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AIBU?

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Original poster

Help mum/santa out…

32 replies

decafisnotthesame · 05/12/2025 12:01

My 5 year old son has written to Santa and asked for a jack-in-the-box. A jack-in-the-box has never been mentioned ever before and when I’ve looked they’re about £20-30 and aimed at 18m+. AIBU to not want to spend this sort of money on a toy he’ll never actually play with?!

Help needed….does anyone have any toy ideas that are like a jack-in-the-box but better suited to a 5 year old? Maybe a box that’s electronic and shoots rockets or something?!? Anything that I can pass off as “Santa thought you were really grown up so might like this type of jack-in-the-box type thing instead”.

TIA

OP posts:
Ponderingwindow · 05/12/2025 12:38

I agree that this is a case of buying one second hand. He won’t care and you won’t be wasting money.

toys in this age range often look brand new or close to brand new even when they are used. We had the money to buy new, but dd still got a mix of new and used toys at Christmas when she was little. I took everything out of the packages in advance anyway so that there was no waiting for mom and dad to prep things on Christmas morning and we didn’t have that pressure.

pitterypattery00 · 05/12/2025 12:31

I like PPs idea of picking up a cheap one second hand and maybe getting something related but a bit more age appropriate. My 5 year old similarly has asked for both a toddler toy and a really advanced Lego kit (aimed at adults and very expensive). I kept trying to make it more vague ('just ask for Lego') but he was having none of that 😂. So I've emphasised his letter is just to give Santa ideas and that Santa is a toy expert and will always choose a present that's a good match for his age so that he will enjoy playing with it.

Songlines · 05/12/2025 12:18

Is there such a thing as a 'build your own' kit?
I've had a quick look but I'm going out.

Flibbertyfloo · 05/12/2025 12:13

I'd nip on Facebook marketplace, Vinted or Ebay, and get him what he's asked for rather than what you think he'd prefer.

Original poster
decafisnotthesame · 05/12/2025 12:12

Thanks! I’ll definitely have a look at those as he likes to keep his coins safe.

OP posts:
BobbyShaftoWentToSeeSilverBucklesOnHisKnee · 05/12/2025 12:05

What about one of those money boxes where you put the coin on the platform and a hand pops out and takes it?

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