I Need Some Ideas for Christmas Gifts

I'm always a big fan of books for gifts. If they have definite interests, you could give them some books to complement those interests.
I, too, do the "something they want, something they need, something to play with and something to read" thing at Christmas time, mainly so I don't go overboard and turn my kids into greedy monsters, and also so I know when I'm done.
Have you looked at TRUCE's current recommendations? (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment.) You can Google them. They usually have fun and imaginative ideas for making "shoebox gifts" of tools to do something, like a water play kit or a mini garden kit. My six-year-old loves projects--last year he made a mini garden with a tiny house in it and it stayed in his bathroom for months. He really loved it--he painted the pot and we occasionally added things to it, like pretty rocks and such. It was just wheat grass, I think, so he didn't have to wait long to see it grow and once in awhile he "mowed the lawn" with scissors. Great play value. Ours was packaged as a kit--I think I found it on Amazon and it was billed as a fairy garden or something similar-- but it would be a snap to assemble your own mini garden kit as a gift.
My middle son just turned three and he likes bugs. We gave him an Ant Works illuminated ant farm for his birthday and that was the best $30 I've ever spent on him. The whole family has been fascinated and there is no maintenance to worry about. It's really a great thing. The light in it makes it seem like a nightlight and makes it even easier to watch the ants. (Plus, I notice you're in Utah, and the ant supply place is in Hurricane, so it only takes a day or two to get your ants and they are in great shape and ready to start digging in the ant farm gel.) I highly recommend an ant farm.
Do you subscribe to Ladybug magazine? That's one everyone in my house enjoys. There are no ads and the stories and illustrations are excellent. I think you can find it at www.cricketmag.com. It's a gift that would have appeal all year long and wouln't clutter up your toy closet any more.
I recommend the cooperative games "Max" and "Harvest Time" if you do not already own them. I got ours at www.blueberryforest.com last year and they have been winners. Even my three-year-old can play with some help, but both games (especially "Max") are so interesting that even my husband and I have played together after the kids were in bed! The small company that makes these games' (Family Pastimes) motto is "play together, not against each other," which I think is great. They have a game called "Princess" that is about everyone helping a smart and brave princess get out of jams--I've heard it's great although I have ot played it myself. Could be right up your little girl's alley.
I love most of the products at www.forsmallhands.com. They have a lot of functional tools that are sized for children and encourage independence. My guys are getting their own snow shovels so they can help clear the walk this winter. No, it's not a "fun toy" to open, exactly, but it's practical and useful and it does have long-term educational and play value as they make snowmen and learn to help out.
You might like these other toy sites: www.hearthsong.com, www.magiccabin.com, www.novanaturals.com, www.oompa.com, www.rosiehippo.com. They have classic toys you're not likely to find elsewhere. Things are typically more expensive, but with better play value and quality than what you'd find at a mass-merchandise store.
Good luck--keep us posted!

If your daughter doesn't have it yet, try the Leapster, the newer one. IT is fun, educational.
I am in the same boat you are. My son is 4 and LOVES every toy he sees, however like you I just am sick of toys so I am letting him pick out four things he REALLY wants then going from that.

My daughter is 7, out of the toy phase all together. Every once in a while she sees things she thinks are cute but she is more into playing school or drawing then anything. I am at a loss what to get her too this year.

In Sept she finally got a DS for her birthday, after over a year of asking (that was her only gift since it was a biggie) That took me a long time to come around about and I told her she had to choose if that was what she wanted not to have a party. She made a very big kid decision and chose that. So I go out and spend $150 on everyting for it!!!!!
She doesn't play with it a lot but at least games for it are things she can ask for now. I was worried she would play it all the time, but to be honest now I think I could have saved my money, she gets it out once a week if that. I put rules around it, like not before bed, homework done first and so forth but she really plays with it so infrequently I am beginning to questioning getting it !:)

The Leapster has always been a big hit though and I love it is portable like the DS so if we have to wait at the DRs, go go the airport or long car ride they have entertainment. Both of my kids shared the Leapster before the DS came along and my son still loves it. IT is fun for them and good for snowy yucky days and they learn at the same time.

There are also the kid digital cameras now, where they can learn to edit and all that and they are very durable.

Good luck and let me know what you come up with, I may borrow some ideas! :)

i would get them both something simple that represents the true meaning of christmas and share the story of the birth of christ

Hi Laura
When we have times like that we buy and give gifts to needy kids instead. We focus on all we have and give to others instead. It is great when the kids help pick out gifts for the others and they love to take them down and deliver them wherever they are going. We try to stay focused on the meaning of Christmas and not all the gifts. I usually only get the kids a few under the tree gifts and one big Santa gift and call it good. Like you said they will get so much for others and if they dont need anything then dont just waste money to put a bunch of junk under the tree. I know sometimes I feel like Im not doing enough but we as parents do all year. Hope that helps a bit.

