Cute and cheap (gift ideas, not me!)

**hadassahchana**[$] · #1 11-20-2001, 11:03 AM

Every year, I swear that my Chanukkah shopping will be finished in July. I lie a lot.

This year, as usual, I am down to the wire. I still want really cool gifts for the children, but I also want them to be cheap.

Here is one thing I found this morning which fits the above criteria:

I found it at The Zoom Store, a toy store on one of my favourite sites for colouring pages.

Now- what wonderful, clever, inexpensive gifts can you all come up with? I have boys- 4 to 14. However, I also have friends , nieces - so bring them on. Post all of your gift ideas, and any links that you have.

Cindy

jenninca · #2 11-20-2001, 01:26 PM

This year, I couldn't think of any big gifts for anyone, so I'm doing stockings of little gifts. The only kids I'm doing gifts for are my three cousins, ages 13, 10, and 4. I bought each of them one of those cheap red stockings ($1.99 at Target) and filled it with various cheap stuff--

4-year-old (girl) - Santa cup, party favor-type game, Blue's Clues card game, pencils, glittery coin purse, flag pin, book (of course!)

10-year-old (boy) - Xmas train cup, cheap plastic dinosaurs, party favor-type game, mini finger skateboard, pencils, flag pin, candy, book

13-year-old (girl) - snowman cup, weird-colored bath poof, glittery coin purse, party favor-type game, pencils, flag pin, lip gloss, candy, book

Their mom and dad used to do the exact same thing for my brother and I when we were little, and we always loved it. I'm doing "big kid" version for my parents, my brother, boyfriend, and my teaching partners.

Cindy

*emeleel* · #3 11-20-2001, 06:42 PM

I'm finding that for younger to medium-aged boys, I can't go wrong with LEGO's. Sean already has quite a tub full, and I'm buying him a giant, 1200 piece set for Xmas this year to add to it! The "usual" size buckets are $9.99, that's 400 pieces. The 1200 piece bucket is only $19.99 at Amazon, so that's like buying two buckets and getting one free! They've also come out with some nice smaller buckets that are for more specific purposes - car building, and I forget some of the others. Those are $7.96 in the stores. And of course, there are tons and tons and tons of smaller sets that are cheaper. (The value is not as good if you take it on a price-per-piece basis, but they're ones that you won't find in any bucket.)

LEGO has car stuff, robot stuff, Star Wars stuff, and of course, Harry Potter stuff. It's almost unbelievable what they make in LEGO's these days!

kurt_messick · #4 11-20-2001, 08:17 PM

This is EXACTLY the strand I need! Help! Help! I have one niece, just starting kindergarten; I have another niece in junior high (what is that here -- 6th grade? 7th grade?). I need inexpensive but wonderful things for them, and I must confess, I have no clue as to what girls of that age would like.

nicholmere · #5 11-20-2001, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kurt_messick
...I have no clue as to what girls of that age would like.

BOYS!

Seriously though, what are the girls' ages? I'm clueless when it comes to mapping age to grade.

Katherine

**pluckyduck** · #6 11-20-2001, 08:23 PM

(Kurt, this won't really help you, sorry.

)

I just did stocking stuffers over at Drugstore.com

Crest Spinbrushes, a bunch of Harry Potter sundries (shampoo, toothpaste, body wash).

I can usually get away with health & beauty stuff if it is a Licensed Character.

Andrea

Redlass · #7 11-21-2001, 01:56 PM

Last week I went out and bought a bead kit and a bunch of foam cutouts. My son and I are working together to make key chains with lizards and bugs for his male classmates and butterflies and bracelets for his female classmates (I know, it's bad that I'm already teaching him gender differences). Then he's making frames for his grandparents with the foam cutouts. I got him a few glitter wands and safari cutout shapes to glue on. I'll then stick in his school picture.

Last year I actually bought gifts for my son to give to his grandparents and aunts and uncles. This year, we're saving the money and working on the projects together. It's more fun for him, easier on my pocketbook, and makes a gift more special.

I also usually crochet at least three or four gifts each year (blankets, scarves, bookmarks, doilies, etc.), but I'm really behind on that this year. I have a baby blanket 3/4s complete and a doily less than halfway done.

For those of you who know the child you're buying pretty well, there's a great learning needs assessment at SmarterKids.com. I use the results from that to help me choose gifts. So one child I buy colored wooden puzzle pieces that he can make mosaics with, another I buy musical instruments (like rain sticks and finger bells), and for another I get books.

