Do You Know What You Are Getting Your Kids for Christmas/holidays?

Updated on October 12, 2013
J.S. asks from Chandler, AZ
32 answers

Usually by now I have some sort of great idea for the kids for Christmas. We have 6 kids ages 4, 7, 7, 9, 11, 13. We usually get them 4 or 5 presents from us and 1 present from Santa. One of their presents from us is always a new pair of school shoes. The rest, I usually can come up with good ideas. This year though, I have none. I don't even have an idea for their Santa gifts. So, do you know what you are doing this year? Any good ideas? Most of our kids don't seem to "play" with toys much anymore, except my 9 year old, who loves to play with legos.

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

My daughter has been begging for Equestria girls dolls for a couple of months, so we got her a couple (her birthday is right after christmas) and some Monster High stuff.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.T.

answers from New York on

My kids are past the toy age, they are 18 and 14. I have all of the 18's gifts already. The 14 will be getting a lot of gift cards - he loves Starbucks, Subway, Dunkin. Some clothing items. Golf Balls. A bean bag chair and a new office/desk chair for his room. Some cocoa and decaf coffee Kcups. A book and an ornament - two things they both get every year.
I have a friend who always does 4 gifts for each of her 3 kids - something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read.
Good luck

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.M.

answers from Boston on

We have a 12 year old...he's getting some books(Humphrey the hamster and the new wimpy kid -- both on preorder), his 1st cell phone (an inexpensive prepaid to see how he does)....he likes the hot cocoa K-cups, so that'll be a treat....hubbie and I are toying w/ new snow shoes....

good luck

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.K.

answers from New York on

Can we get thru Halloween lol?

4 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

I can't think about Christmas yet.

4 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.G.

answers from Seattle on

We have a 10 year old and by Christmas a 7 year old. Our 10 year old is getting her own iPod with about 5 preloaded CDs she has requested. She is also getting more books(she just had her birthday and got about 15 new books)and also will probably be getting a new bedding set that is, in her words "'made for a girl my age who isn't a kid anymore."

Our by-then 7 year old will be getting tons of new Thomas the Train toys as well as a few games for his Leappad2. They both of course also get some fun pajamas, gloves, and hats.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

I know what they are getting and I am done shopping. I am an early bird because I like to have it all paid for well before the season comes. We celebrate Yule so I need 5 main gifts for each kid and then a couple of small ones for the last day. We do a theme for each day of gifts. We do 5 days of celebration starting on the solstice and ending up on the 25th when Santa comes. This year we are doing craft day (paints, canvases, easels, supplies), Lego day (we got them sets from their architect series, the white house, big ben, and the space needle), minecraft day (minecraft lego sets and a minecraft quilt hand crafted by me), reading day (new books and reading lights for their beds) and the last day they are getting new bikes.
By starting early I am able to avoid the stores as much as possible during the busy shopping season, I hate being in large crowds of people.

3 moms found this helpful

J.O.

answers from Boise on

Patty K, people with a large family can't really wait to get through Halloween, we gotta start early, and the earlier the better :)

Your youngest should still like toys, 4 is a pretty easy age. I only have 4 that I have to concentrate on this year, 12, 9, 7 and 4. I also have 4 older ones who are adults and I figure I can play it by ear with them.

Mine kinda have everything so this year I decided to add and x-box 360 with a lot more memory. Each will get a new remote and a new game. Older brother is going to buy them Kinect and a dance game. That will be from dad and I. Santa, well that will be determined by Black Friday. I really have no clue past that. They have tablets or ipod touches, so they read books off of those. I just at a serious loss, they all play with toys to some extent, the boys Lego's and the older girl still likes some 'collectible/decorative' toys.

So as you can see.....I have no clue lol

2 moms found this helpful

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

My kids are 4 and 9. They are both getting scooters. My 9 year old LOVES to do scooter tricks at the skatepark and his is totally beat up. Plus he wishes for a different kind. My 4 yr old will be getting her first scooter. How about one good book for each child? New ice skates or roller blades? Our family loves to ski so any new ski equipment is always a good bet. A small fish tank? New fuzzy blanket for their beds? New sporty jacket or fuzzy lined hoodie? A new art kit or some kind of art supplies? What are they into? My 9 year old really wants an ipod touch but I don't know if I want to go there.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.O.

answers from Minneapolis on

Christmas sure is sneaking up here pretty quick. Not sure what to get my kids, my son is 9 and my daughter is 6. I have a couple of little ideas but nothing big. I've been buying stocking stuffers for a couple of months already.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.P.

answers from Raleigh on

My 7 yo is getting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Secret Sewer Lair from Santa. He wanted it for his birthday, but it was just too expensive for a birthday gift. He's also getting some of the Angry Birds plush he's missing.
My 3yo is getting a play kitchen set. With some pots and pans, dishes, etc. It's the only thing she's asked for, so we are going all out on it!
They are both horribly spoiled by grandparents, aunts, and uncles. So, we spread out what they want with the family.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

