Christmas Gift Ideas for Children
Comments (27)
Funkyart
2 months agoUsually I only help my mom with her grandkid shopping-- but she's struggling with the holidays since dad died. They used to pack "Santa bags" for each of the kids when they were young and she wants to keep the tradition alive for the youngest generation ... so yesterday I offered to share my gifts and we added a few things to it.
For the 2 yo..A play tent from Crate & Barrel Kids (on clearance-- personalized and shipped for about $100)
I was going to get a stuffed animal but mom fell in love with this knitted puppet from Puppet Company!
And lil' G is obsessed with cars, trucks, steering wheels and dashboards .. mom and dad prefer wooden toys so mostly fits the bill.. from Melissa & Doug
and both boys are getting matching pjs from the Gap (under $15 as of today). I was surprised by the quality.. all cotton. The lil one isn't into Star Wars yet but he'll be tickled to match his cousin!
Funkyart
2 months agoBoth will get books-- for the 7 yo, he will get the remaining 3 Illustrated Harry Potter. He's read through the series with his parents but is starting to read chapters on his own and the illustrations are magical to him!
and I've had this for ages-- a smaller version of his mom's Harry Potter tervis cup-- because he is always trying to take hers!
He camps with his parents and has just started to stay in his own tent-- his mom's old pink one (a gift I gave my niece when she was a tween!) .. they also moved into a new house with a screened in gazebo and he's been wanting to sleep out there.
This coleman tent is a popup and has blackout lining (worth the extra $20!)-- he may struggle taking it down but he can surely set it up in minutes on his own.
He will grow quickly so I didn't spend a lot on a sleeping bag.. i chose this Firefly sleeping bag (under $20 but rated highly at walmart) because green is his favorite color and it sort of coordinates with the tent.
I'll pick up a lantern or flashlight to go with (he already has a headlamp from a prior Christmas).
All done! The tents were the only expensive items on the list-- and honestly, they were both $100ish on sale.. and less than what I would expect to pay for something decent.Related Discussions
Help with unique Christmas gift idea
Comments (5)Last yr. I made my g'kids calendars with pics of them & our activities tog from the year...but instead of just doing a pic, I printed off "coloring sheets" ... you can do this in some software programs ...and then I took it to a copyshop where I had the plastic circular spinal binding put on...think it was like $3 each or something like that. Anyway, the "coloring-book pics" are kind of funny cause they turn cartoonish...& the kids enjoyed looking at them...as well as the adults. Just an idea...you have a good one, too...altho I don't know if the 4 yr or 7 yr can appreciate how good your idea is! Time flies for us it seems but 2-l/2 wks. until Christmas is an ungodly amt. of time for my 9 yr. old GS! Of if my 12 yr old GD had a $25 shopping spree coming in May, I don't think she could stand the wait! Good luck with your project! Jeanne S. (if you do Photoshop, you can get an idea of what your pic would look like color book like). Jeanne S....See MoreChristmas/other gifts for adult children?
Comments (24)I am the adult kid here (scary, ha) with a 16 month old and I didn't have a job to go back to after maternity leave with no prospects (I'm an architect and 80% of architects in my county are currently laid off) so things are a bit tight here as well and I am doing the handmade/homemade gift thing as well. Both of my nieces have their ears pierced so they are getting a hand painted and lined jewelry box and an inexpensive pair of earrings for christmas and my parents/inlaws are getting a book of photos of our son (blurb.com allows you to publish "real" nice quality books and I have been working on it on and off for nearly a year adding photos as I get them - this one covers just his first year). That's about it. My parents are financially much better off than we are. We moved back to a very high cost of living area and purchased a house about a year before the height of the market and now I'm laid off whereas my dad is retired with a very nice pension and my mom bought her company a few years ago and is doing well with it and they are VERY generous with us. If the situation ever flips - well let's put it this way, there is no way I'd spend money on an expensive trip while my parents were living out of a crock pot because they could not afford a new stove! (though I would not get them a Wolf). I say as a parent you need to listen to your instinct. When we make sacrifices for our children it's because it feels right and because we want them to have a good life. It sounds like you have given them a good start to a good life and they are not babies anymore. You do what makes you feel right... and my parents are pretty tight-lipped about what they do for each sibling because frankly it's no one's business except the people actually involved. I think this is a good policy - your other kids do not need to know if you are helping out one of your kids who needs it more. JMHO - and it should not be part of gifts, just something you do because you can (no raiding your own retirement fund because then the burden will be on your kids to take care of you LATER) and want to. As far as gifts, I urge you to sit down and think about what would make YOU feel good to give them. I'm sure there are things you can come up with that don't cost a lot of money. If it's just about the money making you feel good then you should probably reevaluate what the holidays are to you. There is a LOT in between "socks n underwear" and giving an extravagant gift you cannot afford....See MoreFrugal Christmas Gift Ideas
