Ideas for Christmas presents?

[catholicschoolmom]

I forgot to include this idea yesterday..... an arts & crafts box....  I used to have a box for my kids that I made out of one of those Rubbermaid tubs.... I decorated it with paint markers, put their names on them real fancy-ish and inside I put all kinds of things for arts & crafts projects... felt, glue, playdoh, those stick-on foamies (get them at the craft stores at the end of a season and they're really cheap)  scrap booking papers that were on sale... markers, colored pencils, etc...   it was a great rainy-day activity, or snow-day activity --- a present that really lasted all year long.  After Christmas, I'd keep collecting stuff throughout the year and when the next Christmas came, I'd restock the tub with more goodies.   Now that they're 7 and 8 and more into football and 'big boy' things, I still use the tub to keep our construction paper collection and odds & ends that we need for school projects.


Also, we have limited our kids to 3 "big" Christmas presents that they are allowed to ask for... we started the tradition with them by telling them that  because Jesus only received 3 gifts --- gold, frankensence and mhyrr ---  Santa only brings 3 gifts...  it also makes sure that  they are putting  alot of thought into their wish lists, and not just ask for everything they see on TV...  other relatives can give them whatever they want, but my husband and I limit it to 3 from "Santa"

[Joamy]

I forgot to include this idea yesterday..... an arts & crafts box....  I used to have a box for my kids that I made out of one of those Rubbermaid tubs.... I decorated it with paint markers, put their names on them real fancy-ish and inside I put all kinds of things for arts & crafts projects... felt, glue, playdoh, those stick-on foamies (get them at the craft stores at the end of a season and they're really cheap)  scrap booking papers that were on sale... markers, colored pencils, etc...   it was a great rainy-day activity, or snow-day activity --- a present that really lasted all year long.  After Christmas, I'd keep collecting stuff throughout the year and when the next Christmas came, I'd restock the tub with more goodies.   Now that they're 7 and 8 and more into football and 'big boy' things, I still use the tub to keep our construction paper collection and odds & ends that we need for school projects.


Also, we have limited our kids to 3 "big" Christmas presents that they are allowed to ask for... we started the tradition with them by telling them that  because Jesus only received 3 gifts --- gold, frankensence and mhyrr ---  Santa only brings 3 gifts...  it also makes sure that  they are putting  alot of thought into their wish lists, and not just ask for everything they see on TV...  other relatives can give them whatever they want, but my husband and I limit it to 3 from "Santa"

Hmmmm-maybe my niece will  get one of those craft boxes... .  She is quite a little diva, so I crocheted her a little purse that has really "fuzzy" yarn on it (hot pink).  She's going to get a hat and maybe a scarf (if I can finish it in time), also. 

[DarkKnight]

So much of the fun of childhood comes from being macabre. Go ahead and get her a nativity set. At least it doesn't invite abuse the way Barbie does.

You've clearly never seen an Italian family with the Sarah Winchester Nativity Set that takes over several rooms; have you? Complete with people bending over to take dumps in obscure corners "for humor's sake."

[leome]

So much of the fun of childhood comes from being macabre. Go ahead and get her a nativity set. At least it doesn't invite abuse the way Barbie does.

You've clearly never seen an Italian family with the Sarah Winchester Nativity Set that takes over several rooms; have you? Complete with people bending over to take dumps in obscure corners "for humor's sake."

I have never even heard of this...

can you post a link?

[DarkKnight]

So much of the fun of childhood comes from being macabre. Go ahead and get her a nativity set. At least it doesn't invite abuse the way Barbie does.

You've clearly never seen an Italian family with the Sarah Winchester Nativity Set that takes over several rooms; have you? Complete with people bending over to take dumps in obscure corners "for humor's sake."

I have never even heard of this...

can you post a link?

a local museum did a whole showing on these "humorous" figures including JPII in a squatting position. It was incredible. Seriously, we have italian friends where you basically cannot walk in the livingroom for fear of stepping on the creche until mid-January. We're talkin' hundred of pieces, plus houses.

[Magnificat]

I unclenched and bought Little Magnificat the Playmobil Nativity Scene last week as a reward for a good report card.  The cardboard creche is really flimsy, so we're going to make another one out of either Lego or balsawood from the craft store.   It probably didn't help that a cat slept in it. 


FYI: link to instructions on how to make a whole Nativity out of Lego:

http://staff.science.uva.nl/~leo/lego/nativity.html

[catholicschoolmom]

The Fisher Price Little People one is very sturdy... its lasted 8 years in our house, with 4 boys and a 90lb. labrador

[matthew_talbot]

Ours have always liked the little wooden Thomas train cars and engines..You can buy several different ones without spending too much money.

[CanadianCatholic]

Ours have always liked the little wooden Thomas train cars and engines..You can buy several different ones without spending too much money.

I found an awesome wooden train set last year, super cheap, on sale! Mu kids LOVE trains. I think we are gonna get them a train table next year