by Mama Butterfly
I've already spent a decent amount of time looking through the kids current toys and purging what they've outgrown or no longer play with. I'm so thankful that most of my kids' grandparents, aunts and uncles that buy stuff for them ask me for ideas, so I can help them steer towards stuff I know my kids will actually use. Since R's birthday is just around the corner, I've begun my list of ideas for birthdays and Christmas for each child. This is what I have so far:
R - my son, who is turning 3:
- Vsmile & games
- Training wheel bike
- Candyland & Chutes and Ladders
- Doctor medical kit
- Lincoln Logs
- Tinker Toys
- Art Easel
- Additional Play dough and kits (we already have some play dough, but most of it is getting dried out)
- Keyboard
- DVDs - Bob the Builder, 101 Dalmations, Super Why!, Toy Story 2
A - my daughter, who will be 1 in February:
- Baby doll
- "Little People" doll house
- Play purse w/ accessories
- Baby Einstein animal DVDs (I don't remember the exact titles)
- "Parents" Busy Zoo activity cube
- Clothes for next summer
I've already purchased about 10 books for each child, which I will spread out between their birthdays and Christmas. I was at a store that was having a sale, so I went a little crazy. They're set with new books... for now! Also, hubby and I are only purchasing a few small gifts for R for his birthday. Our main "gift" to him is a special day with Mom & Dad at the Baltimore Aquarium. I'm looking forward to it, and I know he'll have tons of fun! His birthday falls on a Sunday, and I'm just going to have his grandparents come over that night for "pupcakes", per his request.
How many gifts do you give your children for their birthday and Christmas? What type of gifts do you get your children, depending on their age?
Comments (14)
I like to pick stuff out of the Montessori Services catalog or the Small Hands catalog. They always have great (no noise) educational things for the kids and they are starting to really appreciate some of it too. Their favorite stuff right now is cooking and gardening stuff. They get to use it with me so that gets them really excited about both of those activities.
I have been limiting what they get at Christmas. Usually the grandparents are welcomed to get my son one nice present but not a bunch of presents. I spent 150 last year and bought way too much for him put back 3 presents for another holiday or occasion, so this year my limit is 125. I too bought some books already but I am not sure what else I will buy. My husband and I are big on not overdoing the toys and material possesions.
Craft things for a rainy day are always good. Go to Michaels or any other craft store and they have craft sets for all ages.
And even though it is messy you could also get finger paints for them. Your 3 year old is at a great age to start experimenting with color and if you stick to primary colors he can start mixing them and seeing how the make new colors.
For a one year old... honestly a savings bond will be good. How long will she really play with those toys? And do you really want a ton of toys sitting at your house? While it is not as glamorous as the latest Fisher-Price toys, yet she will appreciate it when she is older. One of the ladies I work with gets all her grandchildren for their birthday/Christmas savings bond and then a small token.
We always go way over board with gifts in my family (grandparents & aunts/cousins do too). They always get a lot of clothes and age appropriate toys (and a lot of books!)
@bassangel@xanga -
Saving bonds are GREATLY appreciated. I got savings bonds from my grandparents every christmas, I didn't know this until this may when dad presented me with an envelope worth about 2,000$ worth of savings bonds from various sources. Those will definently help with college funding. I'm letting them age a bit more.With four kids, I have to be careful, because it can get expensive fast! For their birthdays, we usually get them one gift and let the grandparents know other things that are wanted. They usually end up with one gift from each and an outfit. My oldest (8) loves getting gift cards to Barnes and Noble. For Christmas, we usually get them one larger toy, like a helicopter with accessories/doll and stroller/etc and then we get them a little toy, like a small action figure/my little pony type of thing. Then we get a movie for all of them to share. We end up spending about $40, at most, per child. Usually, it's closer to $25-$30. We don't really get toys any other time of the year, but get lots of books, coloring/art things or board games/puzzles
The kids each get 2-3 gifts on there birthday along with one when it's a siblings birthdays. And for Christmas we do only a few, not more then ten each.
We always go wayyy overboard, but then again my mom did with me too. Both of my boys birthdays are coming up and then Christmas is soon to follow. We are getting our 8 year old a Nintendo DS and a few games for his birthday, my youngest has not said yet what he wants for his birthday (which isnt until december). For Christmas...I've already started...I've got them some books, each a nerf gun, 2 board games each, some movies, a play dough set, mp3 players for both of them, a rubix cube, and a remote control motorcyle...We are still going to get them a Wii and 3-4 games and some accessories to go with it. Then of course I will have to get them stocking stuffers. This Christmas we are toning it down a bit, normally I go crazy shopping for them. We don't usually buy clothes as gifts sometimes for their birthday's but hardly ever. What can I say I like to spoil my kids....their mine and I can do that...LOL!!!!
We're really steering toward "Experience" gifts. Like you are doing with going to the aquarium in Baltimore. We have 3 sons. They all like the same type of toys and they have *plenty*. Being boys they love to go go go - so a trip to DC to see the dinosaurs at the museum, an afternoon hiking at a refuge, trips to the beach - those are the things they really love. Plus there is the benefit of quality time, memories, learning, and then looking at the photos in the scrapbook later.
My son is still young so we don't get him too much. He isn't aware of Holidays just yet.
For his birthday he got the musical friends table from Fisher Price, a playground and a sandbox from his grandparents, books, and outfits.
We haven't decided on Christmas yet. My parents and hubby's parents will ask or just buy what they are going to buy and give us the reciept if he already has it. We need to decide soon before the Christmas rush.
About 3 for Christmas, maybe 2 depending on price. For Christmas there are usually 3 wrapped gifts from us and then an unwrapped gift from "Santa" plus some small stuff in their stockings. We have to be careful because finances are tight around here so they don't get a ton of stuff from us.
Have you thought of making playdough instead of buying it?
its really easy and cheap, just look it up on the net.
And can make lots of colours using food colouring.
Since both my mom and my husband's parents like to buy gifts for our son (he is the only grandchild on his side of the family as of yet, and my husband is an only child...), we try to keep our own spending under control, and the toy clutter to a minimum. I tend to buy our son books without needing an occasion to give them, and I keep a reasonably small supply of craft material (paper, crayons, baby glue, pencils) on hand.
For his birthday, we bought him a wooden walker bike that looks like a horse (hard to explain, but it's a regular for first birthdays in Holland - it's that whole bicycle thing...) and a book. The bike looks a bit like this one. His grandparents knitted two sweaters, bought him a few clothes, two wooden toys (as per my request), and (big gift) a TrippTrapp high chair which converts into a regular chair. His aunt and uncle gave him a toy car. For us, that was plenty - we live in a small apartement, and we just don't have the space for much else.
Generally, we are planning to buy him one "big" toy for Christmas/birthdays (we're thinking about a wooden play stove for Christmas - his dad is the chef in our home, so we think he'd like that). Then we can ask for accesories like miniature cutlery, play food, pots and pans, from the grandparents.
I like to give him what are called "passive toys", that is, toys that don't "do" anything on their own. That way, children have to use their imagination and think of different ways to use the toys. I'm not a big fan of toys that make noise, light up, etc. I will play the occasional DVD, but more because he needs the second language input (we are raising him to be bilingual). He does love Sesame Street though!
Your list sounds great. I'm thinking of getting my will-be 16 month old some of those crayola markers that are easy to hold for babies.