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Christmas gift suggestions for kids

Almost time to think about it...

         

Macguru

10:10 pm on Oct 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

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I feel quite disconnected about what kids really like these days...

I think I am getting old...

Any suggestion for childrens for many age groups and gender?

I would like to avoid the rush...

<added> Hey wait! They still built Meccano!</added>

[edited by: Macguru at 10:33 pm (utc) on Oct. 20, 2004]

vkaryl

10:32 pm on Oct 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Far as I know, it doesn't matter how many years they have, they all want iPods....

(Can speak from the 12 year old and 7 year old perspectives - have a granddaughter in each range - what they both want....)

Macguru

10:35 pm on Oct 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

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>>they all want iPods....

Hmmm, big family around here...

They can ask Santa! :)

vkaryl

10:44 pm on Oct 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

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*laughing* Yah - even with only 2, I know the feeling. My daughter and husband have WAY more disposable income than we do.... THEIR job! I just give books subscriptions: Saddle Club horse books for the 12 year old, American Girl for the 7 year old....

[Edit: mag subscriptions come in all age-ranges, show up every month, and aren't HORRIBLY expensive....]

duckhunter

11:32 pm on Oct 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

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The Gameboy is quickly becoming our kids' favorite. The just got them for their birthdays so I'm sure a few new games at Christmas will be in order. Great for trips. Ages 6+

Boy have handheld games changed. I remember playing with that football game that had the red dots that moved around the field. Now, you need a manual to figure out how to play half of these games!

mivox

11:48 pm on Oct 20, 2004 (gmt 0)

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If the kids live with someone you don't like, snare drums, miniature bagpipes and karaoke machines are worth considering. ;) (And yes, they do make cheapo 'kids' karaoke machines... *cringe*)

Macguru

12:00 am on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Oh, that is true Christmas spirit! :)

Ho Ho Ho!

hannamyluv

1:12 am on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Hmm... I have three boys and they seem to enjoy anything that they can wack each other with. Light sabers, plastic swords, foam axes. Beyond that, they seem to like anything they can pretend to shoot or maime each other with. Ages 1 - 8.

Macguru

1:22 am on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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You meant Ages 1 - 88?

vkaryl

1:42 am on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Some of us grrls have always been like that too, hannamyluv....

Mac, I'm not 88 yet (30 years short thankfully!), but I can envision exemplifying that statement at that time....

Teknorat

1:54 am on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Beyond that, they seem to like anything they can pretend to shoot or maime each other with.

Yep that's definetly the way to go for boys :P

Leosghost

11:14 am on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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How about an alarm clock that goes off every hour to remind their parents to "get up off of their butts and away from the computer" to either "play with" or "read with/to them" or "give their kids a hug" ...

followed by if you must give something "techie" ..?

a digital camera that doesn't cost so much that the kid will run away from home in shame/fear if they drop/lose it....

Kids and cameras ( when you don't have to be thinking of the costs of lab developement ) are about the most inventive combination there is ...

Mine gets all the first group..is getting the second item...Plus 20lbs of plasticene , books ,paper ,crayons etc etc ..

I have a "presents rule"....

"Only one toy that needs batteries" and "Only one that needs to be plugged in to the mains"...

This applies each Christmas / Birthday ..whatever ...

BTW My son ( the reason I/We work ;)..is gonna be twelve next year ..and still beleived in Santa ..right upto Dec 25 2003 ( when we had to explain why the *ù*)# amazon France in combination with chronopost hadn't delivered a book that was #1 on his list ..and had been "in stock" and "paid for" etc for "guaranteed pre-christmas" delivery since Dec 10th )....GRRRR ..plus they really didn't give a%*£+ when I phoned them each day leading upto ..to ask why it wasn't arriving ..

Very good reason to start early for those with kids who still "beleive" ...saves dissapointment later on ( evn tho my kid said he "had had his doubts" for a couple of years ...and thought it great that we had kept the idea in his head that someone who didn't know him ( Santa ) was "just nice to so many kids" )...

Good "heads up" Macguru ;)

Macguru

11:32 am on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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The digital camera sounds like a great idea!

If they dont already have one on their cell phones... ;)

Thanks Leosghost.

hannamyluv

12:47 pm on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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You meant Ages 1 - 88?

Oh, no, I meant 1-8. When they get older, they want real things to wack each other with (real swords, real lightsabers (if they could get them)) and they don't want to pretend they are shooting each other, they want paint guns, real guns. My husband has a long Xmas list and all of those things are on it. ;)

Leosghost

1:10 pm on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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He needs to "do" vkaryls "yard sale" ..( just kidding V ) ;)

bunltd

1:49 pm on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Gameboy, Gamecube, PC game stuff for my boy, almost 8. He's turning into quite the gamer. (we generally don't buy games aside from bday and Christmas) Otherwise, Legos, KNEX (with which, being a boy, he then uses to build assorted weaponry, heavily armed jets and things to wack with ;) )

My girl is not quite 3, and she's getting into the princess thing, but her favorites now are one of my extra purses and nearly any book. (of course, anything her bubba has is good too)

Honestly, we have too many toys. (and we don't buy most of 'em)

LisaB

hannamyluv

2:27 pm on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Honestly, we have too many toys. (and we don't buy most of 'em)

Oh, I know the pain on that one. I honestly think my inlaws purposfully try to "out do" us at Christmas and bdays. And it seems like every aunt, uncle and grandparent must buy a gift for every occassion. How does one politly tell a relative that we really would just prefer a modest donation to the college fund?

vkaryl

5:26 pm on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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He needs to "do" vkaryls "yard sale" ..( just kidding V ) ;)

*laughing* Nah, we don't yard sale the GOOD stuff, y'know!

