Christmas for kids (w/out the expense)??

[Aubrey]

I'd like to spend little to no $ on Christmas this yr--partly lack of $, but MAINLY...my kids have enough stuff. I *love* shopping for them when there's something in particular that I want them to have, but...there's really not this yr, kwim?

 

So...last yr, we'd noticed that writing a letter to Santa seemed to make them very self-focused, so we told them that Santa's elves were going to test new toys on them. Their gifts would be fun, but they didn't get to pick them. They loved it, & I loved it. There was all the magical wonder & fun but a lot less of the MEEEEEE. LOL

 

They're talking about that again this yr, hoping Santa will experiment on them again. 6yo dd just figured out Santa, but she & 8yo ds play the game really well. All that to say...there's less "Santa" to keep up since 2yo & 1yo are too little to get it completely & 6yo & 8yo are more flexible.

 

Still, though, I don't want the secret to be shared & suddenly there's no more Christmas, kwim? That seems awfully traumatic. :lol: I just want...I don't know how to put it exactly...I want their gifts to be...purposeful. Fun, but not just more junk.

 

So...I've been thinking about making felt food for dds, & I think they would like that, but...I guess I'm afraid it will be super time-consuming, esp to try to make on the sly. And it's hard for me to guage how excited they'll be about it. They got a toy kitchen last yr that I was afraid I'd like better than them, but I was happily surprised. And they play w/ it in bursts, if that makes sense. Sometimes it's the only thing, lately it hasn't seen much play. But they're like me, they cycle through things, so I thinkt that will be fine.

 

I've got a recipe for glitter playdough that I think will be divine. I'm thinking about putting together baking mixes that we can cook together, because...it's consumable, & I really think they need time w/ us more than they need more toys. If that makes sense.

 

My parents didn't have any $ when I was growing up, esp after they divorced, but one thing that was important to my mother was making the tree LOOK really full of presents Christmas morning. I knew there wouldn't be much in the boxes--toothbrushes & underwear in some of them--but it did look beautiful. We had to sit around it & look at it while we ate our breakfast, & I've carried that tradition into my own family. Dh comes from a fam that didn't wrap the gifts & just tore into everything immediately. It's taken him time, but now he enjoys watching the anticipation build, too.

 

I guess I'm trying to figure out how to make the tree look really full w/out...filling it, lol. Mom even wrapped Christmas candy & dental floss in our stockings, because she thought it was fun to unwrap stuff. I really think that taught me more to appreciate small things, you know, but...we really don't have $ for toothbrushes & underwear, even. I mean, if the kids *needed* those right now, that would be one thing, but to spend $ on superfluous *junk*? Nope. And Mom *was* bad about that.

 

So do you think a gentle scaling back is possible? I don't want Christmas to be an object lesson or anything, just...I don't know. The kids will get too much stuff from family, I've got a closet full of books I've gotten free from selling Usborne books, & there are a couple of things still in my gift box, where I stash stuff throughout the yr. Just not anything really GOOD, you know? And not much really for ds8.

 

Sorry to go on so long. I'm obviously still trying to figure out what I even mean. So, uh, good luck to y'all. :001_huh: :lol:

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I know exactly what you mean. We are needing to scale back again this year. It's okay. When we lived in the US our Christmases were a lot more than they ever have been here. Partly because of layaway and taking major advantage of that, and partly because we could be with family during the holidays and since we've moved here--my dc kind of get forgotten by aunts and uncles and friends. Just the way it happens--not a problem.

 

We scaled back gradually. The first year I had planned ahead and brought all their Christmas presents with us. The second year I had a rude awakening when I was trying to shop and realized that one of those little lego sets that run about $5 in the US, cost almost $12 here!:001_huh: So began the scaling back!

 

I focus our Christmas on things we can do as a family. Games, puzzles, movies, music, books. They get a magazine subscription every Christmas from us and then I buy what I can online we would love as a family and have people who are coming down bring the stuff with them.

