To ask you to share your most creative ideas?

[Abitlosttoday]

At the risk of sounding a bit worthy, I am sick of Christmas excess, especially when it comes to my kids. They are not particularly materialistic, one of them has just had a birthday, and my small house is already full of tat. I am in an ongoing battle with five (yes, five!) loving grandparents who can't stop buying shit for my kids. Don't get me started on party bag tat. Anyway. I am after ideas for gifts or activities that are any and all of these things: inexpensive, creative, green/sustainable, actually worth having, consumable... for example:
Inexpensive and creative- a blank comic book where kids fill in the story, or FIMO clay
Green - seeds and pots, or a butterfly growing kit
Actually worth having - my example for this would be Usborne books, or these brilliant head torches that my kids use all year -camping, bonfire night, sleepovers etc.
Consumable - hot chocolate sticks, or fizzy bath bombs.

On Christmas morning, I am going to cover our dining room floor in lining paper and provide loads of paints, plus A4 print outs of the kids' faces, then they can paint their outlines and stick their heads on. Maybe in a festive scene. I realise I sound insane!! I just can't stand the billion presents and I don't think they get much from it either. They're happiest when they're making stuff, my children. My son (8) is getting a sewing machine (so we can learn together - it's what he wants), and a badge maker. My daughter's (6) main gift is a tablet thing.
Can we all share Christmas ideas for this primary age group?

If people want to buy more traditional gifts, how about ones that will last like Lego, a chess set, a children’s cookery book and maybe utensils that are made for children. Just an option for those who have a lot on and little time to think of more creative gifts

there is an online Lego library I think, maybe a years membership of that?

Coins. For the grandparents to buy.

Have a look at the Royal Mint, you can get brilliant uncirculated coins from about £15 up to bars of gold costing £thousands.

They go up in value and you could start a collection for each child.

https://www.royalmint.com/shop/commemorative/childhood-characters/the-snowman/the-snowman-2024-50P-brilliant-uncirculated-coin/

The only coins in circulation with the King's head are £1 and £0.50 so far, so the only way to get other denominations is to buy from the mint either as proof coins or in a set.

They do up in value so are always there for a rainy day.

Don't kid yourself. After my dad died we found masses of uncirculated Royal Mint sets going as far back as the 1953 Coronation, and they were hardly worth more than face value. Gold is super high prices at the moment, and could go back down.

I agree with this 100%. The only metals worth buying are gold and silver. And silver is only worth it as more a huge chunk of society are priced out of the gold market. My dad has been purchasing gold and silver with what’s left of his pension and he swears by it as a tangible shelf stable investment that will match inflation etc

Consumables: Crafts/art supplies, play-doh/modelling clay, baking kit (preferably with an offer to actually do the baking with the child). Worth having: board games, jigsaws (again actually doing/playing it with the child), STEM toys/building kits. Green: high quality clothes (so you can donate/sell after they grow out of them), gardening set, birdhouse. You could also ask the grandparents to contribute to paying for an activity or getting them something they need for one of their hobbies (football boots, dance shoes, craft club membership)

Magnetic tiles. Mostly plastic, but keeps them happy for hours, if not days, and grandparents can add to collection almost indefinitely!