really stuck on a gift for niece and nephews - come and help / inspire please?

[sweetheart]

The only people I have left to buy for are my niece and 2 nephews. We have been told there is nothing they want or need and I'm really struggling for gift inspiration. PLEASE can you helP?
dn is 13
dn1 is 10 & dn2 is 5
budget for each of them is £25-£30.

Mainly money and then a small gift each.

Have you asked THEM what they would like.
Not sure about the boys but most 13 yearold girls I know can't have too much stationery, stuff for the bath or make-up.

I'm with Nick - my best ever presents have been books - can be made more attractive by adding related DVD and big bag of sweets or popcorn.

do you know that they don't like books?

my nephews love reading and books, and their mum hated it.

example - my 11 year old nephew desperately wants the Guiness book of records.

my 4.5 yo nephew wants audio books (cos he listens as he goes to sleep)

silver frog - to answer your post:-
no, they don't do crafts
ye they do play with stuff - the mountain of stuff they already have
they love music but already each have an ipod full of music each
they do read for school but not for pleasure

we did consider a big family theatre trip but mil decided the children had to have something to open on xmas day.

They do go to the conema occasionally so perhaps I'll look into that as an option - thanks Dexter

Has she worn you down yet?

My thoughts exactly silverfrog.

OP - please come back after Christmas and tell us what you got them - and if they liked it .

OMG - enough with the books already! If you are trying to convert me you are failing miserably! Why do you think that everyone HAS to love books?

Lots of ideas here. Maybe a little mini hamper filled with things and a cinema voucher?

For the 13 year old, I would get a voucher for either Superdry or Hollister. They love all that, I speak from experience. My dd would not want a book token either, she would be happy with Itunes though.

down at the bottom of this page is a fab gift set - Louise Rennison, whosse book was made into a film - for the 13yo niece.

Christ, think outside the box a little.

gardening stuff?

they do NO crafts, at all? - np painting/jewellery making/construction sets/magnetic stuff/scrap booking/photo journals/even film making for crying out loud.

audiobooks sound like a good idea to me too (but then I am a book convert) - or what about an amazing pop-up book? There are some Robert Sabuda ones that are absolutely incredible (and could inpsire them to do some craft too )

what about decorating tshirts?

proper pottery stuff?

jesus, buy them something and inspire them to use it/get interested? where does YOUR enthusiasm lay?

a kite?

an experience such as rock climbing?

honestly, there is a whole world out there - lots to see and do! If you don't stretch the boundaries a little with these children, and get them experiencing stuff, they will continue in the same narrow vein.

sorry, sweetheart - it's what i do best - but the last one i linked really is fab fro a 13yo girl, i promise!

if £30 is your budget per child, have you thought abut clubbing it all together and getting a Flip camera maybe?

htey are dead easy to use, and have great software which enables easy editing - set them on the path to collaborative film making!

Would the 10 y/o & 5 y/o like a board game (not the same one, obv)?

For the 5 y/o, Gulo Gulo is cute and quite fun for adults to play with a little one.

For a 10 y/o there are loads of good ones, the Tantrix game pack might appeal (its both a board game and a set of puzzles).

I am assuming that your niece and nephews are all siblings? Do they like anything to do with nature, birds, days out etc? Just wondering if they would like something such as a RSPB Wildlife Explorer / Phoenix membership? I?m afraid I am a bit biased as I do some work with the RSPB but it?s a great wildlife club - aimed at kids and teenagers and they do a deal where you can get membership for all kids at one address for £25 for the year. On joining they get a membership pack specific to their age which includes posters, stickers, log book, membership card, certificate ,competitions , a regular magazine etc plus free entry to all the RSPB nature reserves around the UK. As you have got quite a good budget you could also add in related individual presents ? so maybe a digital camera for your niece (Argos do some for £22) and something like Binoculars for the boys ? or even a ?paint your own bird table? which they could decorate and set up in their own garden. The membership lasts a year so something for them to do after Christmas :)!

What about membership to science centre or something? Might not fit with the MIL's "having something to open" stipulation though.

I love books, if someone gave me a book token, I would be delighted and think that they know me very well. My children also love books and would be pleased.

But you clearly don't want to get books what about having a look in somewhere like hawkins bazaar
www.hawkin.com/?ppcid=Google_PPC_Brand&_s_ref=72hqhQH1S&kw=&creative=6377044137&gclid=CL-K7c6hy6UCFUYe4QodOzOclA
they have lots of different gadgety type things in there.

Although I do agree it sounds to me like the parents would prefer vouchers/cash if they have given you no options. Perhaps something small to wrap up (even new PJs/soapy stuff/chocs) and the rest as cash.

Sorry link didn't work it's

www.hawkin.com