 

I love the idea of making a lot of different things! One of my dc's favorite gifts is the box I fill with craft stuff. I buy scrap fabric from a fabric store, glue, glitter, felt, yarn, knitting needles, thread, needles, cross stitch stuff, craft books, tissue paper, whatever I can get during the year and stick it into one huge box and wrap it up under the tree. They literally use it for months afterwards.

 

Anyway--good luck with it! I know it'll be a blessing. I've seen such great fruit from it. I love that my dc aren't "me" focused at Christmas. Even when I ask them what they would like, they just say they don't care and are grateful for whatever they get. It puts it all in perspective!

[jg_puppy]

I don't know how well this is going to work out this year, but my plan is to wrap Christmas books. I have a ton of Christmas paper that I bought after Christmas one year and I have many Christmas books. I will let the kids pick one Christmas book to unwrap and then we will read together. This way the kids are getting to unwrap something all month long, but it doesn't cost me any money.

 

As for actual Christmas gifts I think that this year we are going to focus our gifts on more things for the family. Games, puzzles, books, arts and crafts supplies etc. that the whole family can enjoy.

 

I think baking kits with the promise of making them together would be a very fun gift. My dd would love that.

 

Jan

[CalicoKat]

A couple thoughts:

 

Use paperback book swap to get a couple fresh story books into the house?

 

Or there's always stories on tape free from Libravox you could download and put on CD for their listening enjoyment. A package of new crayons and paper might inspire them to draw a picture of the story they're listening to.

 

Really draw out the Christmas anticipation by making Jesse Tree Ornaments to hang on the tree. http://www.rca.org/Page.aspx?pid=1625

 

Homemade candy (peanut brittle, suckers, fudge) a small box for each? I've got a really good recipe that we call Bun bars. It's kids friendly and sooo very rich. It's got peanut butter, powder sugar, chocolate layered together into a bar. Give each kiddo a small specially wrapped box of their own Christmas candy/cookie/.

 

Free felt food patterns http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1998082/free_felt_food_patterns.html?cat=22

 

I'm going to make pj pants from the flat top sheets my kids never use. http://www.sewnews.com/articles/To_All_a_Good_Night_Shorts

 

This next idea isn't $0 but I think it's a goodie. My kids love looking at pictures of when they were younger. I'm thinking of uploading to snapfish and ordering smallish book for each of picture of themselves when they were babies. Alternatively I could print them off and have it spiral bound at Kinkos.

[CalicoKat]

would be a very fun gift. My dd would love that.

 

Jan

 

:iagree:the best gift my mom gave my dd 9 was 3 cake mix boxes from Sam's club. :)

[Sue G in PA]

We are trying to do the same thing, for practically the same reasons. My kids are way to ME focused this year and have way too much stuff that they don't take care of. I'm tossing so much and giving so much away to Good Will. I think the paperbackswap idea is a great one...in fact I'm doing that, too. Baking mixes...awesome! My kids love to cook with me (well, bake!) and so putting together jars of ingredients would be terrific! Great idea! Craft supplies (use the coupons from Joann, Michaels, ACMoore) are useful and fun! Glitter playdoh, Kool Aid Playdoh. I'm loving these ideas. We are trying to go non-electronic this year w/ the exception of the iPod shuffle I was able to get dd12 at a STEAL at Target using gift cards from transferring prescriptions AND a used Leapster for dd4 b/c she is always wanting to use her brothers. I told me kids if their attitudes didn't become more "other focused" we were going to have a "Little House on the Prairie" Christmas! Should have seen their faces!

[Aubrey]

I don't know how well this is going to work out this year, but my plan is to wrap Christmas books. I have a ton of Christmas paper that I bought after Christmas one year and I have many Christmas books. I will let the kids pick one Christmas book to unwrap and then we will read together. This way the kids are getting to unwrap something all month long, but it doesn't cost me any money.

 

As for actual Christmas gifts I think that this year we are going to focus our gifts on more things for the family. Games, puzzles, books, arts and crafts supplies etc. that the whole family can enjoy.

 

I think baking kits with the promise of making them together would be a very fun gift. My dd would love that.