I'm starting to get things together for my grandchildren, and almost all of them are getting books, for one thing. I look for anything fun that is at or a little beyond their reading level, and often I look for books they never heard of and that probably aren't in the school library. I find that thrift stores and second-hand book shops often have children's books in gift-giving condition. One of my grandchildren has started to learn watercolor painting, so she'll get some supplies. The littlest boy (1-1/2) is getting a wooden train, because... well, because every kid should have a wooden train. :^) One of the girls is into gymnastics, so I'll check with her mama about what I could do in that direction. One is into AG dolls, so I'll find an outfit for the doll on eBay. I like to give a number of rather good-looking but inexpensive things - so it *looks* like a lot! In the past I have given each a new outfit, since we're all thrift-store people and "new" is a treat, but with six of them I think I'm going to have to do that just for birthdays and skip the Christmas from now on. Can the Santa gifts be easy things - a small toy they'll enjoy for a little while, a box of colored pencils, a non-electronic game (i.e., Jacks, although you'll have to teach them how to play it), a pair of goofy knee socks? I'm just throwing out ideas so you can take it from there.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.G.

answers from Chicago on

I've already bought bongos for my 5 year old, and a rescue bot hand Lego set for the 3 year old. I also have a giant box of books for all three, some of which will be gifts from other people.

The 5 year old wants a guitar. I think she is too young. The three year old wants a streamroller and bulldozer.

I also bought both a bunch of things on clearance...I don't recall what (besides the Legos)... Maybe a my little pet shop kit, a cheap robotic pet.....don't remember, but I know I'm mostly done.

2 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

My kids always get a new pair of pj's, socks and underwear, a book and a tree decoration. They also get gift cards, such as for the movie theatre, Tim Hortons and McDonalds. They will probably each get a video game as well. They both want headlights and tail lights for their bikes, and some pannier bike bags for long rides in the dark.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.Z.

answers from Detroit on

Games? Books? Itunes cards (for the older ones) and "experiences" (tickets to something cool, book a class for something they've wanted to learn - rockclimbing, scuba diving, helicopter ride?)

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.W.

answers from Santa Barbara on

My daughter is twenty and prior to this year I have never shopped before December...all in a proper order for me. Two months ago I bought her four concert tickets to see Drake in San Diego on Thanksgiving weekend. She can take three friends and make a weekend of it.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.W.

answers from Amarillo on

Mine are grown. When they were little, I would give them each a crayon and they would mark like crazy the toys and things in the Christmas Books. Dad and I would go over the requests and see by our budget what they would get.

Christmas morning was a big surprise for them. They always enjoyed what they got because they never knew what would be coming. Of course, son would complain that sister "got" more things only because what he asked for was most of the budget.

I think gifts that stimulate the mind are great. If the child is into a hobby or such then help them with supplies. A trip to the museum out of town or a big fancy spot like LEGOLAND or something might be in order for the summer for the whole family.

Just remember not to go overboard. As each year becomes more costly and they expect more to be given.

Enjoy the morning excitement and put it into words for the future in books. Have a great season.

Oh, I have to figure out what to do for Halloween and my front porch. I didn't get to decorate it last year as I was in hospital.

the other S.

PS I do still get things for them but not so much. Son is married now and he and wifey do things a bit different. Daughter is still single and we get her things for her apartment. I usually make up custom things for their homes.

2 moms found this helpful

⊱.⊰.

answers from Spokane on

I have started my shopping and so far my 9 y/o is getting a Kindle Fire HD and my 5 y/o is getting Zoomer!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.D.

answers from Burlington on

For some reason, every year one of my kids is so much easier to shop for than the other, and it changes every year. This year, my older daughter's big gift will be a banjo. She got a guitar for her birthday and taught herself how to play it and now she really wants the banjo, so that's what we'll do. Our other daughter will be getting her first cell phone - just a basic one for emergencies and such. Those are their "big" gifts. Other than that, my go-to rule is to go to Amazon.com and Google and search for topics they like. My older one is into music (obviously), Dr. Who, science, grammar, soccer, etc, so I'll do a search for guitars, pianos, or Dr. Who and come up with all sorts of ideas. She also really likes t-shirts and it's so easy to find ones with funny sayings or themes that she likes, so she'll get several of those this year. Last year I found a shirt that combined 3 of her loves on one shirt! The younger daughter has fewer (and more obscure) likes such as hedgehogs and trampolines. Again, the google and amazon searches came in handy! Hubby refuses to get a trampoline so I'm hoping the cell phone will be an exciting enough replacement and I've found several hedgehog items to satisfy that request... She also likes the store Justice, so will get a gift card for there as well as some clothes I pick out. I'll probably get them each a gift card to the movie theater and the book store, too, plus an iTunes one. Somehow, even when one of them is harder to buy for, there never seems to be a lack of gifts under the tree. This year I'm more worried about what to get my father-in-law!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.O.

answers from New York on

Sigh ... mine has typed a list of about 10 lego sets into my phone, complete with product numbers. So ... I'll be shopping for legos for Hanukkah this year!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

H.W.

answers from Portland on

I'm hoping to get a pair of flannel pjs made for Kiddo; maybe a copy of Teachers From the Black Lagoon (he's loving this) and probably a $30 or less Lego set. Maybe a favorite dvd, but that's a big 'if'. But certainly pjs and a book and legos.