You moms are great...I would echo some of the great ideas -
memberships, especially from grandparents who probably need ideas anyway
outings (the APEX is fantastic, Heritage square is fun for kids)
crafts, books, new sheets or towels
buying for charities instead of family

one of my favorites...donating "gently used" toys to make room for more...if we are out of room, we don't need more, so my kids have to find roughly the same amount to give up as we would give them (maybe a laundry basket to fill as a guideline..this works especially well if you are done having kids and can truly get rid of the baby and toddler toys, etc.)

Happy holidays!

make a ticket or certificate that represents something you'll take them to do: dinosaur museum, discovery center, bounce house, train ride, skating rink, etc. my kids also love getting their own magazines, like high 5 or highlights.

I think the best gifts are books. Usborne books are some of the best I have seen. I can't remember the policy for selling things on this website, so if you want more information, please let me know. My kids and any that have seen the books LOVE them! There are some great deals this weekend too.

L.

Laura,
I don't know all of your situation but maybe she would like to redue her room. As a gift you could give her a budget and then work with her to possibly repaint, new bedding (bought or made), different curtens. This might make her feel grown up and also teach her how to work with a budget. Good luck.

Wow! What a great group, I am definetly going to try some of these ideas! I have a couple suggestions. My kids are 8,5, and 3. Last year when we didn't have much money, we let the kids open one gift at a time, get it out of the box and play with it until they wanted another one and then we would repeat the process. I think we got them 4 presents each plus thier stockings and it took us until 3pm and the kids still talk about how fun it was to do it that way!
My kids are little so they like to open gifts, but I think they like making gifts for others almost as much. That's why I love these sights;)There are gift ideas for all ages and some that your kids could make for others. For our house, the Christmas is much more about giving and family time than the things we're going to get:)At least - we try;);)
http://www.mycmsite.com/tonyawildwoman go to the project center and there are TONS of ideas - even a 30 days of holiday gifts. Here's the link to that. http://projectcenter.creativememories.com/projectcenter/3... I did the posters since they were drag and drop photos in - can't wait to give it to my 8yr.old (he's in football)for Christmas!!! The coolest thing was it wasnt' too expensive since they were 25% off right now and he'll have something to build his self-esteem all the time to look at:)
This next one is actually taken from a ezine I get it's on “Your Plans to Simplify the Holidays this Year” page at
http://www.countingthecost.com/tio/simplifying.htm.
Lastly, I found a site written by a mom of 3 who really understands and is FUNNY! She does more than just Christmas, but here's the link for her Christmas page http://www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/christmas/christmas.htm

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

I really think at this age they just really get excited about the smallest things, I have a five year old and she loves coloring books and to color and would be just as excited about that as an expensive gift! In fact, now when they are young is the time to stay "small" as far as budget and volume! We did get my daughter this toy baby stroller she loves and uses alot, at least if it is used that is better than stuff that just sits in the toy box! I know what you mean about the kids getting and having so much, I am trying to keep it small this year too! Good luck!

Maybe focus with them on the giving to others ("what do you want to give to /or make for.... so and so?") and when they bring up the getting (if they do?) just say; "Hm...I wonder...?" I am sure it is fine to write a letter to Santa, but leave it at that...as you go throughout the holiday season, just find one main thing (no batteries is always nice!) that they would enjoy. You may even let them pick some of their own toys to give away to other children in need or charity. Sometimes children's hospitals will take really good, clean toys. Focus on giving instead of giving with your children, and you will be amazed at the results!

Our kids have so many things and we are trying to move so we decided on a family gift. We aren't quite sure yet as we need a new TV but the other choice is a Y membership so we can swim and rock climb together. Another family I know does a membership to the local water park and we used to do a membership to the AZA and go to all the zoo's and wildlife parks throughout the year in our old state. The kids got so many things for others that they didn't even notice that we didn't get them a huge stack of gifts and they loved all the family time we've spent together.

how about art classes or art supplies? My daughter goes to Clementine Art Studios in Boulder and loves it. There are classes like pirate art, dr. seuss, etc. It's very cool. Or maybe cooking classes like Sticky Fingers Cooking in Denver or Young Chef's academy--which have several locations. With Sticky Fingers, kids actually prepare yummy foods and then bring it home to cook for dinner, etc. The kids really enjoy the feeling of successfully cooking a meal. Good luck!

