Help! Presents for nieces and nephew please

[Kundry]

Please can you help me buying presents for my nieces aged 7, 4 and 4 and nephew aged 6. DH and I don't have children so are a bit rubbish on knowing what kids are into and I'm an only child with nothing to compare them to.

Remembering our childhoods isn't helpful as we were both v bookish. The oldest girl is into ballet, she and her younger sister both seem to be girly girls who like pink, princesses and dressing up. Their mum has suggested soft toys and sweets. I am struggling with this having not really liked soft toys myself so can't see the difference between one toy and another.

Nephew likes football, Star Wars and lego (well BIL does and is ensuring his son does too ), not sure about his younger sister.

Last year we went with lego, hama beads and doctors sets. I'd like to take this aunt business seriously and not just do random token gifts (especially as we are unlikely to have DCs of our own)

Any suggestions? Budget is £20 each max.

I have two nieces aged 4y and 7y.

This year they will recieve from us:
4y: PillowPals cushion; Playmobil take along set (got her a Playmobil carry house for her bday last weekend)

7y: case for her iPad mini, PillowPal cushion; magnetic earrings

PillowPets, sorry.

From £10 each on Tesco: www.tesco.com/direct/search-results/results.page?icid=spiffy_spf_spf_pillowpets&catId=4294967294&searchquery=pillowpets&SrchId=4294967294&_requestid=911327#

Some on the Amazon black friday sales tonight soon too

my sister is buying my 6y old a Despicable Me Fart Blaster which he will love if that's any help!

I've just bought my niece 8 some lovely new pyjamas from Next and puppy slippers. She'll get tons of toys and if I do too I'll get told off by my sister

This year nieces and nephews ranging for 2 to 10 are getting age appropriate onesies/ pjs and a box of 600 penny sweets each ie foam bananas or fizzy cola bottles from the cash and carry.

The something sensible pjs keep the parents happy and the kids love the big box of sweet. Only exception is bil who has the ultimate pfb (age 2) we have been given specific instructions since before birth that he is to never be given anything disney branded or plastic tat. We got him a drum that also store a lot of rattles, jingle bells, maracas and a harmonica inside. . I'm constantly on the lookout for the most annoying toy possible that may still count as educational and so meet their pfb criteria.

Pj's / onesies always a good idea imo.

Oooh, fart blaster looks excellent, although DH is looking disapproving . We had this problem last year when I tried to convince him about Moshi monsters -he turns into an ageing grump and moans about build quality, plastic tat and appropriateness.

I suspect the GPs are doing pyjamas but pillow pets could work. Any ideas for the older girl as I think she would like something different to her sister?

My 7y niece loves Moshi Monsters and Monster High. She also loves craft and music (1D, JLS etc)

Age 7 dn...I'd go for blingles, gelarti, onsie, stompeez
Age 4 dn I'd go for glitzi globes, hairband creativity set, stompeez, face paints

No idea boys!

Dd is 3 so a bit younger but loves her baby and buggies and also anything smurfs related.

Ds is 6 and loves lego Star Wars, anything superhero and anything drawing. He's getting the lego ideas book for Christmas and the crayola projector - those might be ok?

Oh and my 5 yo niece is getting a rapunzel animator doll and fairies stamp set from the Disney store and my 7yo nephew is getting the new hexbug v2 playset.

Sticky mosaics are great particularly for the girls and I'm sure you could get ballerina/disney princess ones. Carddies are also great and def have a ballerina set. Jewellery box with spinning ballerina? Hula hoops? Skipping ropes? Hex bugs are also a hit in most houses as is play doh especially if you give one of the 'machines' like the sweet shop maker. Or what about a colour in playhouse/rocket etc. Marble run? Casdon pic n mix sweetshop? Joke set? I love shopping for small people!

I know you are an aunt, but my brother swears by www.wickeduncle.com for his niece present buying requirements. They group gifts by age which is helpful when you don't have kids yourself

www.dotcomgiftshop.com/christmas

I think if you were bookish (as I was) you will come into your own as a book-giver when they are a little older. Don't worry.

I've bought my nephew and friends pre schoolers baking kits as they all get loads of toys & my own 3 year old loves cooking.

Personalized wooden spoons from notonthehighstreet, butterfly or dinosaur silicone cupcake molds from dunelm mill, decorations for said cupcake, & will also put together a cookie jar.

onsies, sticky mosaics and stompeez seconded as someone with 3dc who have 8 aunts and uncles!

Also - the plastic tat argument is correct, but futile.

My 4 year old loves these ty beanie boos here there are lots of pink, glittery ones. My 2 older boys have one each as well that they love.

Star wars lego is an obvious answer for the 6 year old.

What about a beanie boo each (including for nephew) and a lego set each, they do friends lego now, which would appeal to girly girls. here

Loads of great ideas - wicked uncle site is brilliant for us thanks.

Will finalise shop tomorrow. I unfortunately am as bad as DH - he moans about plastic tat, I moan about girls stuff being pink and about princesses and ballet dancers. I nearly exploded when oldest niece read a book by Darcey Bussell where the plot was ballet dancer (uber thin girl dressed in pink) is rewarded by becoming a princess in the land of sweets. I'd barely stopped ranting a week later.

But I know, this is another argument that is correct but futile (thanks for giving me insight )

If your DNiece does ballet, there are people on Etsy (and eBay for that matter) that will sew you a gorgeous personalised ballet shoe bag - the drawstring ones - in suitably girly colours?

So now I need your advice as DH and I can't agree. I want to get the fart blaster and Stompeez. He thinks both of these would require parental approval first, I think this is boring. The only advice we have from one parent was 'any soft toy'. Personally I'd rather buy no presents at all than something that generic.

I am interpreting the aunt role as buying slightly inappropriate gifts because you are fun and can get away with it because you aren't the parent. He wants to be completely sure parents will approve.

So what do you advise? Dh will admit he was born wearing a tweed jacket but I am making him nervous

I am a mum to 3 young girls and I would be happy for any of my kids to get a fart blaster or stompeeze(in fact I have already got stompeeze for dd2). I think the fact that you are putting so much thought into it is what it's all about rather shopping to order and they will hopefully appreciate that. The kids will love them too! There are things that as a parent I probably wouldn't buy my girls but other people buying them is different, providing it's reasonably age appropriate and not 'too' messy, I wouldn't have a problem.

When dd was 4 her aunt gave her a really lovely dolls tea set in a little mini-picnic hamper. In fact it was this set, just found it on ebay. It was a favourite toy for ages, loads of play value. If your budget ran to it, that plus a suitable sized dolly (or two) would be a great present for a 4 y/o.

If your budget were bigger again, what about a proper doll's pram (would have been equally popular at 7 with my dd & friends). You can get really amazing ones for about £30.