Need ideas for Christmas gifts for my girls.

Putting my post in the second box for safety reasons. :)

Here I sit, less than 2 weeks until Christmas and I have not bought one single gift. My kids really don't ask for much and having six kids the same sex, we pretty much already have it, had it and didn't like, had it and broke it, it's sitting out in the garage, etc. We don't buy a lot of fad items because they seem to only want it until the commercial is over. One of my daughters wants a guitar and another asked for a new Tamigotchi and batteries for her other older ones. Two have not asked for much. One doesn't have a clue because she isn't quite 2 and the one that will be four next month, well she wants everything she sees. LOL

I could buy a swingset and make the little four happy, buy a trampoline and make them all happy, buy a pool and make them all happy but of course they want their own gifts. We don't really have anyone else to buy for, outside of our house and that is a blessing since we currently are currently paying for two houses and all the bills that come with them plus the car payments. Every year it is the same, I get down to the wire, stand there looking at clothes and toys and the same aisles full of pink whatevers, check the boy aisles, check the arts and crafts aisles and try to come up with thoughtful, wanted gifts. I think my brain is stale.

Since we moved, all the stores are 20-40 minutes away and putting things off until the last minute is going to be really bad! LOL I even tried looking at stuff online and showing them stuff online and although they said they liked a few things, I can't say they 'loved' anything. Piff!

What did your kids or grandkids ask for this year? What were favorite gifts from the past? Maybe some suggestions will get me motivated or give me some new ideas.

Thanks!

What are the ages of your oldest ones now Michelle?

Hello Lilypon! Four just had birthdays and the other two are about to have them. Ages: 2,4,6,8,10 and 12. :) Got any neat ideas?

Chele, about the trampoline - my DD the Physician's Assistant who works in an emergency room would advise against it. Even with the "wall" around them, they are an enduring source of broken legs and arms.

My 11 year old grandson wants "real" drawing pencils. His 8 year old sister hasn't been real specific yet. I got them both cameras, one is a quad cam - 4 shots on one picture taken over the space of a second, time lapse; the other is a split cam one click takes the top of the picture, the second click takes the bottom - put the dog's head on your sister and show her friends. I got both of them at American Scientific Surplus, www. sciplus.com. They were each under $15.

I got Jessie a Klutz hot pad loom for her birthday last month and she's run through two batches of loops for it. The Klutz kits are great and they have a website or you can find them at Borders.

Wish I did......mine are a little older (boy's 19 and girl's 21) if yours were I'd have a few.

We got a trampoline last summer. I had been wanting one for the kids and a friend had one for sale at a garage sale. I picked it up for $50 and then spent lots more on the safety net, a basketball hoop thingie and also a foam snowboard specifically for trampolines.

I have to say, kids LOVE it. Money well spent, but please do get the safety net.

Of course, mine would also love a swimming pool, but in the PNW, it is hard to justify getting one of those!

I have 3 boys, but one of the best things I have ever bought them was a pogo stick. (What is it about kids and bouncing?) Every kid that ever came to the house loves the pogo stick and bounces for hours. They are not too costly either. When the first one broke, I immediately got another. Just can't do without it.

Last night I spent a loooong time in the doll section of ToyRUs picking out a doll for the giving tree. It was such fun, after shopping for boys all the time. I got one you can feed, potty train , bathe, some clothes for her, some bath toys, and a stroller.

Okay, other suggestions for you would be games. We love games and there are so many great ones out. If you need suggestions, I'll make you a list of our favorites.

And books, of course, always books. Each kid gets a stack of books every year that are individually wrapped and then stacked and tied together. They open them the night of the 25th. Gives them something to look forward to when everything else is done and they have something fun to go to bed with and read.

I know you probably have everything, I understand your predicament, as even with 3 boys I find myself in the same situation, but I find kids of both sexes really like office supplies of their own - tape dispensers, staplers, and hole punches esp.

Boy, I think it would be a blast to shop for 6 girls. If I lived near you, I'd come pick you up and we'd go off for a day of shopping. I *love* spending other people's money.

I live far from shopping also. And have a ferry ride in between me and the stores!

Do you like movies? A gift that has been popular is to get one of those popcorn buckets from Blockbuster and put either a movie in it or a gift cert for a rental (doens't have to be from Blockbuster, I just get the popcorn bucket from them as we don't have a Blockbuster on the island), then fill it with a couple cans of soda (or whatever your girls drink) and candy. Let me tell you, I have given that for birthday gifts and it was popular!

