Does anyone else feel that their kids have enough toys already?!

[Flighttattendant]

I'm usually really excited about getting Christmas presents early, but this year, well, there's nothing I can think of that they don't already have.

We have got loads of playmobil and lego, any more would be fairly pointless.

The only thing ds1 might want is a new DS game, which we can manage, that's fine - but I don't want to get ds2 anything new because he just doesn't need anything.

What do you do in this situation?

Oh and I think my parents might be getting ds1 a new bike as his is too small, so really, there are things like that.

but ds2-wise I am a bit stuffed.

Should I just get him a few tiny stocking things, or will he notice - he is 3 btw.

I'm in the same situation. Both my DDs have birthdays in November, and they have lots of stuff already (we have a lot of family that buy stuff) so we manage it by...

DDs do not (ever) get lots of presents for their birthday. They get the choice of a big party or presents. Thankfully, they're brainwashed enough to know that birthdays are about the celebration, and Christmas is for the presents - that at least limits the mass present giving to once a year!

Then, they do get a lot for Christmas, but I do bulk out their presents with stuff that they need anyway or stuff that they are not normally allowed. For example, both girls will get a bog box of sugary cereal, which they are not normally allowed. I also throw in new pyjamas, clothes, novelty toothbrush, expanding flannel and so on... For toys, they have things like DS and Wii games, DVDs and stuff that don't take up much room. Big toys are a no no.

We also do a big car boot in Sept to clear out the old stuff to make way for the new.

My girls also like their arts and crafts, so I tend to buy replenishables as well, as they will get through this during the year.

Also, when they were younger, I used to get people to buy things for the next stage and put them away until later on in the year, and then when they were good / on a rainy day they could choose something from the Christmas box (by which time, they had got through some of the old toys, so had created space iyswim!).

HTH

I'm feeling the same way too this year - my DS's are 4 and 6 but have lots of lego and playmobil and I'm wracking my brains as to what to get them thats not plastic tat.

I'm thinking:

Dressing up stuff - they love to dress up and roleplay around the house, superheroes, goodies and baddies etc

Books - always go down well

A CD/DVD each

A boardgame each - always get used lots

Musical instruments - getting DS1 a keyboard

Play doh/craft stuff - kits to make things

HTH

There are 4.5 years between my DDs so most baby toys were put in the loft as DD1 tired of/outgrew them. Apart from anything this now means that they can be regifted to DD2 . It helps that we live in a flat and that I don't like clutter so we encourage DD1 to choose things to be put in the loft for a while if she's not playing with them so that there is space for her to play with something else instead. DD1's birthday is at the end of November too so once that and Christmas are over I get her to choose some gifts for now and some for later in the year e.g. summer/Easter holiday so she feels a bit as though she's receiving gifts all year!

As your youngest is only 3 I would wrap up some things he already owns - the unwrapping is the fin bit and I doubt he'll care if it's something he already owns. FC is the only person who will be giving a genuinely new gift to DD2 (who will be 18 months) and that's only because DD1 would be outraged if FC left her little sister out (he gave her a bib last year!).

my dd has got so many toys and I cannot think of one toy to buy her which would be of benifit to her right now. we will be going on holiday for xmas, so I do not feel bad that dd will only have a few lil presents as I know she will love the holiday.

I was going to suggest something similar to a cardboard box - you can get cardboard castles (and I'm sure other designs) to decorate yourself. They come in lots of different sizes so if it's size you're after...? I think the big ones are about £30?

I have a normal cardboard box in my living room for my childminded toddler to play with and it's always ds (8yrs) and his friends that have the most fun in it!

Ds has lots of people who buy him presents so has about a billion things in his room and for the last couple of years I've asked my family to limit it to 3 presents each - didn't go down well and didn't actually make them stop buying him at least 10 gifts each!

I've been trying really hard not to buys things that I think ds will like. Yes, he does like them but there is so much here already that he never gets a chance to play with half of it.

We need new bath towels, so all DC are getting a lovely fluffy new towel in their favourite colour, with their name embroidered onto it.

Bubble bath/toothbrushes, socks, undies, new lunchboxes, pjs, clothes...all things they might need anyway, but why not give as a gift (it is a gift, afterall...)

zoo/museum membership also great.

a plot in the garden/ large pot with seeds/tools etc for spring?

a friend of ours say the best gift he ever got was when his Dad bought a tralier load full of blocks of wood - offcuts - and gave he and his brothers each a hammer and bad of nails (obviously for older DC). That friend of ours is a builder now :o

Or what about a load of wood and tools for building tree house/wendy house?

I've always like wrapping up (and they like unwrapping!) things that you'd buy anyway. So new pots of play dough, poster paint, bubbles, brushes etc, as well as things like new gloves, toothbrush, and a few sweets.

If you can think of 'consumables' your home won't get (too) overrun by stuff.

I'd second the cardboard box suggestion. My DD1 asked FC for one few years back, and it was the best present she got - played with it for months (until I got fed up with it and threw it away). We only got a freebie from Lidl as well.