 

Jan

 

I met a lady who did this once as part of the 12 days of Christmas. She used some they already had, bought a couple, & even wrapped some from the library. Probably toward the end, lol. I thought it was creative, though.

[Aubrey]

Y'all's ideas are great, but we really, really already have that stuff. I'd guess there are 3000 books in this house, & we've got more (of mine & dh's) in storage. Art supplies are *mostly* in a bucket big enough for me to get in. :lol:

 

But...I might start collecting broken electronic stuff for an "invention kit" for ds. I bet he'd *love* that. Hmmm....

[staceyobu]

I'll be watching this thread with interest. My kids are the only grandkids on both sides of the family and last Christmas, our parents went crazy buying them stuff. We are on toy overflow around here!

 

I'm wanting to get rid of toys... not add more. But, I don't want them to get nothing for Christmas, either. But, I feel like it's just a waste of money for us to spend money on more stuff at Christmas.

 

I love the idea of glitter playdough! I'll see if I can think of anything else! There is also edible playdough...

[Aubrey]

I'm wanting to get rid of toys... not add more. But, I don't want them to get nothing for Christmas, either. But, I feel like it's just a waste of money for us to spend money on more stuff at Christmas.

 

I'm happy w/ the amt & quality of toys we have. Not thrilled, lol, but my urge-to-purge is under control right now. I've pretty much gotten rid of everything junky & broken, & they still have a lot, but it's ok, if that makes sense. I'm not going to get rid of the legos just to get rid of something.

 

But I don't want to *buy* more just for the sake of buying something. They have so much that they don't have *time* to play w/ it all frequently enough to justify it.

 

I'm working on a rotation plan so they'll play w/ a wider variety of things. You know how it is, they just grab the first thing & forget what's even in the closet. It *is* tempting to just get rid of stuff, but...I guess I want to be careful about over-purging, too.

 

But "maintaining" doesn't really solve Christmas. And we have one of those wonderful week-after-Christmas birthdays, too. Don't babies know when to come???? :D

[Melinda in VT]

I've been thinking about this thread and what I keep coming back to is the idea that you are going to have to change your idea that the tree needs to look "full" on Christmas morning. I think contemplating the tree during breakfast is great, but I think if you want to move away from needing to buy lots of stuff, you need to change the focus of your tree-viewing to appreciating the lights, the decorations, the way the tree smells, etc.

 

(In our case, it's DH who feels the need for there to be a pile of a certain size, so I'm familiar with the issue. I see signs of change.:D)

 

In the meantime, since you said the kids need time with you more than things, could you wrap coupons for special activities into overly large boxes and wrap the boxes? Or, to drag out the anticipation, make them go on a treasure hunt for the coupons?

 

The activities don't need to cost a lot of money. Things like family movie night or backwards day or baking a special treat are very cheap. Are there any special holiday week events in your town? Streets with really cool Christmas decorations? Those sorts of things.

[Sasharowan]

Go to a thrift store and find some fancy hats, scarves, belts, etc. and make a dress up box.

Get some rope, wood, hammer, and nails and let the two older ones create something.

fabric and needles and thread and a book of costumes.

[Chris in VA]

How about some outdoor toys, like a zipline? Dh made dd a treehouse this fall, and added a zipline--he just used supplies from Home Depot, costing him about $30. (You could probably go cheaper--ours has two lines, a top one for the big boys and a bottom one for dd.)

[CalicoKat]

I've been thinking about this thread and what I keep coming back to is the idea that you are going to have to change your idea that the tree needs to look "full" on Christmas morning. I think contemplating the tree during breakfast is great, but I think if you want to move away from needing to buy lots of stuff, you need to change the focus of your tree-viewing to appreciating the lights, the decorations, the way the tree smells, etc.

 

(In our case, it's DH who feels the need for there to be a pile of a certain size, so I'm familiar with the issue. I see signs of change.:D)

 

In the meantime, since you said the kids need time with you more than things, could you wrap coupons for special activities into overly large boxes and wrap the boxes? Or, to drag out the anticipation, make them go on a treasure hunt for the coupons?