Something that has made Christmas shopping a breeze for me, I heard from a friend. Get them something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. The something they need and to wear you are most likely going to buy them anyway, but this way they get it for Christmas, the something they want keeps them happy and reading is so important that it is awesome to get a book to help the kids learn to love to read. Just 4 gifts, makes things so much easier and keeps things simple :)

what about an experience rather than a gift that will sit in your house and get unused? season zoo passes? or membership to an indoor pool for the winter? something useful that doesn't collect dust but gives you even more time as a family. they sound at just the right age for that, with just a few stocking gifts or something small to open on christmas day. good luck, it's so hard finding something that you feel good about spending money on.

My sister in law and I do subscriptions to things like "Ranger Rick", "Highlights Puzzle Magazine" "Sports Illustrated for Kids" and the like. The kids like it because they get a new litle gift all year long and we like it because they are reading and thinking.

Are there any movies they would like? That's what I'm getting my boys. Good luck!!!

Last Christmas my mother-in-law got my boys, then 4 and 2, a membership to the zoo. She bought them each a small plastic zoo animal to go with it so they would have something tangible to hold on to. That membership was the best gift we got. It allowed us to be able to get out of the house and our routine anytime we wanted to. GL and Happy Thanksgiving.

Books - how about getting your kids a bunch of special books? maybe in a special carrying case or something.

Also see Klutz.com - they have great activity books and games. ONe thing I'd recommend in particular is music - they have a couple of CDs with kids songs, and they come with books - perfect for that age and kids seem to universally love those.

My last idea is to do things that are activities rather than possessions. How about a series of lessons, or a pass to go ice skating or swimming or something like that? Trip to the aquarium or some other special place? My kids love those gifts and they seem to mean a lot more than another toy.

Good luck!

Hi, have you tried some craft ideas. Both your children are old enough to start learning some craft things and this is something that could turn into a hobby and they may enjoy it for a lifetime.

did you ever think of gift cards?? That way you can take them shopping, have some say in what they get, and they get to pick what they want! I am doing gift cards this yr. for my 4 kids, ages 10,9, 5 and 2, makes my Christmas a lot easier!

You've gotten some really great ideas here. Does your daughter have an American Girl doll yet? If not, this is the perfect age for one. My daughters have one each and just love them. They're a bit pricey and my girls know that, so they're expected to treat them well and take good care of them. And another benefit is that now, a good, easy back up plan for gifts is clothes, accessories, books about and for their American Dolls, which are MUCH cheaper on ebay than the American Girl website. You can also get 18"dolls and related accessories at Target which will fit American Girl dolls.

My girls are 6 and almost 8. This year the ONLY thing they wanted was their own Nintendo DS (besides the puppy and pony, of course, which they're NOT getting). I have to admit, I'm looking forward to the day when they don't want toys anymore. If I never see another Polly Pocket shoe or plastic McDonalds Happy Meal toy, I'll be really, really happy!

If you prefer an outing type thing and your daughter likes arts and crafts, you could take her to a pottery painting place and have her create something special for herself. Or you could buy the plate/cup/whatever, wrap it for under the tree, and then tell her your plans to take her back out to paint it. That way she gets a "thing" as well as quality time with you.
In fact, you could probably do this with your son, too.

I haven't looked at other responses yet, so I will apologize in advance if I only repeat what others suggest. For the daughter, how about some craft or art kits? Is she the athletic type? If so, how about sports equipment? Is she a girly girl? Children's jewelry and a pretty hat or other accessory. Books are always a great gift and then there's always the old standby - warm clothing.

For the boy, with so many toys it is harder. Books and cool winter accessories.

Posters for their rooms? Child-appealing table lamps?

You could make them their own small no-sew fleece blankets. Are you the crafty type? I could come up with some items you could make for them that don't cost much, as well.

One more thought: When my children were small we started doing an Advent project as a family. We decided each year on one thing to do that helps someone else, and what the kids really got out of it was the idea that Christmas is a celebration of the gift of God's son, and since we are thankful for that gift, we want to pass along some grace to someone else. It also nicely taught them not to be greedy about Christmas - a lesson you will be glad you taught them early if you ever have a year when money is just extra tight. The family advent project was so much a part of celebrating Christmas in our household that after their father and I divorced when the kids were teens, we sat down to discuss family traditions and which ones we could maintain and which ones we could not, and what new ones we wanted to begin. The children were most concerned that we continue the family advent project. In fact, that really was the only one they wanted to keep.