GIve each girl an ornament (or two) that symbolizes something from the past year - a sport they played, a theme from their birthday party if they had one (bowling pin if they had a bowling b-day for instance), a musical instrument they play. Just look thru the ornaments in the stores and see what reminds you of each girl. Or get them each an angel ornament every year. I put my kids' initials on their ornaments in tiny black perm. pen somewhere on the ornament where it won't show. I also put the year. I also photograph them every year and put the kid's name on the back of the photo. The photos are all in my ornament boxes. Some year when they are getting close to being on their own (oldest is a senior this year), I will go thru and separate the ornaments for them but in case something happens to me in the meantime, the photos and initials would help figure out most of them.

If you get a group gift - trampoline, ping pong table - a fun thing to do is to make a treasure hunt out of it for xmas morning. Make up little notes and send them all over the house and yard looking for the actual gift, which may or may not be set up.

Okay, gotta go now and do some errands of my own!

Have fun and good luck. And don't rule out boys' toys - girls love them. Kapla blocks are so fun. My niece adores the little wooden trains. Oh, have you seen those wooden tree houses???? You can get little fairy dolls for them. There is a puppet tree house out now too.

Okay, really gotta stop. I only get to shop for male teens now. Can you spell e-l-e-c-t-r-o-n-i-c-s? I envy you!

Gwendalou

'Chele,

http://shopping.discovery.com/category-1_GIFTFINDER/3_GF_KID_8TO12GIRLS-30.html?currentPage=0&sortBy=Bestsellers

http://shopping.discovery.com/category-1_GIFTFINDER/3_GF_KID_5TO7GIRLS-30.html?currentPage=0&sortBy=Bestsellers

http://shopping.discovery.com/category-1_GIFTFINDER/3_GF_KID_PRESCHOOLERS-30.html?currentPage=0&sortBy=Bestsellers

On the last link, I really like Ned's Head, lol.

mg

hehe, a 4 wheeler and a snowmobile : ) I can hear you now, so *piff* back atcha, lol

Mine are girl 13, boy 9 and 2.

I am done with my shopping.. for boy 9, I got paintball gun, games for his gameboy ad, chess game, colonge, paintballs.. that's all I can remmy.

For boy, 2, I got him wagon, Tonka big truck toy, and a book.

for girl 13... perfume Fansty by Brintey Spear, new Gameboy AD and AD games, Pinky Robe, Pink Slippers, Seqin purse, jewerly, umm.. that sall can think of. LOL

A big present for them all.. is a basketball goal. They didn't know that. They saw a big wrapped box by the christmas tree. They think it's a toy box for Matt ! LOL

For the stockings.. fill with cute small gifts along with few candies. Candy Cane is a must for each stocking.

Oh, I hope that my DD won't read this! LOL

YOu can get them books to read, some games and some ideas that others give you.

This message was edited Dec 13, 2005 2:30 PM

Chemistry Sets for the older girls - encourage them to use their brains with gifts that make 'em think... (10 & 12)

One year, my parents gave me electronic gifts & clothes, along with soaps & other trinkets... Like any other year, "I could only bring one gift to the relative's house with me so nobody got jealous", so I would pick one gift to take along with me to relatives to play with & occupy my mind while they all talked & ate. I remember one year my Grandma gave me a couple coloring books, and a box of crayons. I sat for hours at her house coloring away ... stayed quiet, out of everyone's way, and in my glory! (Other years, Grandma gave me a nightshirt, or a sweatshirt that I couldn't hardly play with while at her house - boring. :) ) So, for the 6 & 8, why not kits for making candles, or soaps, or a simple coloring / painting / artist set? Maybe a mass-set of PlayDoh! One with the little funny-shape makers...

Finally, for the 2 & 4 year old - dolls, of course! Get them both personalized ones that look like they do! An extra outfit for each is always cool, so when one loses a shoe or a sock, they've got extras. :)

Now! You want a shopping challenge?!? Try two parents, aged 50-60, who have EVERYTHING they could ever need, and all things associated with their hobby of choice. That's a challenge. :) I already purchased stuff for all of them, but I'm curious what the rest of you holiday-shoppers think..

Chele, I have a book here called "The Girl's World of Bath and Beauty" by Allison Chandler Smith. The description says fresh ideas and fun recipes for hair, skin, nails and more.