Comments (4)Oh, I'm doing much better than those--LOL! Your list looks extravagant to me this year! I'm making patchwork checkers, backgammon and tic tac toe boards from my leftover fabric scraps. For the teens, I made scarves (from my bin of leftover yarn). I'll be filling in with some home-baked bread, homemade jellies and candy. So far, I've spent exactly 3.98 and I already have about 8 gifts put together....See MoreAdult children/Christmas gifts
Comments (95)I am sort of in Aprile's situation, except many long-distance gifts. I send gifts to my nephew and his mother every year and get a box of stale cookies from her in return (I think she even froze some of mine and sent them back. I tasted one and threw the rest away this year--so stale!) He is 27 and calls to thank me but never sends anything, even a card. My neighbor friend gives me cookies even though I tell her I don't like to eat sweets and think I'm diabetic. I usually give her handmade things--crochet towels, dried flowers, whatever cookies I have left that I didn't give away. So it's no big gift exchange. But I froze all the sweets from her and others, maybe will have to give them to other neighbors. I do have a couple friends who send me things I like, and I enjoy planning gifts for them. But I'm thinking about trying to cut down next year. I asked my nephew if I could just send $ this year and he said no, he likes my gifts! Someone else demanded I send shortbread. I shipped 6 boxes altogether and it cost $115 in shipping, and was exhausting. (I did receive a an unexpected knickknack and sent anazon prime gift in time.) Just trying to figure out how to tell people I'm not sending boxes next year. And then there's a neighbor who some years drops off a cranberry loaf early in the morning when I am barely dressed and unprepared to reciprocate and of course mortified. I would not knock on their door in the morning without warning. So how do you say I'm not doing this and please stop (expecting gifts/giving me sweets,...)?...See MoreFunkyart
2 months agolast modified: 2 months agoFunkyart
2 months agolast modified: 2 months ago
happy2b…gw
2 months agolast modified: 2 months agoFunkyart
2 months ago
Allison0704
2 months agoSuch great gift ideas, Funky.
DD2 is very particular about everything that goes into their house. DGS had a tent as a toddler, but DD2 had this on DGD2's Amazon list. Her birthday is nine days before Christmas (turns 3yo), so lots to buy for December.
A couple of the other things I purchased from the list for DGD2.
Manhattan Toy Playdate:
She loves my microbead pillow I keep at their house, so I ordered her this one. Children love the sensory aspect of them.
For grandparents in the beginning, but later for the grandchild. I would have loved to read letters from all of my grandparents as a teenager or an adult. I saw this in a local store and knew a dear friend would love, so I gifted her one. Her stories are always so detailed and heartwarming.
Funkyart thanked Allison0704Funkyart
2 months agoFunkyart
2 months agoI was looking for a light up soccer ball or glow sticks to add to the outdoor camping gift and was reminded of a fun gift from years prior.
Laser tag - my sister's family LOVED this. It was a gift for her son when he was in his tween years but the whole family got into it and played it quite a bit-- in the house and out. +/- $100
For younger kids .. Chasing Fireflies Hide and Seek game (Hearthsong, big river). No experience with these but i think they are delightful and purchased for 2 yo birthday in Feb. ~$30
happy2b…gw
2 months agoAllison0704
2 months ago
Jilly
2 months agolast modified: 2 months agoThis thread has been so helpful, thanks all!
It led me to look for a dollhouse for my great-niece. In a strange turn of events, though, I found two houses that *I* want … as in, to actually live in.
The first house I found has a working elevator, party patio, hot tub, potting shed, and third story telescope room.
Party patio with lights:
Built-in potting shed … heaven:
Hot tub … I’ll get different towels:
Thank goodness she checked with Design Dilemma first and didn’t make the fatal decision to put a mirror over the mantel:
It really works? Look at that tile!
The one above will be my city home. Here’s my country home:Get away from my house, kid!
BUILT-IN STABLES HELLO …
This stove is nicer than mine:
Anyway, thanks to this thread, I will be moving into my dream homes after Christmas.I also found this for her, but again, might keep it for myself:
(They have other animals, too.)
Funkyart thanked JillyAllison0704
2 months agoJilly
2 months agoFunkyart
2 months agoSpeaking of Tender Leaf -- love their products! I got the Wild Pines train set last year and it is wonderful. The logging truck has a magnet that will remove the logs from the train. So many ways to play with it!
Allison0704
2 months agoDD2 had this small poster made for DGS, who is a Pokemon fan, and bought a ready made frame. I fuzzed out DGS but left their dog.
maire_cate
2 months agoAllison0704
2 months agolast modified: 2 months ago
Oakley
2 months agoI'd like to get this for DH and I. :)
These are from Current Catalog and by far the cutest I've seen. One of the few that comes with it's own bucket.
maire_cate