My daughter's favorite present last year turned out to be a book I made her for her birthday, but the idea could apply to Christmas as well. I've been making birthday books that chronicle that year of the child's life, but you could do the calendar year instead, or do the birth-dated year and give it as a Christmas present. There are many online companies such as MyPublisher, Apple, or Blurb that offer software to make books from digital photos. I have a Mac, so I just edit the photos in iPhoto and drag and drop them into book pages. The base cost is $29.95 (more for additional pages) but the book is priceless to the child.

Hi Laura,

I have a 4 kids (9 years to 22 months) and know the excessive toy problem well. Last year my 6 year old daughter was invited to a birthday party and the invitation suggested going to heifer.org for gift ideas and I figured it was earth-friendly toys or something along those lines. Well, if you are not familiar with heifer it is a great organization that helps families around the world by giving livestock that can dramatically improve their quaility of life. You can donate as little as $10 and print out a card saying that a donation has been made in the child's honor and you get the tax break. I showed my kids the website and we talked about how the different gifts (goats, rabbits, etc.) help the families. My daughter even asked the kids she invited to her birthday party to make a donation to heifer instead of getting her any gifts. I'm not sure how much the kids appreciate it, but ever since then we have only given heifer donations for birthdays--I have my kids decorate the card and I make sure the parents know that the card IS the gift so it doesn't get lost in the sea of other presents. As for me, I love knowing that the money we spend is going to a great cause (I can do it at home)and it's a great learning opportunity for all the kids that have so much more than they need. Hope this helps!

How about art and craft supplies such are construction paper, glitter, glue, scissors that make fancy cuts, ribbon? A pot holder loom. Games that stimulate mental activity such as jigsaws, not just 'baby' ones. get some bigger ones and do them with the kids or some 3Ds. The Clue jigsaws are great, there's the puzzle, a mystery story, 3D glasses to read the solution to the mystery. How about puzzles, a globe, a decent kids microscope, lots of prepared slides as well as blank slides, magnifying glasses, magnifying boxes (different sizes, put bugs in them and one side if a magnifyer so they can't just walk away. Books, especially well done educational ones, the National Geographic Junior Explorers are good as are the series on How Things Work, Waldo and I Spy books, Berenstein Bears, Little Critter. Get some of the more complex Memory games, Cadoo for kids, S'math, Pictionary for kids. Tell the family to get them Legos or Duplos, erector set type stuff, those are thing that will challenge their creativity, develop some skills and the Lego set especially can be build on for years.
In other words look for things that will stimulate, entertain and develop skills, there is lot of it available. I've two well behaved, HS honors students and this is what they grew up on along with very little TV!

How about computer games like from Jump Start. Or do a gift certificate for Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby for everyone and take a one or two night trip between Christmas and New Years...they book up so not sure you would have reservations this close.

One of my best friends has started a tradition of giving my 4-yr. old daughter a zoo membership every year for Christmas. She's done it for the last 3 years and we absolutely love it! It's as much a gift for me as it is for my daughter. She love, love, LOVES the zoo and we go at least once a month because of this membership. We would probably only go once a year if we were paying the entrance fees. It truly is the gift that keeps giving all year long! You could also do a zoo, aquarium, or butterfly pavillion membership if you're in the Denver area. I also like magazine subscriptions and often give them as gifts for friends/relatives. Also what about craft supplies - construction paper, markers, glitter glue, foam, pipe cleaners, beads, wavy scissors - my 4-year old loves all of these and will work for hours on her craft projects. Good luck and Merry Christmas!

How about an art box with different types of art supplies; or sporting equipment, like roller blades, jump ropes, balls, etc; musical instruments; a digital camera.

Do you have a zoo or another similar place nearby? You could get a Family Membership to this type of place instead of stuff. Okay I took just a minute to look at your location. We live in Utah too. We have done for gifts Hogle Zoo and Clark Planetarium. I would recommend the zoo or Discovery Gateway. Also Thanksgiving Point has different memberships available. We have also considered Red Butte Gardens and This is The Place. They all have fun stuff for kids.

A certificate for an outing, my kids really like this when it includes eating out. A subscription to a kids magazine. Books are always good.

I found when they were this age that reducing the number of toys by putting 2/3 of their toys up and rotating through in thirds or less reduced the mess and kept them interested in their toys.

when my daughter was 6 we gave her a weaving loom - about $4 at Wal-mart or a craft store - and an extra bag of "loops." She loved it! I had NEVER seen her play with anything so long. She has given hot pads to grandparents, close friends, and neighbors. It's the gift that she can give, which has really helped her self-esteem.

THere are some great learning "toys" online at The Joyful Child, a motessori based site. Here's the link:http://www.michaelolaf.com/1-3%20LANGUAGE07.pdf.

My kids (6, 3 and 18 mo)love TJBearytales. Even my baby sits and listens to the stories. Good luck!