Need inspiration for a gift for hard to buy 2.5 year old.

[Marzipanface]

The child isn't hard to buy for ifyswim, but the parents have very specific ideas on what she can and can't have as toys.

Plastic isn't allowed
Noisy toys not allowed
ELC/supermarket/fisher price is all a no go as well (honest!)
Nothing with brand names or tv characters on it
No DVDs
(Bordering on obsession)
Nothing with pink/princess or gendered

What seems to be ok is

Anything made from natural fibres/wood
Anything French or Scandinavian provided they are natural as above
Anything that requires imagination and creativity provided it is suitable for a little one

To give more info, parents are wealthy 'lentil weaving' types. Nice but have no concerns about handing a present back if it is not suitable. Child watches no tv, plays with handmade toys and I think does a lot of heuristic play. So, so hard to buy for, as I am guessing she is too old for stacking blocks and she has plenty of wooden musical instruments (have bought them in the past) plus items I thought were suitable she often already owns. Books are a tricky area as her bookshelf seems to consist of books in different languages, particularly French. Actually no French connection if any one is interested...

To top it all it needs to be around a fiver as I am skint. When they buy presents for my little one, they are usually as least three times as much :(

Any ideas?

[oreocrumbs]

Craft stuff?

Is glitter and glue allowed?

Do you have an Ikea near by? They have lots of gender netural toys that would cover the scandanavian link too.

You could make her a little cooking set, make this and but a little baking set from the pound shop to go with it.

Can you sew? or knit? You could make her a little doll/bear if you can. Or some dressing up stuff.

Ooh just thought ikea do a wooden train set for £8.

Or a George Luck puzzle.

[forevergreek]

I also detest 'tat' and plastic ( sorry)

Ideas:
Puzzles
Books ( you can never have too many, the book people so great deals and often free delivery codes floating around)
Art and craft supplies
Or something to add to a collection she may have ( ie they may have a dolls house/ Lego/ animal collection and you could get a part of that)

We simply don't have space for uneccesary toys ( one bed flat), so we also make a little list of items needed/ wanted and add to amazon account. Do they have something similar? We have both wanted toys/ books etc on there as well as needed ( ie Wellington books/ umbrella/ hat, scarf..., bedside lamp)

I would hate others to spend money on something really not needed. At 2.5years a walk in the woods/ parks for conkers is a great activity. Could you offer to take her for a few hours and treat with ice cream/ drink in cafe along the way instead ( parents would love you too im sure and can take your own children along if you have)

[SwimmingLikeADuck]

www.amazon.co.uk/Melissa-Doug-Bug-Catching-Magnetic-Puzzle/dp/B00272N8JE/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1350669514&sr=8-23&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

How about this^

[Marzipanface]

No problems with people not liking plastic and 'tat', each to their own.
Can't take her anywhere as we live v far away now.

They would pass out if I got anything from the pound shop! Her mum is great at craft, nothing I can do would be as good! Glitter is a big no as well.

The Melissa and Doug bug puzzle looks a great idea! Thanks.

[Rhienne]

Fuzzy Felt: comes in plastic tub but fabric toy.
www.amazon.co.uk/Fuzzy-Felt-9368-Animals-Tub/dp/B003U43OZG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

Bit more than a fiver, but maybe:
www.amazon.co.uk/Oskar-Ellen-Toys-Sweet-Cookies/dp/B0047NR0OU/ref=sr_1_1?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1350671174&sr=1-1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[forevergreek]

what about these:

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=304177

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=289315

www.notonthehighstreet.com/sleepyheads/product/make-your-own-wooden-jewellery-set

Or anything on here, filtered at £5 max

www.notonthehighstreet.com/baby-child/toys-games?filter[delivery_zone]=1&filter[sort]=price&filter[subcategories][]=wooden-toys&view=many

[forevergreek]

what about these:

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=304177

www.thebookpeople.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/qs_product_tbp?storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=100&productId=289315

www.notonthehighstreet.com/sleepyheads/product/make-your-own-wooden-jewellery-set

Or anything on here, filtered at £5 max

www.notonthehighstreet.com/baby-child/toys-games?filter[delivery_zone]=1&filter[sort]=price&filter[subcategories][]=wooden-toys&view=many

[forevergreek]

sorry

//www.notonthehighstreet.com/baby-child/toys-games?filter[delivery_zone]=1&filter[sort]=price&filter[subcategories][]=wooden-toys&view=many

[Marzipanface]

Forevergreek Thank you!

I think you may have just found gifts for my nephew and nieces as well!

[blackcurrants]

OP we have that Melissa and Doug puzzles, DS is 2 and a bit, it's.great. M&D do a naice line of wood food toys too..

[HipHopOpotomus]

Melissa & Doug also do great wooden & rubber stamp sets. So wood & crafty in one. Not sure of price but shop around online.

[Mollydoggerson]

Schleicker animals.
Puppets

[MrsVincentPrice]

I normally recommend Naughty Bus (which is unfortunately over your budget even from Amazon) or The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig [sic] for difficult to buy for pre-schoolers because they're fool proof crowd pleaser but not too well known. Dr Xargle's Book of Earthlets is also good.

[forevergreek]

your welcome :)

if you mean from 'not on the high st'... its my favorite site and il probably do all my xmas shopping in one eve in one place. perfect

[VoldemortsNipple]

Please buy her a pepper pig playhouse :o

I was thinking of making a couple of gifts for the neighbours children in jars which you could copy.

Candycane playdough. Red and white playdough twisted together, scented with peppermint oil and put in a jar with a nice lable.

Snowman in a jar. 6 parts flour to one part vegetable oil mixed together (turns out like moondough or mouldable sand) add a few little twigs, raisins, felt scraps for scarf and hat to a little bag. Pretty up the jar.

Hey presto! Cheap organic homemade gifts :)

[attheendoftheday]

How about this little wooden farm set?

[iheartdusty]

here is an entire website full of natural wood lentil weaving creative and actually rather lovely things myriad