It is all natural beauty aids and stuff.....body sprays, soaps, just all kids of stuff. My girls love it.

Janis

edited cause i can't type and m_g makes me fix it lol :-P~

This message was edited Dec 13, 2005 3:42 PM

Things I have given in the past that were big hits with the kids were:
a telescope
an electronic keyboard (my daughter taught herself quite a bit on ours)
disc man type things
DVD's (some of the old comedy series from the 60's are now available i.e.Bewitched)

Of course the SWE (Society of Women Engineers) that I belong to is telling us to urge parents to buy science type kits for their daughters!! Some kids are into that stuff, some aren't.

Deb

Are any of them interested in sewing? I used to love the little embroidery or cross stitch sets. Art supplies. With all your land now, outside stuff like badminton, croquet (can just see those wooden balls flying through the air :-) Have to think some more
Sharon

Your teachers would ask you to buy Science Kits, lots of books, journals, and tons of pens - markers-paint-paper- and such to write their own books. I try to send the kids at my school home with all I can already - it is good for them and they will love it.

A sewing machine for the older ones and patterns for purses, nighties, bedroom accessories and vests. They could make their own pillow shams and bed skirts. They're plenty old enough at 10 and 12...even 8 to do this. I could run a sewing machine with assistance at 6.

If the 12 year old is pretty focused, a guitar is a great gift...she's a good age...any younger and it would be put up and forgotten. My husband teaches guitar 2 nights a week and we help students with their first guitar purchase. There are specific things that you need to look for, or it's just expensive firewood. The really cheap ones are worthless...they aren't even good firewood...and will frustrate a young player. If you're seriously considering this...please get in touch with me and we'll help you through this purchase. There are specific things to look for in a teacher too that we can help with. This is a subject that we know quite well and can really give some exellent advice.

Get a guitar for the older and a keyboard for the next oldest. The other children could be part of the 'family band' with tambourines, maracas, recorders and jungle bells.

Telescopes are great...that and a star chart. At age 12, I could locate all of the major constellations and track the planets. It's something that I enjoy to this day. I'll even crawl out of bed at 2 am in sub-zero weather to watch a good meteor shower now...(my DH thinks I'm nuts)

I loved to draw and paint from a very early age. Books showing how perspective works and how to draw animals were well used and well loved from about age 8. Coloring books for the little ones (the giant ones are awsome) and paint by number kits for the middle to older kids.

Science kits...a microscope...all well worth the investment. And BOOKS...it wasn't Christmas without my Christmas books.... at 10 and 12, I eagerly awaited the next installments of the Black Stallion series...and later, James A Michener or Leon Uris were authors that I anticipated.

Even now, I insist on a Books-a-Million gift card in my stocking from Mom!

My poor cold deprived 13 yr old wants a hoodie sweatshirt. Music always, to listen to and to play. She would love an alto flute but........ When she was younger, any and all playmobile was good. I got her and the cousins silver charm bracelets one year which gave you a gift to but later too. They come in so many styles that everyone can have her "own" even if you get the BIG gift of a pool or something. She wore out a light-bright. I think one of the biggest hits a couple years ago was a Fiskars papercutter. Go figure.

Most of the kids in our family are older or grown too. My 5 yo grandson wants only video games, karate lessons, a gecko, and a little brother.

My 3 yo granddaughter likes lots of things. She likes to watch dancing so she got a couple dance outfits for her birthday, and she asked for Barbie and the car. She also likes anything to do with Dora the Explorer, my keyboard, and some kids videos, even the learning ones. My daughter got them each one of those V-Tech laptops with learning games but I don't have much hope for them being very popular. The last "learning toy" they got wasn't used much either. It's hard to compete with the color graphics of a video game.

My 12 yo niece also likes office supplies, stationary, etc. and I remember at that age I liked lots of stationary too. I had a little metal wax press with my initials. I melted wax onto the envelope where it seals and pressed my initial into the soft wax. I thought that was really cool but I can't think of what it's called. She also likes American Girl dolls. I think this year she asked for hoodies, a watch, and a phone. How about an electronic organizer?

My 7 yo cousin (also a girl) likes her gameboy best and some "boy" toys like hotwheel tracks, etc.

Personally, I like the ideas for the musical instruments, arts & crafts, & science projects best. Maybe you could get your 12 yo stationary stuff and see if somone else has a daughter her age who she could be penpals with.

