past, but we happened to have picked one up a couple of months ago for DD to gift to a child she babysits for her birthday--so I know those are here and easy to find.
and I have to know, what part of Germany are you coming to?

 

[CaliBear]

you often see shirts with names of specific cities or tourist attractions (including in the US, so a shirt that says San Francisco or Grand Canyon would be common, but not one with the stars and strips, for example).

I was wondering about that. It is certainly the case in Asia, from my observation, that I never see people wearing clothes that say US or America or have our flag but yes, yes, yes to shirts for cities from around the world, tourist attractions or with sayings like "California Style". When I do see country shirts, they are usually for smaller countries and with an iconic image that relates to the country and not the country's flag. (example: Apsara dancers on a Cambodia shirt or an elephant on a shirt for Thailand).

 

[Ceila]

We're going to be in Cologne, and the family we are visiting lives near Dusseldorf. I can't wait! We're also visiting Paris, the Normandy beaches, and I'm trying to decide on which city in Belgium to go to (that part will just be me and the kids, as my husband will have to travel elsewhere for a few days for work).

The reason I went for the shirts is that she has her husband pick up clothes for the kids from TDS when he travels here to the US, and since nothing in that place doesn't have a character on it, lol, I think they are ok with it. I think the wife is not German by birth, so maybe that's the difference? Here's the link to the shirt: http://www.disneystore.com/minnie-mouse-icon-glitter-tee-for-girls/mp/1355987/1000228/ But, I do have to go back to the mall where TDS is today, so maybe I'll switch them out with the cups and plates.

And thank you, Hadley, for the info on the peanut butter! She doesn't normally rely heavily on it for her protein intake, but we'll be gone for almost a month, so I want to make sure she has at least one familiar source.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Oh that'S fabulous then! If the family normally buys clothes for the kids at the Disney Store when visiting the US; then they will be one of those German families who DO dress their kids in character aparel, and because most will not, it is hard to find in stores here--so the shirts will be perfect

Peanutbutter is called erdnusscreme. It is stocked on the same aisles as jams and Nutella--and I swear every store seems to put it really low down. Also, in the Dusseldorf and Koln areas you will find vegetarian entrees at pretty much any restaurant (Bavaria can be tough, but not where you are going). It is a really nice area; we went last summer. I LOVE the little town of Limburg just south of Koln.

I don't know how old your kids are, and you probably want more "cities" but if you would be interested in a wonderful amusement park, we LOVE Efteling in The Netherlands (but very near the Belgian Border--we stay in Flanders when we go). After Disney it is our favourite park.

 

[2Eskiedogs]

We just hosted a German student and their German chaperone. They loved the flavored oreos(mint, peanut butter, lemon) and took quite a lot back with them. Graham crackers were a hit, for them making smore's. A lot of Willy Wonka candy they likes too. We spent a day at a Levi outlet store, that they each filled a suitcase with their purchases. They couldn't believe how cheap Levi was here.

The other thing that surprised my husband, is that the chaperone wanted to take American beer home with him. He liked Miller High Life and Point beer and took some of both home with him.

I figured I was going to send our student that stayed with us for his birthday, graham crackers, oreos and the Levi jacket he had his eye on. He would have bought it too, if he didn't run out of money.

I can't wait for my son to go there next summer and stay with him, because I hope he brings all sorts of goodies home with him.

 

[bethbuchall]

I don't know if it's still true because it's been almost 20 years since my brother lived in Germany. At that time, pads of drawing paper were ridiculously expensive over there. I used to send pads of paper to my nephew all the time. I know that the 1-year old is a little young to get any enjoyment from that, but the 3-year old may. How about coloring books, especially if you can find something related to a local tourist attraction/area? My brother's sister-in-law just visited from Germany and brought a German picture dictionary over for the kids, and they loved seeing all the German words. Again, it's a little above the children's ages now, but they may enjoy something like that in the future.

Oh, and I love those shirts that you chose!

 

[ebtbmom]

Do they have ranch in Germany? When I went to Paris last year I think I went through ranch withdrawals. Those kids should be able to experience the wonder that is ranch, Hidden Valley, not Kraft.

 

[Jeff in BigD]

Taking US candy to Europeans isn't really a great move; their candy is almost always better than American candy. (Although it *can* be amusing to watch their expressions when they bite into it, LOL.)

Yep!

My folks just got back from Europe & DW is stoked that they've brought home some German Milka. That stuff is great - if more Americans had access to it, Hershey would be out of business the following day.

 

[NHdisneylover]

We just hosted a German student and their German chaperone. They loved the flavored oreos(mint, peanut butter, lemon) and took quite a lot back with them. Graham crackers were a hit, for them making smore's. A lot of Willy Wonka candy they likes too. We spent a day at a Levi outlet store, that they each filled a suitcase with their purchases. They couldn't believe how cheap Levi was here.

The other thing that surprised my husband, is that the chaperone wanted to take American beer home with him. He liked Miller High Life and Point beer and took some of both home with him.

I figured I was going to send our student that stayed with us for his birthday, graham crackers, oreos and the Levi jacket he had his eye on. He would have bought it too, if he didn't run out of money.

I can't wait for my son to go there next summer and stay with him, because I hope he brings all sorts of goodies home with him.

Oh yes, graham crackers--we totally miss those. Sigh.

Yes, Levis as well as a lot of other clothing, especially certain brands (Tommy Hilfgier, Ralph Lauren, Nike. . .) are much costlier here. But those are hard gifts to get unless you know someone's specific style and size (like you do for the young man you will take the jacket to). Just about everyone we know (German and Americans living in Germany) takes a nearly empty suitcase when visiting the US and buys clothes and electronics there to bring home. We'll do that this summer ourselves

Do they have ranch in Germany? When I went to Paris last year I think I went through ranch withdrawals. Those kids should be able to experience the wonder that is ranch, Hidden Valley, not Kraft.

We see Ranch (usually Newman's Own--probably the other brands have ingredients not allowed in Germany ) once in a while in specialty sections for 12 or so euro a bottle On my list I ask people to bring if visiting from teh US is the powdered ranch mix.

Yep!

My folks just got back from Europe & DW is stoked that they've brought home some German Milka. That stuff is great - if more Americans had access to it, Hershey would be out of business the following day.

Milka is actually owned by Kraft foods. I cannot for the life of me figure out why they don't start selling it in the US. It is so delicious.