 

The activities don't need to cost a lot of money. Things like family movie night or backwards day or baking a special treat are very cheap. Are there any special holiday week events in your town? Streets with really cool Christmas decorations? Those sorts of things.

a smalller tree perhaps? :D

[MamaCass]

Since the birth of my second son nine days before Christmas we have had the three gift rule. Each of my Children recieve three gifts on Christmas morning. Jesus only received three gifts and it helps to shift the focus back on the reason for the season :)

 

This year most of the gifts are Mom made I have been knitting and sewing all year LOL. My husband isnsits on buying a new Wii game for the older boys much to my dismay hopefully next year we can have an entire handmade Christmas.

[LucyMcGillicuddy]

One year, my sister and I each got a little box filled with 12 coupons. I can't remember everything that was on them but they had something like "One Piece of Jewelry from Claire's" and another was "One Book" and so on. Mama explained that we would need to tell her by a certain date which coupon we wanted to use for that month. Thinking about it now, it was probably so she could budget the paycheck. It was hard on Christmas morning to not have as many packages to open (having stockings helped with that though) but it was so cool that our gifts lasted an entire year.

[Barb_]

:iagree:the best gift my mom gave my dd 9 was 3 cake mix boxes from Sam's club. :)

 

To take this a step further, my kids favorite presents are always the food presents. What is each child's favorite supper? Say one child loves spaghetti. So stuff a box full of spaghetti, sauce, parm, and maybe a plastic bowl and spoons. Make an apron to go with it. Then promise to spend time with that child making dinner for everyone one night. Favorite snack food goes over well too. A box of graham crackers and nutella isn't too expensive, but it a lot more fun when you get to keep it all to yourself (or share if you want to :D) Food has to be bought, regardless. There is something magical about getting your *very own food* to make and share when you are little.

 

Barb

[Cinder]

a smalller tree perhaps? :D

 

Ditto! It's like the concept of serving dinner on a small plate--it looks fuller. I've been pushing for this at our house but since we have 12' ceilings everyone else thinks we need a 10' tree. :glare:

 

 

Cinder

[Cinder]

One year, my sister and I each got a little box filled with 12 coupons. I can't remember everything that was on them but they had something like "One Piece of Jewelry from Claire's" and another was "One Book" and so on. Mama explained that we would need to tell her by a certain date which coupon we wanted to use for that month. Thinking about it now, it was probably so she could budget the paycheck. It was hard on Christmas morning to not have as many packages to open (having stockings helped with that though) but it was so cool that our gifts lasted an entire year.

 

We've been doing this Treat-of-the-Month coupon book for a few years now and the kids love it. Mostly it's stuff that will only cost a few dollars at most--2 dozen cookies, a pack of new pens/pencils, day off from chores (!). It's now a tradition to give this and it's one of the last things they open.

 

 

Cinder

[Aubrey]

How about some outdoor toys, like a zipline? Dh made dd a treehouse this fall, and added a zipline--he just used supplies from Home Depot, costing him about $30. (You could probably go cheaper--ours has two lines, a top one for the big boys and a bottom one for dd.)

 

I had to google this, lol.

 

We're in a rent house w/ one tree in the backyard, & it's barely taller than me. Definitely not as sturdy. ;)

[Aubrey]

Go to a thrift store and find some fancy hats, scarves, belts, etc. and make a dress up box.

Get some rope, wood, hammer, and nails and let the two older ones create something.

fabric and needles and thread and a book of costumes.

 

Dress-ups from the thrift store are a great idea, but they've got so many dress-ups they can't contain them all. Hats my gr-gr-grandmother made from breadbags. Old Halloween costumes I made. Mom's thrift store finds. And big pieces of gaudy fabric for the imagination! :001_smile:

 

The hammer, nails, etc., would be pure gold to ds (but is he *really* old enough???) :001_huh: Poor guy. He suffers from first-born-child syndrome. By the time his little brother's his age, we'll probably just give him the keys to the car. :lol:

 

Fabric & needles are good ideas, too, & dd really wants to learn to sew, but...so far, she seems...too little. Everything we've tried has required manual dexterity she hasn't quite reached. And patience, lol.

