The inexpensive Christmas presents always the biggest hits?

[ChocolateSantaisthebestkind]

Was just musing really on childhood and Christmas presents. My kids were very kindly given small stocking filler type gifts from a neighbour of my Mum's and they have been the stand out hits this year. Not that they have made other gifts overshadowed if that makes sense, just that they have been played with so much. I have to admit, I wouldn't have picked them myself, as I would have thought them a waste of ££. Readers, I was wrong.

DS got a small remote control mouse from Hamleys and DD got a set of paint your own peg dolls. They have loved them. I was chatting to my mum and she said, 'oh yes it's always like that, you loved a handbag filled with sweets from a friend more than anything else one year' Anyone else had similar this year or as a child themselves?

My niece’s favourite Christmas present was a basic snakes and ladders game which cost me £5 .
Apparently, she has been playing with it since Christmas Day

Got my DD an magic 8 ball.
She asks it everything and has been used everyday.

"Am i a true slytherin?" At least 5 times a day 😬

@AldiAisleofCrap my lovely new soap rest thingumy here

Sorry soap saver for @Metheven too

I agree with this...

30 years ago my sister and I were gifted a cute mini zip bag from a well known high street shop from a close relative. We still have them now - she uses hers to store hair bands in and I use mine to store spare bits for travel - it has been around the world with me.

Our relative still thinks it very funny that her £5 gift has lasted so long!

Thanks @Felty off to buy one now.

My youngest was brought a shark with balls that you can shoot out the mouth from great grandma as well as an expensive present, you guessed it the shark shooter has been the biggest hit. When we told her she was like it was the cheapest thing and it was brought as a little something extra.
My eldest was brought a little box of magic sand it’s been played with non stop

OMG, this was me as child and is still me as an adult! Always love the small things. Am not fussed when given expensive tech stuff even though i find it useful, the things i like the most are usually small and somewhat cheap.

This Christmas i received a lot of very very posh chocolate. Much prefer a big bag of red and green M&Ms my DP i got in my stocking.

As a child i loved simple colouring books and balls. Much preffered a jigsaw puzzle than a bike.

The big presents are from the materialistic parents trying to buy their children.

I bought my Dd a brass Roman ring from etsy complete with mud and tarnish for about £12 she's barely taken it off.

@MaMisled

When our DC were young, we had a bit of a cash windfall and went crazy with Christmas presents. On Christmas Eve we had a new fridge freezer delivered in a massive box. From 7am Christmas day to 29th, that box was a boat, a plane, a camp, a space rocket, a hospital, an army tank, a school............ £1500 worth of fantastic gifts were virtually ignored until we removed the box. Life lesson learnt!

I was going to say the same! I remember I was about 7 going to my friends house during Christmas break. DFs mum had to unexpectedly go out so told us to pack up whatever toys we wanted as we had to be minded by the neighbours and we should think carefully as we couldnt change our minds once there...we took the box the new washing machine came in. Not any of the very expense presents Santa had just left

This year, my best present was a lovely soft, expensive looking throw from a colleague.
She left the price on by accident, it was 6 EUR!

9yo got a PS4 and has played mostly with a snapping crocodile you for Tiger, you press his teeth but one will make him snap shut. €2

When he was 4yo he put bluetack on his list and was delighted to find it, played with it non stop, gets some every year in his stocking.

The sprout stick has had me howling

@WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo that is brilliant! Very niche

Yes. Last year I got a spy kit from Flying tiger that was reduced to £1. Was a hit.

DD got a plastic box displaying and naming tiny polished semi-precious stones. You'd think she'd won the lottery. It cost about 2 quid!

DS1 got a cheap pair of sliders from sports direct, which are permanently attached to his feet, along with the novelty socks.

DS2 very happy with a bar of Tony's Chocolonely.