On my list of least-favorite activities is buying a child a birthday gift. As I write I owe five birthday gifts, not to mention four baby gifts. In an effort to simplify, I’ve come up with a list of standard gifts for boys and girls of all ages. Maybe if there is less thought involved, I won’t always be so behind in my gift giving.

All newborn babies are going to receive a Lands’ End tote bag, emblazoned with the child’s last name in bright, block letters. A girl’s bag will have hot-pink handles, to match the letters, and a boy’s bag will have royal blue letters and handles.

If the baby’s parents happen to be close friends of mine, I will find a beautiful blanket and have the baby’s name sewn into the corner. If the baby has older siblings, I’ll throw in a small tent, or some inflatable sleds or rafts.

All girls turning 1 should have a Little Tikes kitchen. If you think there is something sexist about this, you are right. Nature or nurture – who knows – little girls love those kitchens. And little boys can’t get enough of that Little Tikes Car. Open the door, shut the door, turn the key, honk the horn.

Little boys turning 2 will receive a garage and a few cars; 2-year-old girls a baby stroller and doll. Sexist gifts again. Shoot me.

Three-year-old boys love the larger version of Legos, called Duplo. If they already have enough Duplo to last a lifetime, Tinkertoys will do the trick. And if they already have Tinkertoys, a battery-charged Thomas the Tank Engine along with a set of tracks is a big hit. Three-year-old girls love to string large beads on necklaces (3-year-old boys also love to string necklaces, but some of their parents get queasy about this). These girls also love nail polish and lipstick.

Four-year-old girls and boys can receive the same present: Art projects. Color-by-number, sand art, paint-a-plate, Shrinky Dinks. If it makes a mess and has an actual product at the end, they’ll love it. They will also love a balloon pump with all sorts of shapes and colors of balloons, which will provide hours of quiet, easy-to-clean-up entertainment – trust me.

Five-year-old boys love remote-control cars. They also love dinosaurs. You can get some great dinosaur books, but if you’re not so fond of his parents, get a dinosaur dig, and the parents will be cleaning up the bits of stone for the next week. Five-year-old girls (and boys) love games. Trouble, Monopoly Jr., Chutes and Ladders, Zingo, Guess Who?, Clue Jr., and maybe even Connect Four and Othello.

Six- and 7-year-olds can again receive the same present: a camera. It doesn’t need to be fancy or expensive; the more basic the better. The child will love taking and developing the photos, as well as learn the importance of taking care of something valuable.

Eight or 9-year-old boys love sets: magic sets, chemistry sets, rocket launcher sets. And kits: spy kits, volcano kits. Eight- or 9-year-old girls love jewelry. A simple necklace or bracelet hits the spot.

At 10 and 11, the girls love clothes. The right T-shirt or sweatshirt will make a preteen joyous. Many boys at this age are into skateboarding and surfing; a new skateboard or surf shirt will do the trick.

It’s nearly impossible to choose the right gift for a teenager. This is what gift certificates were made for. Tower, Betsy Johnson, Gap, Borders, even Bloomingdales. Let the kid pick the gift.

For bar or bat mitzvahs, choose something with a little Jewish substance. A beautiful tzedakah (charity) box, maybe. Or for a girl, a traveling pair of candlesticks.

There is no better present for a newborn or high-school graduate than an addition to the library. Whether it’s “I Love You Forever” for the newborn, “The Giving Tree,” for the 4-year-old, “Swiss Family Robinson,” for the 11-year-old, or “The Color of Water,” for the 17-year-old, books are always a hit.

Now that I’ve made this list, I have no more excuses. Lands’ End, here I come.

Readers can address their parenting questions to Ms. Berman at sberman@nysun.com.