 

I'm not meaning to knock down all your ideas. Actually, I like them all, & just need a little age-guidance. Both of my bigs are perfectionists, fwiw, & ds is about to be 9. Dd is a ways off from 7, & it seems like a lot of the crafty stuff w/ age guidelines begins to open up to her then.

[Homemama2]

We're kinda in the same boat this Christmas...dh has only worked part time since last Jan, and my kids have too much already!!

 

For your ds8-What about going through dad's/grandpa's/uncle's toolbox and seeing what old tools they can donate and a pile of scrap wood. I'm thinking of doing this for my 2 boys--they love using dad's "real" tools more than anything. You probably wouldn't even need to buy a toolbox if $$ is a real issue, just put them in a shoebox etc. and if they want they can decorate w/stickers etc.

 

ETA:LOL-just saw someone beat me to it.

[amy g.]

My 3 year old loves making bracelets and earrings out of stiff wire and old beads.

 

Ds used to buy costume jewelry at garage sales, then cut the beads off the strings, so we have a ton of supplies. That really doesn't take to much fine motor control.

[Lorien]

Do you think your daughter would be old enough to play with paper dolls? I was searching for homemade Christmas ideas earlier today and ran across a site that has a lot of printable paper dolls.

 

http://marilee.us/paperdolls.html

 

A set, or two, of these printed off at home and placed inside a nice folder with a pair of scissors would give a little girl hours of fun.

 

Just a thought.

[mycalling]

I love the Treat of the Month idea! I'm coming up with treat ideas now. What do you do?

[Old Dominion Heather]

Aubrey, jumping in to say that *8* is absolutely old enough for a hammer, nails, some wood, etc... or even a cheap pocketknife. Just show him how to use them. He'll bang his fingers a few times and then be really careful.

 

My boys love their tools and my youngest will be getting his first set this Christmas, though he has been using his brothers' tools since he was about two.

 

Their tools include:

hammer

wrench

pliers

handsaw

hand drill

hand jigsaw

tape measure

and probably some other stuff I am forgetting.

 

The four year old will probably get:

hammer

pliers

wrench

handsaw

 

It is pretty hard to do any serious damage with any of those.

[Whisperlily]

I bought my DS some PVC pipe from Home Depot, along with various connectors. (T-joints, elbows, etc.) I used the 3/4 inch pipe, and they were kind enough to cut it up for me at the store. I had them cut various lengths so the kids could "build" with the pipes. They built the "frame" for a cabin, and draped an old sheet over it to make the walls/roof. They've used the pieces to make all sorts of things I never imagined. In the summer, they can make bends and twists to run water through with a hose. They've made small things and big things, and have had more fun than I expected with those (CHEAP) pipes! I paid 1.24 for each 20' length, and I bought the connectors in "contractor's bags" which contained 8-10 each, for a much lower price than individually.

 

For my other son, I bought some tiny bungee cords, twine, mini springs and pulleys, and a roll of duct tape.

 

My DD at that age was happy with craft sticks, chenille stems, glue, googly eyes, etc. Gel pens and colored paper, mini stapler....

[Cinder]

I love the Treat of the Month idea! I'm coming up with treat ideas now. What do you do?

 

Well I'm not very creative, so mostly the same ideas get repeated. A long time ago a friend gave me a box of those business cards in a sheet that you can put into your printer, so I print them out on those. Each year they get 12 coupons--they can use 1 per month. This year they got 2 coupons each for 2 dozen cookies (the rest of us have to share the other 2 doz that the batch makes), eat dessert first (essentially eating ice cream for supper), day off from kitchen duty, a BIG drink from QT (gas station/convenience store). Hmmm, that's only 8--I must have repeated some. We've been doing this several years now so my ds's are old enough they sometimes bargain for something equivalent. Like a bag of Doritos instead of the cookies. I'd love to be able to change some of these to be less snack oriented. But I'm trying to keep the cost down to $3 or less per coupon. What ideas have you come up with?

