Hi all - my 6.5 year old son doesn't ask for much, and our budget is super tight. We got him an electric train set (early so he could pick it with dad) and he LOVES it.
He's only asked for one thing - BeyBlades. Oddly, he HAS this toy but forgets he has it and hasn't played with it. He doesn't have siblings to play it with and I have no idea what to do with it (LOL).
Would it be crazy to re-wrap these and give them to him again? LOL.
Also - what are some inexpensive gifts to give him that he can unwrap? It's been a very tight time, and he doesn't really "need" anything, and doesn't ask for or want anything special. He loves his big gift of the train. I just want him to have fun unwrapping. I want to get him an alarm clock, but the ones he would like are out of stock whenever I've tried to find them. Sigh...
Thanks!
Thank you so much - I was feeling like a super-crappy mom, but it's been hard this year, and he is really easy to please and not gift-hungry which makes things easy and hard at the same time.
building toys, paint, markers, construction paper (you can begin to make a giant paper chain around the house or christmas tree), accessories for the train table (small trees, street signs, a piece of fiber board on which to set up the train, green, brown & gray paint to make grass, dirt & streets on the board)
I wouldn't re-wrap the beyblades - but I would bring them out Christmas Even to remind him that he has them.
Merry Christmas!
Puzzles
Board games that you can play as a family
Dominos, these are also fun to line up and then knock them over.. Good for building up fine motor skills.
Inexpensive watch
Flashlight
Wallet with a couple of dollars inside, maybe add some small gift cards, so they look like credit cards, but he can use them., Ice cream shop, Target, book store..
I remember one year, my grandparents sent me a HUGE box for Christmas. I spent a couple weeks happily anticipating what could be in that giant box.
I opened the first box, to find a smaller wrapped box tucked in with a bunch of newspaper.
Russian doll that, until I got to my real gift.
Turned out to be a $5.00 toy that I was into at the time.
Cheap gift, lots of unwrapping, and lots of fun. :)
don't forget that favorite snacks can be a fun gift too, if he loves a certain kind of cracker or cookie.
Does he forget about the beyblade because he needs the stadium to play with the blades? it's a big plastic bowl looking thing but it keeps them together and they can crash into each other as they spin. if he doesn't;' have that already that might make him use the toys he has more.
I would def get markers and paper for him to color on.
How about a harmonica and a telescope?
Do NOT feel like a crappy mom because you can't afford to buy him things. It's ok! Your actions as a mom is what matters...not what you buy him.
Crayola art things are decently priced. Crafty things you could make together...there are all sorts of options. You could always buy him a bunch of cheap movies and enjoy tv/ cuddle time together and have some hot chocolate or his favorite snack.
My advice would be to wrap small items individually. Perhaps set a budget of $10.00 which would amount to 5-10 gifts for him to unwrap. If you hit the dollar store you can make a decent haul:
Pop Tarts or granola bars
Candy bar
Hot cocoa
Markers, paper
Flashlight
Matchbox cars
One of those cheap little gumball machines with gum (kids love those- I am talking about the cheap ones in the candy aisle)
sunglasses
stuffed animal- even a cheap one
Go to Walgreen's. Seriously. They have 3/$13.98 toys/gifts. You could get him 3 toys for $14 that he could unwrap. Sure, they aren't the best quality. But he'll have fun unwrapping them and kids are notorious for playing with toys (expensive or not) for only a few times and then forgetting about them. I'd also visit the $1 section at Target (I did this for my 4 year old). They have flashlights, coloring kits, tubes of glow bracelets, etc. for a $1 you could get and wrap. You could easily get him many gifts for under $20 if you went to Walgreen's and the $1section at Target.
High quality markers and a pad of paper
Uno or other card game
Puzzle
T-shirt with something he's into on it
Something to go with the train set
Electric toothbrush
Book (too late for amazon or thriftbooks, check a local thrift store or discount store for good deals)
Sugar cookie mix and cookie cutters
Hot wheel car
A Ball
You should be able to get 2-3 of these ideas for less then $20. You will all enjoy Christmas more if he has a few things to open and play with.
Merry Christmas!
Oh gosh, my 5yr olds favorite stuff are the cheapest, basic toys out there.
I got him a magic 8 ball...which he thinks is the coolest thing. It's $5 on Amazon.
Fake mustaches...he'll goof around with them.
Funky pens...he loves to write.
A fart whistle...yes, I know, but he'll love it, and it was $1.
I agree with the others...dollar bin a Target, checkout line quick toys, Dollar store... keep in mind that the simplest stuff will entertain him!
Get him some toys from the dollar store
Wal-mart has hot wheel cars for 97 cents each and play-dough for 50 cents each
Coloring books and crayons if he likes to color
And no, I don't think it would be crazy to re-wrap the BeyBlades as long as you are sure that he doesn't remember that he has them
Socks, underwear, books, movie passes, a small headlight/flashlight, crayons/art supplies, puzzles, a kite, tennis racquet , a watch, marbles, a game.......candy!
Target usually has a section at the front of the store with budget kid's items... You can get little books, crayons, coloring books, small little toys easy...
There are lots of DVD's on sale for $5 or less right now. The Beyblade stadium is a great idea. (The next time he goes to a friends birthday party, give the friend a Beyblade as a gift. Then he will have someone to play Beyblades with!). Socks, underwear, pj's books, flashlights, candy, fake mustache's, Hot Wheels, Slinkies, Markers, Duck Tape...
If you can find a bit of time, you and your son make a few cookies together. It is not much but it is something that you can do together and "pretend" it is for Santa on his trip. Find a sock and stuff it full of nuts and things and hang it up. If you have a special something, get a string and have it lead around the house and he has to follow it to the present.
My daughter is like your son, doesn't ask for much so it is easier to buy little things. She to this day is happy with crayons and a coloring book.
Have a wonderful day. I would check out the dollar stores and come up with some things.
the other S.
Do you want to wrap the train cars individually? Or do they need the packaging?
My boys love slinkys, silly string, poppers (through down on the sidewalk and they pop), silly putty, cheap air pump and long balloons to make balloon animals, balls. Go to the dollar store and buy a bunch of cheap stuff to wrap.
I'd buy a new set of Bey Blades to go with what he has!
Playdough and cookie cutters
A sled
I just got my cousin's son an "Art Bucket" I got a bucket from the dollar store, wrote "Jimmy's Art Bucket" with permanent marker on the side in "Fancy" writing. Then I filled it with paper, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, finger paint, and such. Most of it was from the dollar store. Even if he had some it is always fun to get new since it does get used up.
Also a new beyblade my peak his interest again.
Legos? I know that they can be pricey for some of the specialty sets, but you might even find some at a resale or on Craigslist, although it is getting mind of late for that.
Does he need any clothing? Or give him an IOU on the alarm clock. My DD is in heaven with some craft supplies. Or books. Maybe books on trains?
Get him a kids' wallet.
He does not play with his Beyblades, so why get more?
My son has Beyblades, since he was in Kindergarten, but he played it even by himself. He played with it. And the kids at school did too.
So for him, it was a 'useful' toy.
