Hi and welcome
Please take the time to read the links so you can go into this with being aware of the most common pitfalls that await the unwary. The more unregulated the place you get your piggy from, the less recourse you have if something is not right or you have been lied to.
I would also strongly recommend to reconsider whether introducing pets as a surprise gift like just another toy that will be discarded once the initial interest has palled is the best way if you want to engender a responsible attitude towards any living beings in your life. Please be aware that guinea pigs are prey animals and no naturally born cuddly toys. You will have to supervise any interaction with the guinea pigs at all times.
By the time your wiggly babies have got used to human interaction, they are generally teenagers and no longer quite as cute. If you get boys, that is the time when it decides whether they are actually a good personality match or not. If you get pretty babies for their looks, you need to plan that they may not get on and have a plan B ready - everywhere is currently chock-a-block of no longer wanted pandemic and money crunch pets right now. Please do not add to that.
In the end, it is you who has to want piggies for yourself for the next 5-7 years of a healthy life span since most children will lose interest long before that. You will also budget for quickly rising considerable vet cost during that time; there is no such thing as a cheap pet. Vet care is not paid by tax money, so the expense can come as a really nasty shock.
Guinea pigs are also quite high maintenance as they need daily poop control and very regular cleaning - and that job will be yours for the long term. Keep in mind that it is ultimately your own attitude that the children will internalise; not just towards pets but also towards humans in their care. You can teach responsibility only by example, not as an object lesson.
Easter, Christmas and summer holidays are the dreaded times of the year by rescues because of all the 'toy gift' pets that inevitably end up discarded some days, weeks or months later; please consider whether second-hand piggies used to handling and a home environment may actually be a better and more responsible option to deal with the current and growing flood of no longer wanted pets.
You may find these guide collections here helpful as they address the common practical issues that come with guinea pig keeping:
Children And Guinea Pigs - A Guide For Parents
Children And Guinea Pigs - Age Appropriate Interaction And Responsibilities.
Arrival in a home from the perspective of pet shop guinea pigs (this will also apply to the piggies you want to acquire from an online seller, only even more so as there is even less control)
Are you planning to keep your piggies indoors or outdoors? The latter is becoming a lot more problematic due to climate change. Hutches and lawn runs can quickly become death traps even in the shade of a tree if in the way of a sun heated breeze and guinea pigs are not winter hardy, either.
How large is the housing you are planning?
You may find our Wannabe and our New Owners information collections very helpful. We are trying to give you a handle for a realistic picture of what you are getting into so you can hopefully avoid the most common pitfalls that await the unwary. Unfortunately, online is full of information - but the quality is extremely variable.
Are Guinea Pigs For Me? - Wannabe Owners' Helpful Information
Getting Started - Essential Information for New Owners
Please take your time to read the links in this thread. It is great that you are doing your research but there are some areas you may want to do more in-depth research on and some you may want to reconsider. We are here to help you with all your questions so you have as smooth and easy a start as possible and a happy and sustainable long term ownership. Please don't rush.