 

Cinder

[hsmom3tn]

I'm having the same problem this year. I don't have much money, and they don't really need or want anything (except maybe some more winter clothes). We're not even putting up a tree this year because there's no place to put it. Our usual tree spot now holds the kids' desk and computer. I am thinking of taking them somewhere special instead of buying gifts. I know that won't help if you want to fill up the tree, though.

 

I am still planning on doing stockings, though, and I love this idea:

 

One year, my sister and I each got a little box filled with 12 coupons. I can't remember everything that was on them but they had something like "One Piece of Jewelry from Claire's" and another was "One Book" and so on.

 

My girls would love to be able to choose some new earrings at the mall. My DS is always begging for an Icee every time we go to the gas station. They'd all love to get a coupon for a trip to Baskin Robbins or TCBY. Maybe we could do a coupon to double their allowance for one week....

 

I'll have to keep thinking and see what I can come up with...

[Cammie]

Thank you for starting this thread, I really need to think along these lines as well. The kids have MORE than they EVER play with - just sitting in their rooms. I fall into the wanting the Christmas morning to be...breathtaking. I remember that feeling as a kid and try to recreate it every year. The problem is you have to get bigger and bigger to make the same impact! My mom singlehandedly gives my kids a fantastic Christmas, so this year I think I will focus on the stockings and maybe one or two gifts. In our house at the end of the day, the kids pic out one or two new toys and play with those exclusively - everything else gets piled back under the tree!

[AndyJoy]

I have an idea that builds on the coupon idea but makes the tree look full without buying lots of stuff . What if you came up with a bunch of ideas for outings/experiences/quality time, then filled a box with pertinent items that you already own, wrap it, and make it a guessing game? Once they guess (or give up), you can give them a corresponding coupon. Some of these would be individual gifts, others would be group gifts. You could set rules for when they could be redeemed so you have sufficient notice and they don't do them all in one month!

 

Some ideas:

 

1. Baking cookies with mom (cookie sheet, cookie cutters, apron, ingredients, etc.)

2. Movie night (popcorn, candy, soda, blanket, remote, couch pillow)

3. Go to work with Dad (one of dad's outfits he wears to work, items relating to his job, menu for a restaurant dad eats lunch at on a work day)

4. Picnic at the park (picnic blanket, toys for the park, juice boxes, snacks)

5. Backyard or living room camp out (sleeping bags, flashlights, s'mores fixings)

6. Stay up past bedtime with mom or dad (hot cocoa/tea/cider mix, game, read aloud book, movie, Legos, whatever your kids would want to do with you after bedtime)

7. Zoo day (stuffed animals, whatever items you would take with you to the zoo)

8. Spa/makeover day with mom (nail polish, makeup, mirror, brushes, hair stuff)

9. Any thing you can think of that your kids would love to do with you!

[tdeveson]

Y'all's ideas are great, but we really, really already have that stuff. I'd guess there are 3000 books in this house, & we've got more (of mine & dh's) in storage. Art supplies are *mostly* in a bucket big enough for me to get in. :lol:

 

But...I might start collecting broken electronic stuff for an "invention kit" for ds. I bet he'd *love* that. Hmmm....

 

Ds loves it when we go to the thrift shop down the street and buy used electronics for him to take apart. Talk about a toy that lasts! The last time dh brought home a clunky old dvd player from Goodwill, ds spent literally weeks dismantling it. As a bonus, dh and ds spent many, many happy hours with their heads bent over the metal carcass while dh explained each little component to ds.

 

Another time dh showed up with an old wind-up alarm clock to take apart. That was days and days of fun. And again, dh and ds spent significant time together.

 

This year I'm planning to buy two or three used contraptions to give dh for Christmas. I'm going to box them up beautifully together with a few screwdrivers and other "dismantling" tools and put them under the tree.

[Jumping In Puddles]

Paper Toys that Secular_Mom mentioned in another Christmas thread.

 

they have paper sailboats, spinners, boxes, race cars, etc.

[mycalling]

I must not have understood the Treat Coupons. I was thinking more along the lines of family activities together. Maybe a set of family coupons for those then the individual treat coupons. A slushy, cotton candy, ice cream sundae from a store, their own bag of chips. Most things here are "family" treats so individual ones would be awesome to them.

