Great Gift IdeasGift ideas for children of all ages - 0 to 120! If you see some cool gift ideas on any of the other forums, let a mod know so the thread can be moved over here for posterity!
We got our children a trampoline (with net) 3 years ago- I don't think there has been a day gone by when they have not played on it.
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Zoe-Anne
Married 14 years to Doug with 3 great kids-
Veronika 11
Lancelot 9
Grayson 2 My Feedback
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Dear Mom and Dad- I may parent differently than you did. This does not mean that I think you did it "wrong." However, it also does not mean I am doing it wrong.
Other than what is listed, like bicycles and legos, this stands out. Everyone has to swing on this thing, even the teens that come to the house. We have a trapeze bar for it too. Just an exceptional way to burn off some energy indoors.
His radio flyer tricycle
His Barbie VW Bug Power Wheels car that we got at a garage sale
His TRAINS
Books
Trucks
BIG bottles of finger paint- having a day where all they want to do is be messy?? Put them in the tub without water, give them 4 little bowls with a bunch of finger paint, and watch them have a blast!! It's the easiest cleanup, and they have so much fun.
Both of my kiddos love their play kitchen though Gavin (2 1/2) likes it more than Colin (4 1/2). Gavin loves the stinking plastic microwave most of all though, LOL. They go through phases with the kitchen.
Colin has loved trains since he was 18 months old. We have a huge wooden train collection. Though his interest is finally starting to wane a bit.
Colin is finally getting into dress up a bit and really has fun with that.
Colin has been getting into building things with wooden blocks lately (instead of having me build stuff so he could destroy it, LOL)
Gavin loves "action figures". I use that term loosely since we don't have any commercial action figures. He has playmobil pirates, some bendy dolls that I made, some Brio characters that go with the train sets and some Plan Toys pirates that goes with his wooden pirate ship (which he also loves).
Gavin loves the red and blue tupperware shape sorter.
Both of them love polished rocks and minerals (fools gold and peacock rock) and other treasures for their treasure chest. We also have some coins from other countries (big coins), that they love having in the treasure chest as "pirates gold". We also have a ton of beads from "before kiddos" that they love playing with. As soon as they break, we give them more, we have hundreds from going to the local Mardi Gras celebration (and no I didn't have to flash anyone for them, ROFL).
And both LOVE craft supplies. Paper, watercolors, colored pencils, etc. They don't care for coloring books much though.
for raising 3 girls these things got or get the most use:
*wooden food, including the type that you can "cut" attached with velcro
*wooden kitchen set
*baby dolls or animals that can be companions or pupils in school or babies
*dress up stuff
*groovy girls
*leggos, yup plastic junk. I tried tinker toys and lincoln logs and they didn't get played with much at all
*jumprope, the real cotton kind with wooden handles not dollar store fall apart on first use type
*tea set [ceramic] and amazingly it hasn't got broken
*bicycles, trikes, kick and go, pogo sticks, scooter, tandem that attaches to an adult's bike when they are not quite ready for 2 wheelers or big enough to keep up pace with rest of family. Bike trailer for even littler kids that converts to stroller.
*I am ashamed to admit this but recently MIL and FIL had a neighbor move out and give them stuff for our girls and one of them was a Barbie jeep with charger. Oh my my my youngest dd has used this thing so much. She doesn't care if it is new or not she loves loves loves it. I cringe but she's having fun so I tolerate it. She's really good at putting it in reverse and getting out of stuck places
*swingset and sandbox
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~Jen- Mama to all girls all 4 years apart
my feedback
The best gifts/Christmas my Boys ever had was a few yrs ago when I did an arts & craft theme from Santa.
wooden table & chairs
tons of paints, crayons (all kinds, glitter, metallic, gel, mama-made in cute shapes from a WAHM here), markers, pencils, paper (packs & a huge roll), brushes, stampers, smocks, splatter mat, etc
This was at least 3 yrs ago, and almost everything is still in use or been replaced (paints, etc)!
I want to do a similiar thing this Christmas since the Boys are really into playing school. I am going to get the big wooden easel set from Hearth Song. Any other ideas?
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~Tiffany,
SAHM to Ryan ('98), Alex ('99) & Caroline (11/7/07)
and loving wife to Dave (12/06)
DS got the Conductor's Figure 8 set with Battery operated Thomas for his 2nd birthday. I could really just toss every single other toy and he'd NEVER miss any of them. We would, of course, keep his 3 talking Buzz Lightyears.
I can't thank Aunt Tee, Aunt Mimi and Gam'ma enough for that track. He plays trains every single day. We have added to the track for every occaision over the last year, and man alive, he's got a LOT. There's a never ending supply of stuff to use with it, and he loves it soooo much.
He loves all train stuff.
__________________ Katie,
Wife to Matt my knight, Mom to Zachary my c/s baby and Lorelei my UBAC baby
Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.
-- Elizabeth Stone
playsilks, dress up clothes and my little pony. dd is sooo into my little pony (she is 4). she pretty much plays with everything she has, whether they go together or not, they do in her imagination. one thing she loves that is a little out of the norm is a harmonica. dh has a couple of nice ones but we got a cheap one for her and she loves it.
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The old style polly pocket houses (that are made for very tiny people). We get them at thrift stores for cheap, then get a $2 bag of Guatamalan worry dolls to live in them. LOL, Plastic meets crunchy.
Anything dress up- scarves, junk jewelry, princess stuff
.
Wooden blocks - they grow up with her, b/c now she builds furniture for her little dolls and animals.
I'm on the lookout for a trampoline, that's a great idea.
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Dawn,
mama to Maxine Day(8/01) and brand new Ivan Wolfgang(6/08), partner to Jason.
Eli: Fisher Price Farm..he adores it. Playsilks. He will play with his "notebook" and crayons all day long. He's getting a guitar for his birthday because he will play his daddy's constantly all through the day. He loves all music and will play with his drums and other instruments a lot.
Sophie: Blocks, playsilks, the plastic stuff in the kitchen. Pots and Pans. Little people animals. She also loves to carry around Eli's twistable crayons that I have twisted down for her so she doesn't eat them he he. She loves dollies and is getting her own waldorf doll for xmas. OH..forgot to mention that both kids adore the dragon we got from Dannielle...Sophie is getting another one for her birthday along with the Jack and Lily shoes from the coop.
I'm clueless for xmas for Elijah so I'm reading along seeing what y'all's kids like..though he is such an unusual boy it's hard to figure out what to do.
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Meg
Mama to Alexis, 21; Jacob, 18; and Elijah 11/20/02 and Sophia Jane, 11/20/04
Allison took this picture of my lovely girl:
)
to Ryan ('98), Alex ('99) & Caroline (11/7/07) 
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