What not to waste your money on for the DC this Christmas-

[Sparklingbrook]

I will start, get the DCs wish lists ready to cross them off-

Elefun. Should be renamed Ele IMO.

Golden Coin Maker. Just don't.

Any more suggestions?

I agree with fuzzpig too, the huge ones are ace the small set of duplo style/size were awful.

I think anything plastic that you have to build yourself and add stickers to is not going to be great. Lego being the exception.

Lego is great but too expensive , mind.

I will contribute:

Chocolate lolly maker, the 'melting' pot is utter shite, and takes forever and a day to actually melt any chocolate.

Rosebud village stable, continually falls to pieces if you so much as nudge it.

Novi stars doll (Ari Roma) the arms just keeps popping out.

Monster high dolls - although great to look at, if you actually awant to move the limbs, be prepared to continuously be popping arms and hips back into place.

I will blame this thread and the good thread if my ds2 hates his presents. He now has lego duplo and Thomas take and play, along with play food/cash register etc.

It's all your fault .

OK I know this is an old thread (thanks to the red warning :o) BUT I am bumping this as I know a lot of people are starting their Xmas shopping now and this thread might save some wasted money!

Plus I don't doubt there will be some new additions from the last year...

fuzz this is a great idea. Well done! I regret many many toy purchases booth for poor quality and the fact they don't get played with. Too many to list, in fact.

me too. .. paper jamz were a waste, despite being on sale when I bought them. kiddo has played with them maybe twice since Christmas for about 2 mins each. dh and i have a hard time switching between songs. dsd much more interested in the actual keyboard in the house.

poly pocket

I agree with polly pocket. rubbish and the clothes/outfits just fall apart.

If I had my buying toys time again, DD now 11DSs 22/16, I would not buy anything in the must have, best thing since sliced bread .

Last year she collected loads of Moshi Monster stuff and now it's all forgotten in a large box in the cupboard. Also goes for littlest pet shop and micro pets. ( which went to the charity shop after six months!)

My DD still loves her huge collection of build a bear and has been collecting them for a good 4+ years.

Does anyone know what the Hamuka (sp) stuff is like? Where you design you own outfits. OR is there a good alternative.

Oh, also DDs monster high dolls legs keep falling off! ( DD thinks it adds to the look! )

Ooooh hungry hippos - not as robust as when i was a kid

furby - eats batteries

toffee the pony - not worth the money at all

Can I add UFT trashies relatively new ds just got for his birthday. A red plastic arena and 2 trash spinners with about 6 trashies to fight with for £19.99..........just don't!!!!

Build a bear stuff a huge hit here too. Yes I have had to sew up seams on the bears, but the clothes are great. The girls can dress them easily themselves and they are huggy and nice to take to bed.

Unlike Barbies, Barbies ended up in the bin with DD2s blessing.

They are not cuddly, the neither sit or stand, their hair frizzed and they are totally impossible for DDs to dress because they don't bend.

I'm pretty good at sewing, but there is just no material in Barbie clothes to mend them.

They are shite!

We do Build a Bear vouchers as the kids love the 'shopping' experience. Always good. Also do it with overseas rellies.

Don't be swayed by Sainsbury's cheapo games for under 5's, even if they are on offer. I've had a shit penguin game where you're supposed to flick penguins into a rotating 'icecap' which is just plain loud and annoying, and a monkey one where you hang monkeys off a tree. You construct the tree by fitting together the base, trunk and branches. The branches fit to the trunk by a really weak magnet. It's unusable. Pah.

Ooh I posted on this last year, we got the Ben a ndholly stuff and its been fine :)

I also go the blu track recomended and it has been the best buy ever, all five kids love it. Its been taken to school and several friends have bought it, def well worth the £30

Ds3 got hama beads...basytard things get everywhere.

ANY non offfically lego.. they just dont stick together. ..which is a shame as lego is so expensive... but kids love it.

talking toms.... my kids loved the app and it was one of the presents i thought they would love last year.... not so much.

another build a bear lovers here! i wonder what the argos ones are like?

does any one have a sticker maker to stear clear off?

My Dc are desparate for the £60 teksta dog
Every review says its shite

we just got the starter kit no need for other bits. it comes with a suction cup thingy so you can stick it to a door/window and it has a bit so you van attach it to a hook. quite often the boys just start it at the top of the stairs. you can make loops etc and the mad things just use books or anything thats handy to create ramp bits etc. tho.i may buy some of those ramp bits you can get for £13.

honestly its fab, the joy is its simplicity, mine all play with it from my two yr old to my 14 yr old and dp loves it as well. and the box it comes in is nice ans sturdy, you just roll it up and put it away!

Moonsand/dough.

Play Doh.

Plastic character "sets".

I really love the look of that blu track. A couple of years ago I got a similar thing from ELC (big city range I think) because DH was reminiscing about a track which my DSS (now 21) had which they loved. The one I bought was made of separate parts though which were fun but a bit painful to slot together and some bits have broken.

My dd really want a chocolate coin maker any recommendations for something similar that works?