Santa may bring something special (he's been asking for a betta fish) so we'll just see what we shall see.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Chattanooga on

Nope. No clue what my DD is getting! Lol. Hubby and I disagree on the amount of gifts needed.... I believe in a more minimal approach, while he likes to get her a bunch. :P ... So typically. We start shopping around and buy until I (or our budget) make him stop.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

O.O.

answers from Los Angeles on

Lord no!
WAY too early for me to be thinking about that!

My son is in need of O. thing for sure that I know--a new bat bag for baseball. Otherwise...no clue yet.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.P.

answers from Minneapolis on

I am at a loss this year too. Both my boys are super into sports and already have every ball, bat, racket and stick they need. My youngest is fascinated with a hex bug he got so maybe another one of those? I am also thinking a new WII game since they haven't gotten any in a while...although they always seem again to gravtate to the same sports one! I am thinking maybe some fun accesories for their room in their favorite sports teams or even a jersey. Hope that gives you some ideas at least.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

My kids 9 (boy) and girl (8) are all about legos and crafting. Last year, I got some great deals on legos at toys r us during the Christmas sales.

If you are looking for a gift for a new mom during the holidays, I recommend http://www.newbabydiapercakes.com These are like a great alternative to gift baskets, and are incredibly useful.

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

I have absolutely no idea!
I did order their new pajamas yesterday, but that's not a surprise. If I don't catch those early they sell out. For several years now all 3 kids get matching pajamas to wear on Christmas Eve, just different colors from Children's Place. Thankfully they now have larger adult sizes! My 12 year old needs a men's small now.
My husband does a lot of our shopping and deciding since he's the one that has a "legitimate excuse" to leave the house even though he's mostly a work from home. He had "work meetings" that he needs to go to where he picks stuff up. He also does a lot of online shopping.
There is a mix of clothes, movies, books, toys and special personal things for each of them. They only get Santa gifts, nothing is from us.

R.X.

answers from Houston on

I give my adult son Bout $350 when he comes to visit me out of state.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

K.S.

answers from Miami on

haven't gotten anything yet but she gets usually a piece of clothing, usually pjs, she is twelve so she will also get a gift card (stocking stuffer)to which ever store is her favorite at the moment, an ornament(stocking stuffer) and then usually it depends what she is interested in. If its a big item like when she wanted the ipod that is all she got the one year she wants just headphones I got her some other gadgets to go with the headphones etc.

L.L.

answers from Killeen on

My 3 year old wants a Barbie this year and toys for her pet bunny she got for her birthday. Other then that we will get her a gift card to the book store (she likes books more then toys) and a new dinosaur set.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

G.L.

answers from Salt Lake City on

This year (for once) my kids have made it easy. Back during the spring they decided that they wanted one big thing. They want the Lego Death Star. It is very expensive, and I explained to them (since we are past Santa at our house) that my Christmas budget was such that if they get this, it will be the only thing they get from their parents, and they will have to share it. Six months later, they are still in complete agreement, and have worked out the details of their sharing arrangement down to how they will share building it and who will get which minifigures. They have convinced me that they really can make this work, so I'm going to go for it.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.T.

answers from Dallas on

my 4yo daughter will get another American girl doll, prob marie-grace, caught her with accessories and an extra outfit on the today show for $60! if she is just begging for a dif doll i'll put that one back for another year. my boys(7 and 10), i'm just not sure... they both want tablets and that WAS the plan, but i'm not real thrilled with how much computer time they were spending, so I've cut off computer access and i'm looking at something else for xmas. all 3 of my kids are triathletes, so there's also a chance i'll sign them up for a race out of town somewhere cool and get them new gear and take a short vacation for the xmas gift.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have started Christmas shopping. My five year old wants a dinosaur, a scooter, and teddy bear and a pop-up book. My eight year old wants a pool lounge, sunglasses and a new trampoline (it's summer here at Christmas). My seven year old wants anything to do with the movie Planes.

I'll get them stocking stuff, and two or three presents for under the tree. I found the coolest stocking stuffers a Kmart the other day - a make your own solar powered robot kit, a make your own alarm kit, and a make your own electric fan kit. Each for $6.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions