Well my daughter was born on Christmas day and so she gets loaded with presents. She is just turning 3 this Christmas. Problem is as someone mentioned earlier she has an older sister who is 5 and she gets and has everything her sister has and then some. She is advanced 3 and likes to play with her sisters things of course. The problem has become what to put on her "wish list" at toys r us. I had about 12 things on there last week and they are wiped clean because everyone has to double purchase for her. I have been getting asked left and right to please add more to the list but I just can't seem to figure out and find anything else to add. They don't want to do gift cards because I suggested that because they want to wrap presents. She has a TON of artsy craft type things, games, you name it. HELP!! Input please and BTW we are set on clothes, boots, gloves, ect because someone already covered that area too!!!
My cousin was worn close to Christmas so they had a "half" birthday and celebrated in June so she could get outdoor summer presents!
Too late for that this year, what about ballet/swim/gymnastic classes? A giftcard to chuck e cheese (other kids play place), does she go to movies? movie theater giftcard
Have you considered celebrating her half birthday? That would be what I would do if I had a child around Christmas. My kids are all spring babies so they get winter stuff at Christmas and summer stuff for their birthdays. I think they would die a hundred deaths if they only got gifts once a year.
Hi,
If she is already "set" for christmas, why not donate toys to the less fortunate and show your kids how to give to others. Giving is a huge lesson that will help them for their lifetime. Just a thought--since you said they don't need anything. Have a great thanksgiving!
M
My daughter will be 17 on 12/27. We've always separated Christmas from birthday.
I'd never personally have a registry list anywhere.
We've always kept her birthday separate.
Because your daughter has a 12/25 birthday, I'd still keep it separate.
In earlier years, daughter had so many gifts that we sent the thank you's promptly but also held back many gifts she was given and over the year as she needed and wanted new things, we brought out things that were her's.
I'm not one for registry things, that just seems like an invoice to me. Our daughter is appreciative of what she does receive.
My only irk... I completely separate Christmas and birthday... The wrap, room decor, everything.
A " half birthday" is non existent to us... You do it right on their day and you are great.
We've never had issues with attendees at parties on 12/27. Formal and informal. Most parents were ready for a break!
Books, books, and more books!!
Possibly a subscription to a preschooler magazine... she'd have something to look forward to in the mail weekly/monthly, etc.
Also, as another mama said, "activity" gifts are one of my favs.
Happy Holidays! ... and B-Day to your little one! :)
Do you have a college fund?
Ca$h for college...the greatest gift of all!
I am in the same boat as you. My daughter will be 4 on Christmas and I am struggling with what to do for her as well. I know others are opposed to it, but last year we started celebrating her half birthday in June. She really enjoyed this and it helped a lot with gifts. Also, we are doing the "activity" gift as well...but because our relatives wanted her to be able to open a "gift" they included something like ballet slippers with the ballet class or leotard with the gymnastics class. This works for us because my daughter in interested in those activities and she thinks that the leotard and slippers are her "big" gift. But, it is hard having a little one born on Christmas...and even harder to get the family on board with separating the 2 events (either on the same day...or 6 months apart) but something that I thought was important because I wanted my daughter to have "her" day and not have to share it with everyone!
Best of luck to you and Happy Holidays!
I would suggest that possibly for her birthday people can give her "activity" gifts, as Victoria suggested. They could wrap up a card or piece of paper that has the activity listed on it (one on one dates or even passes or memberships to local museusms, a dance class, etc.) and could maybe even have a date already on it as to when it will take place (pre approved by you maybe). I know at 3, an IOU is kind of a hard concept but it sounds like she'll have some actual birthday presents to open and of course she'll have Christmas presents.
Not sure if your relatives (I am assuming that is who is asking for gift ideas) live close enough, or would balk at it as too close to a gift card, but what about a certificate for an ice-cream or movie "date" with that relative? So that in say, February, grandma can pick her up and take her to a movie with popcorn? (if she is able to sit through one alright--- there are tons of threads on this site on that subject). Or in May, Aunt Susie can pick her up and take her to an ice-cream shop for a sundae with sprinkles and all her fav toppings... or something along those lines?
If those are no-go ideas, what about those cardboard color your own playhouse things? Kids love playing with cardboard boxes, so one of those would probably be a HUGE hit!
We have a Christmas Birthday as well, my child is set for toys. He will turn four this year and he loves webkinz. So for the relatives who want something to wrap but spend around 50.00 anyway are giving him a webkinz with either a gift card or a savings bond for college or a deposit receipt for his college savings around the neck. He gets to open and have something small to play with right away and he reaps the rewards of a hopefully paid for college tuition later.Gift cards for stores are accumulated throughout the year and he will get to choose his bike for the summer or something a little bigger like a gaming system or larger item.
my best gift that you can seriously have everyone give her and not get a repeat for YEARS is Playmobil. They are such a great imagination building toy and they last forever in both quality and play value. I started each of my neices, nephews and my own children at age 3 and most played with them until they were at least 12. My 12 yr olds friends still come over and play with our collection. I had to move our collection to the basement because we had so much that it completely filled a bedroom. Wonderful play value.
another GREAT toy that I have in my daycare are magnatiles. You can get the best price on them through discount school supply using the code COUNT (15% off plus free shipping on orders over $75). Again, wonderful play value, durable and years of fun. And again, played with until they are at least 10 or 12 yrs old.
You will find that these are perfect presents for both your kids for years to come and an easy go to present for the relatives to pick up.
I am a mama of three boys and I am just jealous you have girls to shop for, lol! I do have three neices though and the youngest is 3. I love the www.onestepahead.com site, and was just looking at gift options for my neice. If I could I would go ALL out and buy her the cute kitchen they have there! She is really in that "I love to clean and help mommy" phase!
Here is a link to the kitchen I saw:
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
Because I couldn't get her the full kitchen, I purchased some smaller items from them including a neat little Floor Sweeper she will love because she always wants to use the grown up sweeper!
Enjoy your holidays and birthday celebrations!
well my daughter is 22 months and i got her the leappad which is kinda like the ipad but you buy apps and games that help them learn. the innotab is the cheaper version of the leappad. also i would try to get her a kitchen they have them for 20 at family dollar. or you could get her and her sister vanities, depending on her style my daughter loves to do her hair and everyone else's
also i got my daughter clothing ask them to purchase clothing or shoes
I also have a Christmas baby (now 10 yrs old), and we have a "half birthday" party for her in July. This works out great. Also, I'm now at the point of cleaning out and getting rid of all the toys we had collected over the years, and I have another child going to college next year, and let me tell you, I'm having a heart attack about how we are going to afford it. It kind of makes me sick to see all that money spent on toys that are being discarded after a few years, when the real need is college tuition. You see where I'm going with this? Another idea would be for people to contribute to her taking a class (dance, art?), or summer camp? Kids get overwhelmed with too much " stuff" thrown at them at one time. They don't need it, nor is it beneficial to them. There are also tons of charities in great need of donations that provide just the very basics to underprivileged kids or the elderly. Please consider the alternatives to just loading up a three year old with "stuff", soon to become "junk".
i would go for the gift cards for zoo, dance lessons, gymastics, stuff like that.
It gets costly and she will love the year of entertainment.
subscriptions for magazines, favorite treats, necessities (socks, slippers, clothes, toothbrushes,) how about a pet (aaaughghg) goodness this could be hard
I would tell relatives to contribute to her college fund or buy her a bond. I know that my grandfather and grandmother put money away for us kids and let me tell you, at 21 it was a godsend. Really at 3, she doesn't need all of those presents. Just be honest with relatives and tell them that at age 3 any more than a hand full of gifts is too much. Or ask them each to chip in and get one gift she might really need. Maybe pay for some classes you'd like to enroll her in - then take pics of her doing the activity and send them to relatives. What about relatives offering to do some activity with her - take her somewhere. That way you get a break and she gets a fun memory. Memories are way more important than presents.
My sister found a Discovery Kids digital camera for my daughter. It really takes pictures and also records videos. I think it will be a huge hit with my daughter who is 3 yrs and 4 months old.
Ask them to take her out for a special outing as her present. This might be especially nice for her since she shares her birthday with Christmas. They could take her bowling, out to a movie, to a children's museum or other kids' play area, swimming in the summer, etc. Yea, it isn't a toy to unwrap, but they'll have WAY more fun playing with her for a day then watching her unwrap one more gift.
I have a daughter with a December birthday. She has enjoyed gift cards as long as she has been old enough to understand them. We had some relatives who were reluctant to give them at first too because they wanted her to have something to unwrap. I said put them in a box & wrap them and she will be fine. Once they started seeing how excited she was to have the gift card, they got on board. Our family live in other states so some of them send a gift card in her birthday card and then, since we do see some at Christmas, buy her an actual present to open for Christmas. We have even taken the out of town grandparents, etc. shopping with us after Christmas and they have enjoyed seeing how much fun she has spending the gift card. Because of the after Christmas sales, she usually gets some good deals too! We have even had people get her gift cards to Subway (her favorite place to eat out). You can also buy gift cards now for movie theaters or maybe have a relative purchase actual movie tickets for a date that will work for you. They may have to get creative, but it can be done. Hope your daughter has a wonderful birthday!
How about asking family for passes to Legoland or taking her for a day of girl fun to sweet and sassy (I'm usually not a big fan of those places, but once in a while - like a bday can be fun). Or have them take her to breakfast at Macy's Walnut room - things like that can make a fun memory. I have a Christmas birthday myself and often wish I had another day in the year to get things on my wish list :) - maybe you could tell family to give her an IOU for a half birthday - maybe she will want something different in the middle of the year and then not have to wait till her birthday again!
Good luck.
What about a membership to the zoo or a children's museum? Money toward park district classes or the movies? We have a 3 yr old also and one of the things she asked for this year was money toward her ballett class.
I know you said no gift cards, but what about gift certificates to your local park district so she can take fun classes or programs through the year? My mom got one for my son and we got a lot of use out of it. Whenever we went to the first class, I always reminded him that Nana and Pop got him this as a Christmas present. He had enough other presents to open so it wasn't as if he didn't have any "toys" to open.