Kurt:
If your niece doesn't have them yet, she's at the age when I bought all my nieces and nephews The Chronicle of Narnia set. The whole set can get kind of pricey, but an alternative is to buy just the first book and then make a tape recording of you reading the first couple chapters (making up voices and everything). We found that making the tape really got the kids into reading the rest of the book.

In fact, for any age, I recommend making homemade "books on tape." Kids like that it is being read to them by a loved one and you can share books that you're passionate about. It also personalizes the gift beyond just giving them the book.

Spirograph or LiteBrites are great toys for the younger kids and they're usually around $10.

There's an alligator game that my son loves that is around $4. I can't find it on the Web, but it's a game where you press the teeth of the alligator in and try not to get bit.

Another fun game for older kids is "Pass the Pigs."

Anything with PlayDough.

Another fun idea is to get a used chest/trunk. Then go to novelty stores, Goodwill, JoAnn Fabrics etc. and fill the trunk with dressup supplies--fancy shoes, costume jewelry, scarves, hats, gloves, fairy wands, veils, feather boas, glasses (with the lenses removed) etc. It takes time to hunt, but it can be put together for a fairly low cost.

magenta321 · #8 11-21-2001, 01:59 PM

Katherine, Kindergarten is age 5 and junior high 6th or 7th grade is age 11 or 12.

Redlass · #9 11-21-2001, 02:19 PM

I'm considering this for my son. It's from Hearthsong and is $8:

Also, one of my favorite online toy stores (though, I usually only shop there with MyPoints certificates) is TotallyFunToys. They have a whole section of items under $10 and they're usually pretty neat stuff like balloon making kits, stampers and stickers, dress-up stuff, crafts, and puppets.

**conradd** · #10 11-21-2001, 02:45 PM

Bridgette, the magnetic shapes look like lots of fun. I had several magnetic toys for Shane when he was small and it kept him occupied at the refrigerator door while I worked in the kitchen. They also travel well with a magnetic board.

I've always given Shane a holiday book (we celebrate Christmas, but there are some very nice Hannukah books out) at an age appropriate level. We started with picture books (Carl's Christmas) and progressed through various levels. He now has an extensive collection of children's Christmas books to share with his own children someday. Since we open gifts on Christmas morning, he got to unwrap the book and a new pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve after midnight church (so he'd look cute in Christmas morning pics). He'd change into his pj's, I'd read him the story and he'd be fast asleep waiting for Santa. Wow, do I miss those days!

Deb
suddenly nostalgic

kurt_messick · #11 11-21-2001, 09:05 PM

These are great ideas! I'm going to start getting some of these right away.

On a happy note, I gave a lecture on monastic history last week, and the professor for whom I filled in gave me a $75 Borders gift card (I had volunteered to give the lecture gratis, no remuneration expected, so this was quite a nice surprise). Thus, I can buy a few gifts for family there, too.

My parents are getting an ordination/ministry book -- I've scanned in pictures from my ordination, the service bulletin, pictures of my seminary, etc. and will put together a book for them.

ThePirateKing · #12 11-25-2001, 03:33 AM

If you're close to an IKEA to make the trip worthwhile, there are some rather wonderful (and inexpensive) toys and playthings in the IKEA Jr. section--stuffed toys, musical instruments, sidewalk chalk, art sets, etc.

My niece, who is constantly playing Tea Party with anything that looks even vaguely like a teacup, is getting her own little china tea set from IKEA this Christmas. (ssshh, don't tell)

nicholmere · #13 11-25-2001, 07:53 PM

I love IKEA

I agree with TPK, IKEA has some great children's products, from inexpensive colourful placemats to some funky table and chair sets (not so inexpensive). My closest store is about two hours away, so I don't make it there as often as I'd like to, but I manage to stop in a couple times a year for swedish meatballs and a quick check of their AS IS section.

**conradd** · #14 11-26-2001, 01:05 AM

Just a follow-up to those who are interested in The Chronicles of Narnia. I saw a paperback edition (nice, oversized) at Costco today, all eight books in one cover, for $12.79. What a deal! I'm picking up several for kids in my family.

Deb

Workingmomof2 · #15 11-26-2001, 10:21 PM

Here's one I bought last year for stocking stuffers - for under $5 you get FOUR sets and they're great for bathtime, both big kids and little kids like these.... I use them as shower bribes and they're a huge hit...

Magic Grow Capsules (also available in single sets)