gift ideas for adopt-a-family

[gasman61]

Hello,

We are adopting a family from our church (anonymously) for Christmas. The family has 3 daughters, aged 7, 3, and 9 months. The mom says the younger 2 girls don't need anything because they have hand-me-downs for clothing and toys. The 7 year old needs shoes, likes dresses, and "to learn" so the pastor has suggested books, arts & crafts and imagination toys. The mom has also asked for FAMILY gifts.. things the 5 of them can do together.

I would love some suggestions on what sorts of things to get the 2 younger girls and also some suggestions for the family gifts. They apparently have a wii so some sort of wii game might be an idea.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Karen

 

[MSSANDRA]

I would certainly buy for the three year old as well as the 7 year old. Even with hand me downs the thrill of a few new things would be great. A baby doll might be good. A soft stuff animal for the baby??

Maybe a gift card for a meal out. Gift card to the zoo or children's activity?

 

[gasman61]

Yes, we are definitely going to buy for all 3 girls.. I'd love some ideas for the younger 2 when the mom says they are "fine" with what they have from hand-me-downs. I actually do not have clothing sizes for the younger 2 so we'll just be doing some toys for them.

As far as restaurants.. we can definitely do a couple of gift certificates for that. I asked the pastor about a zoo pass, because the closest zoo to us is a good 1.5 hours away and i'm not sure how much of a burden the drive would be for that.

 

[dougsmom98]

Play Doh and Play Doh accessories (i.e. the fun factory) are good for those ages. A baking basket with cookie mixes and cookie cutters, cup cake pan, cup cake liners, a cake mix, several cans of frosting, cup cake toppings like mini M&Ms, sprinkles, gummy bears... and then add a small gift card to a grocery store for things like eggs, oil, butter... McDonalds gift certificates, movie gift cards. We have a Disney DVD BINGO game that we love. My daughter has been playing it since she was three. It is a really fun game for everyone in our household and it shows Disney movie clips. Here is a link to what that game is like:

http://www.amazon.com/Screenlife-Ga...e=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1289876132&sr=8-2

My kids also like memory games like the Princess Memory game and it is something we all do together:
http://www.amazon.com/Memory-Game-D...=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1289876552&sr=1-4

 

[ah1126]

Do you have a Build a Bear close by? That might be a fun family activity.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

board games! I know my students (3-5) can play trouble,candy land, chutes and ladders, and the deigo animal game (they love this!).

 

[SoonerSarah]

Those ages are fairly close to my girls.

My 3 year old loves imaginative play with dolls, stuffed animals and whatever other figures she can get her hands on. We have horses and cows that we got from Target, they are very nice and realistic and we have a bunch of little toy story figures that she does her playing with. She's very much into all things baby doll and she loves to color and draw. Color wonder's are a lot of fun, and not something that those that are budget strapped can usually afford. A pack of Crayola Twistables and some different papers is fun as well. Dress up is also usually a good idea.

As for the baby, I would look into any bead toys, like below. They are honestly fun for all ages.
http://www.target.com/Circo-Wooden-...anguage-bin&searchRank=salesrank&frombrowse=1
We were given this computer for our second daughter, and the girls have really liked it as well
http://www.target.com/VTech-Baby-La...anguage-bin&searchRank=salesrank&frombrowse=1
Also, baby pianos are usually fun, and any block type of toy.

 

[gasman61]

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'm bumping this to the top again because our shopping trip is tomorrow. I will be looking for the Disney bingo dvd game and also the craft ideas.

I guess I can really only get clothing for the oldest girl since the family didn't provide us sizes on the other girls. Or, does anyone have any suggestions on how to get something for the other girls? I know that they oldest is very tall.. she looks quite a bit older than her age (she's 7 and wears a size 10 dress). Not sure about the others though.

We are getting them gift cards for the local bowling alley, chuck e cheese, and the local movie theater. We don't have a build-a-bear close to us.

Any other suggestions for really cool toys that would be a treat for someone on a budget? I really respect the mom for saying the younger girls don't need any clothes or toys because of hand-me-downs, so I would love to be able to treat them.

Thanks again for suggestions!

 

[southern_redhead]

Easy board games are good and don't require any special players or batteries. My kids like Pictureka, Candyland, and Battleship best (Battleship would likely be too hard for the 3 year old but the other two would be good.) What about something for all 3 girls and giving each girl a "part" of it. Like a dollhouse for the 3 and then each girl gets a furniture set and doll (just an example.) Singamajigs or Squinkie playsets? I like the baking basket idea because it would be family fun as well as a treat for mom to not have to buy those foods. Don't forget "fun" personal grooming items like themed bath bubbles and soap, a cute toothbrush and a toothpaste, hair ties if the girls have long hair. Even something like 3 brushes in different colors, one for each girl, could be something they'd enjoy. Silly bandz? They have such cute character ones at Walmart and the little ones here still seem to like them.

What if, instead of clothing (you could still give the oldest clothing since you have her size), you gave them nightgowns (one for each girl and either do coordinated colors or matching if you could find them.) Nighties are pretty generous in their sizing, buy a bit bigger then you think they'll need but a nightie that is a bit too long or a tad short isn't as catastrophic as jeans that fall down at the waist or hit well above the ankle.

Duh! I see someone suggested board games - and I thought I read all the comments! LOL Anyway, another idea - in addition to the board games - would be a book basket. You can usually find good deals on books and if you buy a wide range (say 3 books for each girls age group) you'd have a good size basket.

 

[gasman61]

ooooo! Now I'm really liking the idea of a dollhouse. And I checked on both craigslist and ebay for one of the old little tikes one.. my kids had one and absolutely loved it!

 

[RangerPooh]

Our 4 year old is still into Fisher Price Little People. They make doll houses, barns, vehicles, and other buildings for them. She is also into imaginative play. Dressing up, accessories, play kitchen items. What about a kid shopping cart with grocery items? They can play store.

For the 7 year old, she might be about to age out of it, but what about a Leapster game system? They're educaitonal and fun. Barbie dolls, dolls, art supplies.

I also like the book basket. That can be filled with books for all three kids to enjoy. As for the family gift, giftcards to the local pizza parlor, bowling alley, or movie rental store. Is there an ice rink nearby?

 

[Mouse House Mama]

A digital camera with extra batteries and memory cards. She may not be able to get them printed now but at least she will have photos of her kids when they were young. You can always get a deal on them.

 

[RangerPooh]

While the mom feels that the baby has enough hand me downs, consider small things like teether rings and rubber duckies. They are small and often forgotten about.

 

[prncess674]

Rather than spending all your money on gifts consider getting a laundry basket and filling it with non perishables, personal care products (deoderant, kids shampoo, etc.) and cleaning supplies.

 

[micheleq]

Rather than spending all your money on gifts consider getting a laundry basket and filling it with non perishables, personal care products (deoderant, kids shampoo, etc.) and cleaning supplies.

Ditto. One year my friends and I adopted a teen mom and her baby girls for xmas. We got her Desitin, baby wash, baby powder, wipes, washcloths, baby motrin & tylenol, some books for the baby and a snowsuit for her. If the family is truly in need, I'd include kids toothbrushes and toothpaste, a new hairbrush, other personal items that can be pricey if a budget is tight. Of course include some toys if you can, but the basics can be just as much of a gift.