I want to thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I have been reading this and going back over it and looking up stuff. You have all come up with really good ideas and I appreciate your time. :) I'm not really a bah humbug kinda person but my plate has been a little full and I'm battling the grinch! Moving has given me a chance to go through every single thing we own and see what has been loved and well taken care of and what has been pitched down the stairs never to be seen again. I'll get over this little hump because I have to but moving really gives you a chance to put your life and belongings under a microscope! LOL

Thanks all and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

How about letting the older girls pick out some new things to decorate their new rooms. Cool stuff, not just curtains etc.
Do they have a wagon to pull each other around in? I hate all the new electric stuff kids ride on. Their poor little muscles are going to become mush.
Games are fun if there are enough kids interested in playing them. Board games,computer games, Leap Frog type learning games.

You even have your own volleyball teams. We went to a mall last year and I loved to watch the kids play whatever that new game is. It is played on a TV screen in the home version and they have to match there steps
on a mat with what hapens on the screen. Sorta mixing simon the light up game and twister. If I could with my back I would love to play twister with DGDs. Even at 5 and 3 I bet we would laugh our heads off. I have never played but there is some many things I dream of doing with them I no longer can. But there will be other things.
We have a blast just snuggling.

Sweetheart you said "Moving has given me a chance to go through every single thing we own and see what has been loved and well taken care of and what has been pitched down the stairs never to be seen again. I'll get over this little hump because I have to but moving really gives you a chance to put your life and belongings under a microscope!" This is a blessing. Last year
our sewer backed up and I have slowly been packing things to get ready for the new carpet that we have been battling with the adjuster over this and that. She agreed to new carpet immediately but then it has been other things. I have had the opportunity to go through
the same thing. Although it did not actually hit me
about "STUFF" until about a month ago. So when we eventually get the carpet and I start unpacking things.
Ebay and Dump here it comes.
I believe it is a Blessing because Jesus lets us see what has been important in our lives verses what
should be important. I consider it a blessing to see through the microscope now, as I see since all the hurricane disasters, the people without homes just how important it is not to by stuff but to be there when we are needed. Just like you were for me when Rita was headed for us and we had to up and leave. What would I have done if it were not for my wonderful friends here like you? You sure are not a grinch sweetie, you are a wonderful blessing Jesus has given me.

Have a Merry Christmas and an Abundantly Blessed New Year.

I love you,
MOM

Well, when I was 10 or 12, I wanted a rock tumbling kit but my mom wouldn't get it. I always liked science-y or creative things. I wasn't into typical girly stuff, but that was just me. The four oldest might light Sculpy clay so they can make their own beads, minature toys, or whatever.

Someone said something about putting belongings under a microscope. I've done it literally. A microscope can be a fun thing for the 4 oldest. They 4 year old might enjoy it with some supervision. (My dad like the microscope, too.)

I would have loved the swimming pool. I was never a particularly active kid and didn't have one athletic cell in my whole body, but I did like to swim or do what passed as my version of swimming. LOL! However, we never had a pool. Still don't. I told DH that if we ever have to move to Phoenix, we are getting a house with a pool.

Our neighbors got their kids one of those new big blow up pools that are out now- had a pump, ladder etc. They had 6 kids too and they were in it from morning til evening....

I got my DGS a set of magnetix - he loves the lego type stuff, but had a ton of them. DH got him a drill press (must be a man thing.)

Only have boys in our family - I'd love to shop for the girls!!! I can't believe you haven't gotten anything yet - man - I wouldn't be sleeping nights!!!! Good luck

I asked my daughter what did she think I should get Ike (my 18mo old only Grandbaby). She said "Could you make him a play house like Laura (her sister) and I had when we were little? We loved that thing." I had to really put on the old thinking cap and remembered the Christmas that we were really short on cash, and I took four or five refrigerator boxes and cut slots and tabs in them and put them together and cut out windows, and hung real curtains across them on a rope, and painted it like a house and put their names on the "door". I t folded up and fit under the bunk bed when not in use. A few years later it needed a little repair and enlargement, which they were then old enough to help with the addition . It really did get lots of use. I should have patented the design , because it really wasn't hard and worked out very nicely. I told my daughter ,if she had the boxes ready in Texas , I would try to duplicate it when we go down next week. The problem is, I have no idea of how I did it 25yrs ago. Hope it all comes back to me once I get started with the box cutter. LOL Lou

I have 3 girls...the youngest now 16, but when they were younger, I loved ordering from "Magic Cabin"...we were more of the natural materials types, but I think lots of people would find interesting things in that catalog. I haven't figured how to hyperlink, but- www.magiccabin.com works! have a Merry Christmas!

