Sure, it's cheap junk but those little trinkets will become the touchstones of memories for years to come
One of the most beautiful elements of traveling in Europe with kids is seeing how non-English languages have crafted amazingly perfect expressions for feelings and experiences that simply don't match their English equivalents.
Take, for example, the word souvenir. It is derived from the ancient French word for "remembrance" or "memory" but in modern English it stands for, "trinkets and pieces of typically gaudy crap that are horribly overpriced and will lead to at least one of your children melting down for hours if you do not purchase said piece of junk immediately upon demand or try to throw it away before they leave for college."
In any part of the world where there are tourist dollars to be had, vast quantities of souvenir stuff will be on offer from museum gift shops to corner bodegas. You can blow an egregious amount of money--and just as importantly time--souvenir shopping. Plus, if you buy even one quarter of the stuff your kids want you will need to check an extra suitcase just to haul it all home.
Here is our philosophy and guide to souvenir shopping that will not only help balance the cost/time/junk factors but also turn souvenirs from a frustrating time and money suck into a mode of strategic coin spent on good behavior so that what you take home are truly remembrances of great memories.
Stupid Spending:
When it comes to spending money, I'm a bit like Janus. I hate frivolous spending, but vacation is no time to be a scrooge. With only three out of 52 weeks off each year, I do not want to waste my time arguing with the kids about souvenirs. I spend much of the other 49 weeks watching my money, so I don't want to waste it on stupid plastic crap that will just pile up in their bedrooms, but being a little more free spending for trinkets is a small, but fun indulgence for the kids.
In order to balance those somewhat competing feelings, I take several factors into consideration and discuss them with the kids before a trip so that they are more discerning with their dollars (and mine) and so that souvenir shopping is a thing we do between traveling highlights rather than the main activity of a day.
The factors that go into shopping:
You know those brain tests that determine if you are "right-brained" or "left-brained"? I have scored a near exact 50/50 every time. My inclinations of logic and practicality are balanced (or to ask my wife, annoyingly in battle) against free-wheeling, in-the-moment choices...which means that I'm thinking about these factors when saying yes or no to the kids cries of, "I want this."
Planning -- All vacations require some planning. I ask the kids ahead of time what they want to bring home to remember the trip or show their friends. This doesn't necessarily lead to a list being made, but forces the kids to think about and research what they might want to bring home from a certain destination. The Eiffel Tower pictured above is a perfect example. Before our kids' first trip to Paris the boys said that they wanted an Eiffel Tower. Buying an Eiffel Tower was maybe even more important than seeing the Eiffel Tower to them. Sure enough, some souvenir sellers near the base of the tower where selling them for 1 Euro.
Saving -- Whether it is money from the grand parents, allowance, or a few bucks for extra chores, I remind the kids to "save some for vacation." Their savings are theirs to spend, and I give them more leeway to choose their own souvenirs when spending their own money. As with the planning, it doesn't mean that there isn't room buying completely frivolous stuff, but it has made the kids more mindful about how they are spending their money.
Rewards -- I am not above bribing my kids. In the case of a European vacation this has led to such offers as, "if you and your brother can go through this entire museum without arguing, I'll give you each five Euros to buy whatever you want at the gift shop" or the infamous, "why do you expect me to buy a gladiator helmet when you've been whining all morning." Never underestimate the power of a two Euro trinket to motivate positive behavioral outcomes.
Size Matters -- With more airlines charging for bags on international flights, you have to be more discerning on what you buy. If you have young kids in tow, every little tchotchke is another pound on your back...so make them choose wisely.
Practicality -- Souvenirs that have a practical, everyday use are my favorite. Between our three kids, we have an unending need for hats, scarfs, pens/pencils, clothes, kids dishes and water bottles so we tend to gravitate to souvenirs that can substitute having to buy other stuff that would otherwise necessitate a trip to the mall. Plus, dish towels are an easy "surprise" to put in stockings for Christmas later.
Silliness -- Previous paragraphs notwithstanding, I sort of love throwing a few ducats at the silly stuff on a trip. A Vatican-approved, Pope beer bottle opener. We have five. Mona Lisa on a Rubik's cube? A bobble-head soccer star? Swim trunks with Michelangelo's David's butt? Knee-high socks with 20 Gaelic sayings? Bright blue and yellow socks that scream SWEDEN in big block letters. These are but a few of the gems that can be had in the most kitschy souvenir shops. While serving as tourist tropes, the one time chuckle can be a lifelong memory.
Famous Art and Buildings -- Winged Victory, David, Mona Lisa, the Last Supper, the Colosseum, the Parthenon, Tour Eiffel, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The most famous places and faces of European art and architecture are not just internationally known, they are souvenir stand infamous for the countless ways that they have been aggrandized, bastardized and mass produced. But...in some weird way, those cheap replicants can be gold in a child's eye.
Case in point--one day after being infinitely bored by seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa, my oldest suddenly felt his life would be incomplete without returning home with a small plastic replica of one of the most disappointing sights in Europe. The souvenir stands in Pisa were selling them for about five Euros each. Leaving Pisa, we found the same thing in Florence for one Euro.
Food -- Food is a great option for souvenirs because it is pretty cheap and won't be sitting around your house for a decade after the trip. Across Europe, you'll easily find unique candies that can't be found in the US. Sodas and chips with funky flavors are another interesting option. Kinder chocolates are available in the US, but their original European versions are much more flavorful and still come with toys inside. For older kids (and parents) look out for nicer cheese shops and "salumeri" (aka cured meat shops) that offer vacuumed-packed meats and cheeses which you can bring back through US customs.
Christmas Ornaments -- A nice souvenir, but also a great present. Most European countries have beautiful and distinct Christmas ornaments that can be found even in the middle of summer. Germany's painted pewter ornaments have been a fixture on our trees for more than a decade. The Nordic countries offer up fine hand-painted wooden ornaments of viking and nautical themes. In Austria, delicate egg shell ornaments are gorgeous but require a careful handling on the trip home.
So with a little planning, souvenir shopping should be a strategically fun part of any trip.
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