 

I like your ideas AndyJoy for activity coupons. Many of those are on my list and I'll have to add in your others.

 

I like the idea of giving warning for when they want to cash them in. We'll probably have to have a set time since it'll be coupon overload if I have to always be dealing with 7 kids' cashing in coupons.

[Cricket]

This is a great thread. This year dh is unemployed so money is very tight. Plus the fact that our kids don't need anything! Dh's parents give them each quite a bit of money to buy gifts on their birthdays and on Christmas. It is ridiculous how much they have. This year I thought we would buy a couple of board games and spend the day playing. I loved this idea someone posted in another message about a personalized Yahtzee game. I think I'll be making that. I also saw a cute thing the other day. It's a clip with silk flowers and a feather. It looked like something from the 20s or 30s. I think the girls will like that and we are always having to encourage them to brush their hair. I am going to make some of those to put in their stockings.

 

I love the idea of broken things to play with. My oldest would love that! He's already had fun with broken chairs. :D

[Julie in CA]

Y'all's ideas are great, but we really, really already have that stuff. I'd guess there are 3000 books in this house, & we've got more (of mine & dh's) in storage. Art supplies are *mostly* in a bucket big enough for me to get in. :lol:

 

But...I might start collecting broken electronic stuff for an "invention kit" for ds. I bet he'd *love* that. Hmmm....

If you already have craft supplies, perhaps you could search for fun craft ideas using materials you already have, then package the instructions along with the necessary items from your craft bucket?

 

And, I'm not assuming you'll like this idea, but I figure the more ideas, the better.

 

I'm thinking of wrapping up a box that contains a "picnic day"

paper plates, napkins, and plastic forks (one for each of us)

a blanket/tablecloth (that we already have)

a copy of a map of our area, with possible picnic locations circled

a frisbee or ball, etc, that we could use together at the park

The kid can choose the park and we'll go on the first convenient day after they ask.

 

Also, I'm thinking of packing a "sleep-out overnight" kit that the kid can use for a night of sleeping out in the yard:

Flashlight

one of those popcorn things that you put on the stove and then the foil puffs up--anyone kwim?

a sealed envelope with a computer-printed copy of a "scary" story to be read ("scary" is in the eyes of the beholder--I wouldn't pick anything *really scary*) around the "campfire"

all of this will be wrapped and then tied with a ribbon around a sleeping bag we already own.

 

I'm looking forward to more ideas! :lurk5:

[Aubrey]

Y'all are brilliant. Part of the problem, besides wanting a full tree, is wanting to keep up the Santa game. But the more of your ideas I've read, the more inspired I've become. Who's to say Santa didn't bring some elves along to create a little mischief? And so some of your toys got wrapped up--stuffed animals for a day at the zoo, or something.

 

And while I've been horrified to realize that almost everything in my closet is books, I've been thinking how to spin that, too. I've got a wonderful picture book about an inventor, which might go nicely w/ the old electronics. I could put codes on the nametags instead of names, & it could be like a matching game--you have to find the packages that go together.

[MommyOwl]

I bought my DS some PVC pipe from Home Depot, along with various connectors. (T-joints, elbows, etc.) I used the 3/4 inch pipe, and they were kind enough to cut it up for me at the store. I had them cut various lengths so the kids could "build" with the pipes. They built the "frame" for a cabin, and draped an old sheet over it to make the walls/roof. They've used the pieces to make all sorts of things I never imagined. In the summer, they can make bends and twists to run water through with a hose. They've made small things and big things, and have had more fun than I expected with those (CHEAP) pipes! I paid 1.24 for each 20' length, and I bought the connectors in "contractor's bags" which contained 8-10 each, for a much lower price than individually.

 

 

My DD at that age was happy with craft sticks, chenille stems, glue, googly eyes, etc. Gel pens and colored paper, mini stapler....

 

I Love this! I'm going to do this for my boys :)

[mycalling]

 

I bought my DS some PVC pipe from Home Depot, along with various connectors. (T-joints, elbows, etc.)