When my girls were younger they liked crafty types of things. Crafts have changed over the years, but what's all the rage right now is scrapbooking (do your girls have photos of school friends, outings and such?), beading, knitting, and crocheting.

If they are into that type of thing, maybe you could check around and see if there's any classes they could go to, and give them a gift certificate for the classes and supplies to make some items.

If they have photos, put together a scrapbooking kit for them to make a school days memory book.

That's for the older ones. The younger ones...you can buy them anything and they will still prefer the wrapping paper and boxes. LOL They are easy and love everything.

I recently bought my son a camera with a night vision on it. That might be neat if you are living in the country now and they want to see and take pictures of wildlife. It was a digital.
MP3 players are nice also. Earphones save the parents ears when they want to be listening to music while you don't want to be.
A puzzle computer program that uses your own digital pictures to make puzzles to put together. I use the computer for puzzles all the time because if I were to use the regular jigsaw puzzles the cats would have lost half the pieces when I was finished.

I've never heard of the puzzle program. Who makes that?

Chele, I remember you saying that a couple of the girls enjoyed helping you in the garden. Maybe a set of real gardening tools just for them and some seeds to start there own garden. I bought my daughter a set of houseplant tools with a little canvas bag for christmas when she was 10. She is still using those even though I have bought her others since. The gentlemen that I take my shears to for sharpening laughs each time I bring her little clippers in, and takes extra care to be sure they are perfect for her.

My 10 year old son asked for a book on bugs, plants and wildlife for the area that the new house is at. He want to know what bugs and stuff he can and cant play with in the woods. My best friend bought an inexpensive rocking chair, and some pint cans of paint and is giving them to her 12 year old neice for a present. After Christmas she is going to let her paint the chair how she wants so when spring comes around she has her own place to sit to watch the birds when the start to come back. She bought her a bird identification book to go with it.

Kelli, there are a lot of different companies that make them. Do a google search for jigsaw puzzle programs. Some are even animated once they are finished.
Use this search for google
Jigsaw puzzle computer software

Thanks!

BS my DGDs love to dress up in some really pretty
dress up outfits I got from a garage sale. I don't recomend the ones from the stores I saw. They fall apart so easy and they are 20. dollars each. One is 5 and one
is 3.
I bought some confetti dot material and plan on making a couple dress upss- really simple ones.and each one a poodle skirt out of pink felt and white poodles that are sew on. I will use white mother of pearl sequins for the leash. I am just going to use pinking shears for the bottom and the pattern I got on sale at Hancock fabrics for 99 cents on sale.

They dress up and dance for us in the ones they have.
Boy I would spoil your girls rotten. But that is what Nonnies are for.

BS... maybe be good to get a new pup for girls. LOL

Chele, I just saw your thread so I'm not sure if I'm too late to help out or not. Anyway, my girls (just about to turn 4 and 7) are into a variety of things.

My oldest asked for (and got from Santa) a small sized Bratz baby. I also got her one of those hair braiding wands...hopefully the thing will actually function as intended LOL. She also got a little pottery wheel. We don't have tons of extra money and the kids have to wear school shirts and sports-appropriate pants to school, so no real opportunities to wear loads of dress clothes....so I refuse to spend money on dressy girlie shoes that she'll wear once every 2 weeks for 3 months and then grow out of them (since that type of shoe is really expensive). Anyway, she's been begging for some, so her grandmother got her and her younger sister some girlie girl shoes to wear with dresses. She also got a sketch tutorial book because she's REALLY artistically talented and needs better tutelage than someone artistically challenged like me can lend. LOL I got her and the little one both a knitted cape/shawl and a funky sweat suit each, as well as a filmy scarf they'll love playing dress up with.

My younger daughter got a craft painting set, a board game (that is really to help her learn to count better, but she won't know that), and a gigantic coloring book. My younger daughter feels at home with both incredibly girlish toys as she does with very boyish toys. So she's very easy to buy for. My son is the hard one to choose gifts for....very limited range of likes.

Of course, I got the requisite socks and underwear for all the kids as well. But this year I tried to get FUN socks and underwear .... but honestly, my kids are weird and actually LOVE getting new socks and underwear LOL.

I hope you're feeling better.

Merry Christmas!

-Julie