One two-year-old I know peels the paper off her presents and then hands each to me. A preschooler removes every shred of paper but seems stymied by the box. A four-year-old looks with wonder at the rotating ballerina who pirouettes every time a music box is opened.

It’s the wonder of Christmas on young faces I’ve noticed most this year — with the usual variations based on age, temperament and nap times.

The elders have their own signature gift-opening techniques. Some ignore their presents, treating them as they might another candle on the birthday cake. Others gobble up the gifts, always ready for the next.

It’s the bounty of the season in bite-sized morsels — the best and sometimes the only — way to savor it.

(Wrapping paper before shredding.)