This was my mom's idea, also. Our issue is how to store them where they won't be a pain in the butt all the time. How do you store yours?

[Susan in TN]

Each year our dd's get "Daddy Date" gift certificates. It's the one gift they always remember. They spend weeks (sometimes months) planning what they will do - dinner and a movie, fishing, trip to the zoo.

 

Also, I've never known a child who didn't love a flashlight. Or a cheap headlamp if they already have a flashlight.

 

And I'll repeat it until I'm blue in the face: *fabric remnants* :) (and permission to use a scissors and needle/thread or tape if they're very young).

[jazzyfizzle]

I bought my DS some PVC pipe from Home Depot, along with various connectors. (T-joints, elbows, etc.) I used the 3/4 inch pipe, and they were kind enough to cut it up for me at the store. I had them cut various lengths so the kids could "build" with the pipes. They built the "frame" for a cabin, and draped an old sheet over it to make the walls/roof. They've used the pieces to make all sorts of things I never imagined. In the summer, they can make bends and twists to run water through with a hose. They've made small things and big things, and have had more fun than I expected with those (CHEAP) pipes! I paid 1.24 for each 20' length, and I bought the connectors in "contractor's bags" which contained 8-10 each, for a much lower price than individually.

 

For my other son, I bought some tiny bungee cords, twine, mini springs and pulleys, and a roll of duct tape.

 

My DD at that age was happy with craft sticks, chenille stems, glue, googly eyes, etc. Gel pens and colored paper, mini stapler....

 

 

OHH I love this idea too! I just might have to do this!

 

 

I got the supplies today to start my marble magnets, exciting! I found small Christmas tins to put them in at the dollar store for a dollar. :D

 

 

I also snagged a fantastic mountain? type traintrack at the Goodwill, it looks like it was major expensive, got it for $3! woo hoo

:hurray:

[Kimm in WA]

You guys have some great ideas, but what about inexpensive gifts for teenage boys??? I think it's an oxymoron.

 

Kimm

[Julie in AZ]

I understand where you're coming from. We're trying to give more "experience" gifts. Last year, my dd received a dollhouse makeover. We've been working all year turning her dollhouse into a fairy treehouse.

 

We like to give my parents tickets to a show that we all attend together.

 

We're thinking of doing the PVC pipes and tools for ds this year.

[cougarmom4]

Along the lines of the PVC pipe--you can add magnets to both ends and to the connectors and use on a frig/magnet wall for a marble run. This is a project we're working on for our kids this year...we've had it planned for awhile (bought a huge sheet of metal to hang on the wall) but haven't gotten around to doing it yet! We visited a science museum once that had this and my kids all loved it. We're trying to think of fun, creative things to add, too...such as tubing that you can shape into spirals, funnels, etc.

 

Another thing I'm doing this year is activity gifts...a book w/materials needed. For example, I just bought a kids' cookbook at the secondhand store today for $2--I'm going to make an apron, get a few utensils/measuring cups from dollar store, cookie sheet/muffin tin at dollar store, a few baking type ingredients--and my dd10 is going to be thrilled. For ds12, I'm going to make some science experiment kits--using experiments from ClubZoom (remember Zoom from PBS? They have tons of experiment pages you can easily print off at pbskids.org) plus materials needed (I'm thinking fun, cool things like film canister rockets, mentos in soda, hovercraft, etc). And for ds7, I want to look for a 'building' type book (I saw a suggestion on here a few weeks back, the Ultimate Building Book, or something...but I need to go to Barnes & Noble and see if it's really what I'm looking for) and building supplies--duct tape, masking tape, string, pvc pipe, popsicle sticks, toothpicks, etc.

[mycalling]

Along the lines of the PVC pipe--you can add magnets to both ends and to the connectors and use on a frig/magnet wall for a marble run.

OK, now I'm sold! It's a two for one gift, what's better than that?!? I have been wanting to make them a wall marble run they could change around, but every idea I came up with was difficult or expensive.

 

Great ideas, ladies!!