My 12 year old granddaughter just got part of her Christmas present today: a better violin etc. Yup, she's that good, which is nice, but my daughter is in sticker shock and it's not anywhere close to a Guarnerius or Stradivarius yet! The girl has several instructors who are predicting Juillard for her in a few years....

So we'll be chipping in for "extras" as they happen I guess. For the 7 year old, it'll be American Girls stuff - books, etc. not the dolls, she's like me doesn't do dolls....

[hannamyluv, I don't think there IS a polite way.... you just have to get pointed with stuff like that....]

macrost

6:40 pm on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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How about book? "Write A Trojan/Worm In 21 Days" LOL!

[note]I seem to be having problems today. First robots taking over the world, and now a book on how to write trojans. Someone shoot me![/note]

ducks out of the way

mivox

7:21 pm on Oct 21, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Ooh. I like the digital camera idea... [file away for x-mas shopping]

I usually buy books for one present for birthdays and christmas. I get the "polite" thank you, and the books get stuffed on a shelf while the kids go nuts over all the new toys...

...then, a few months later when all the toys are broken/lost/boring (or have had their batteries surreptitiously removed), they go and read the book, and come back and say thank you like they really mean it this time.

AAnnAArchy

7:06 am on Oct 22, 2004 (gmt 0)

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[zerotoys.com...] - cool stuff, those fog rings.

grandpa

8:23 am on Oct 22, 2004 (gmt 0)

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For the early nerd, there's the 50 in 1 Electronic Breadboard. Radio Shack used to have something like that. Or a radio kit, even a computer kit. Of course, what kid these days could proudly show off his new computer if he had to put it together from a kit first... only a nerd :)

TheVisitor

10:22 am on Oct 22, 2004 (gmt 0)

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I don't have kids, but have plenty of nephews and nieces. I've been giving them book tokens for years, so at least they get to see the inside of a bookshop once a year.

A couple of months ago I found out that last year they sold the tokens to their friends for cash!

So this year, it's just the books.

Long ones.

Without pictures.

Bah ******* humbug

Leosghost

11:02 am on Oct 22, 2004 (gmt 0)

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As a book illustrator ( amongst other sins ;) from time to time I'd have to disagree ....You could just set em up for subscriptions like to National GEO or similar...

hannamyluv

12:34 pm on Oct 22, 2004 (gmt 0)

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htt*://www.zerotoys.com - cool stuff, those fog rings.

I'm sorry, I have made a firm vow never to shop from a site that has a Flash intro. ;)

clearvision

4:49 pm on Oct 22, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Here are the age groups and where my kids are at for this holidays wish list.

10 & 14 year old girls - animation software, graphics tablet, cellphone, music cds & upgraded things to listen to them with, jewelry, clothes makeup`, "real" high quality art set. (Expensive tastes at this age)

5 & 8 year old boys - legos, superhero "anything" battle toys to hit each other with,trading cards, gameboy, bike, home depot building kits or anything else they can build.

Thanks for this question...I am going to start early as well...off the the online shopping malls I go!

Leosghost

5:30 pm on Oct 22, 2004 (gmt 0)

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"real" high quality art set. (Expensive tastes at this age)

"Student" stuff is better value and just as good .5 the pigments , brushes etc .Plus buy all the stuff separate and put it all in a plastic tool box from a cheapo shop ..'s what "real artists" do

Tell em from me ...( 's what I really do to earn my crust ) ..the rest is me goofing off ;)

The rest is the mostly the same grade stuff ( with the exception of "Pro" watercolors and a few other things )...with "a fancy price tag for the talentless yet pretentious" ..

the quote is mine ..I stand by it ..

grandpa

4:46 am on Oct 25, 2004 (gmt 0)

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Well Macguru, it looks like you have some good suggestions to work with. After you've done your shopping, reward yourself with one of these [wagnerspraytech.com].

chrisnrae

8:45 pm on Oct 25, 2004 (gmt 0)

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For smaller kids - the Vsmile video game system kicks rear. Also heard good things about Interactive TV. As for bigger kids, I haven't even thought about what I want. I guess when I decide, I'll go buy it for myself ;).

AAnnAArchy

11:10 pm on Oct 26, 2004 (gmt 0)

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hannamyluv <<I'm sorry, I have made a firm vow never to shop from a site that has a Flash intro. ;) >>

Aw, but they have both Flash and non-Flash. (I hate Flash too) The fog rings are really cool.

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