What to get kids that have it all?

[jpeka65844]

My brother's 4 yo twins are having a b'day next weekend. I DO NOT want to get them clothes or toys (they have TONS of both) and they don't treat books nice so I don't want to spend a lot of money on that either.

What would be a clever gift?

 

[brergnat]

Some sort of decoration for their room? Maybe a framed poster of their fav. Disney character? Letters that spell their name to hang on the wall? Target has tons of room decor stuff for kids. Something to enhance their room, but still be a "cool" gift. My mom gave my boys framed Disney art to hang in their rooms. Steamboat Mickey for my youngest, and Pogo from 101 dalmatians for my older son, who is obsessed with dogs! They love them!

 

[brergnat]

Or, a small photo album for each? So they can put their favorite family pictures inside to look at? You could put a picture of yourself with each of them in the individual albums...

 

[DominicaAnne]

How about arts and crafts stuff? Maybe the new Crayola Color Wonder paints, or other color wonder stuff? Or just any crafty stuff. Doesn't have to be expensive and will foster using their imaginations and creativity, which can be harder for indulged children (I said "can be" not "is" so no flaming please.

 

[tinkerfan1]

Boys or girls? Any kind of musical instrument is generic. Xylophone, etc. It doesn't have to be professional grade but kids love to make noise. A small keyboard from Target even. Good luck!

 

[Cedarmom]

Craft box? Paper, crayons, markers, feathers, rubber bands, googly eyes, pompoms, pipe cleaners, etc.

A membership to the local zoo/ children's museum ?

Do you live close by? A 'date' with their favorite auntie?

 

[hugabearjo]

Savings bond?

 

[squirrel]

My niece has been getting a Disney trip the last 3 years!

She also doesn't need anything. I'm wraping up a jumper I sewed for her to use as part of a school uniform (my sister bought the material) just so she gets something to unwrap from me.

Next year I will have to come up with something else as I'm not allowed to take her to WDW anymore (she misses too much school).

 

[Mommy2JulietJocelyn]

Well - I myself prefer the Savings Bond - college will be expensive as are houses and every little bit helps.

But my kids actually prefer having lunch dates and a show with my aunt. She takes them out individually for lunch and then a play at a local childrens theater. The girls LOVE it. The first show was not a play it was a magic show.

I also prefer to give time and an experience over toys & clothes if possible. My girls love the aquarium & the zoo.

 

[bas71873]

Gift certificates to the movies.....girls? new Princess & the Frog is coming out in December?

 

[minnie4me]

Do you have a Chuck-e-Cheese or a place like that near by. Take them out for the afternoon. My DS just turned 7 and got 2 different trips like this. My mom's brother and wife took him to CeC one afternoon. Then my mom's sister took him after school to McDonalds and then Barnes and Noble. He loved both trips. He thought it was neat they wanted to spend time with him and not just give a toy. Of course neither one has grandkids, my DS is the only one on that side of the family so they enjoy spending time with him and remembering when their kids were little.

 

[hcoker1]

Maybe they need to learn that giving isn't always to them and they can get pleasure out of giving to others. You could give to an international childrens charity or to a local one. My dad gave my son a goat the past two years (well a virtual goat...the real one went to a little boy of the same age in Africa. My DS8 understood that he had helped someone else.)
Another idea is to buy something at a store that sells product where the money goes directly back to the creator (like Ten Thousand Villages).

Just another perspective....

 

[mickey317]

Great ideas from the OPs! or maybe tickets to the local zoo/children's museum.

 

[Deb & Bill]

A gift of your time? Invite them for a day or an event to go with you. Maybe a morning of baking cookies they could take home to mom and dad??? Maybe prebake sugar cookies and let them decorate them?

 

[summerrluvv]

GC to
Movies
CEC
Local amusement place

Membership to local zoo, aquarium, etc.

 

[gr8leg8]

Adventure Gifts!!

DD's birthday is in January and
she is the first grandchild.
Christmas can be a bit of a madhouse..
So we ask the grandparents to give her adventure gifts for her birthday.
They have come up with some great ideas.

Grandma C takes her to the beach. Celebrating her birthday is June is always a big hit.

Grandma L does a baking adventure. They make a cake together. (or Brownies, pie, etc.) yummy.

My mom loves to take her to a kid friendly show like the ballet or a music concert.

other past success:
roller or ice skating
Train ride to the Train museum in Sacramento
Ferry to San Francisco, lunch in Chinatown
Kite making / flying
paint your own ceramic
Circus or Kid show (Disney on ice)
Zoo
Aquarium
USS Hornet (big ship as museum)
Snow Day
Bowling
Picnic in the Park (with a kid's concert maybe?)
Swim date
Movie date
factory tour - we have Jelly Belly close by

What is it that makes each child special?
Celebrate that!

The investment of your love with last longer than any toy.

 

[duffy]

A gift of your time? Invite them for a day or an event to go with you. Maybe a morning of baking cookies they could take home to mom and dad??? Maybe prebake sugar cookies and let them decorate them?

"A gift of your time" was exactly what I was going to say.

 

[henry72]

"A gift of your time" was exactly what I was going to say.

I second that! No one said you have to give them a physical gift. Take them to the children's museum, the zoo, the movies, out for pizza...there are so many options!

 

[ZPT1022]

I'll echo the thought of a gift of going somewhere (movie passes, museum tickets, etc...) or the gift of your time. We've been trying for years to get people on board with this.

My kids have far too many toys and honestly, with three kids in the house, getting to go out and have one on one time with someone means so much more to them than another "thing". Lunch and the park, a movie, a sleepover, even just an afternoon together doing regular stuff is exciting to them- it's really just about the time away from the normal and the one on one time.

The funny part too is how much some of our relatives who have taken them out enjoy having little kids to spend time with again. My daughter went to her great aunt's house just to spend some time and was thrilled to just hang out, play a few board games and then go grocery shopping and to the craft store. I hear she helped dust later too and thought that it was wonderful

 

[liznboys]

I like giving people the Crayola Color Wonder stuff. My kids never get tired of coloring/creative activities. And it's not another plastic toy on the floor..they enjoy it, they use it up and it's gone.