Gift for 6yo boy in LA care

[Boxweight]

DH has signed up to but a Christmas present for a child in care, all he knows is it's a 6yo boy. Max 20 he's been told.

DS will be 6 by Christmas but he's not a big toy player so not a good source of inspiration.

Any fail safe gift ideas for a 6 yo boy?

Or tips on what might be especially welcome for a child in care? Or unwelcome as well I guess. DH was looking at a wooden model thing for kids to build that required glue. I can see the adults involved cursing him for that one.

You could get a pretty nice lego set for £20.

How did you get involved with this? I would love to do the same. Having a DC of my own now has made me more aware of children who don't have loving parents of their own..

Marble Run
Maze Racer
Books about or model dinosaurs
Pirate/Spiderman etc dress ups

Lego!

Thank you for those. Mildred - I'll have to ask DH how he got involved, I'll post the answer but won't get it till this evening.

Hi, I'm a foster carer and would say to look at something slightly young for his age, and not too complicated as children who have been neglected often struggle to concentrate. General Lego is maybe better than a specific kit, transformers, a football or scooter would probably be good. The other option is something personal - a fleecy blanket and a good non- fiction book or annual and a cute mug- things that he could take with him as 'home' whatever his future holds.

Also interested in how you do this!

Craft things?
Lego?
Hot wheels?

Thanks Caramelkate, I was hoping for some tips specific to children in care as well as general. I had a feeling we should stick to the described age range more than we would for DS but don't want to be patronising. It's a pity we don't know his name to get something like a mug or blanket personalised but I can understand why they keep it anonymous. Maybe we could fudge with "Best..." personalised or something. I'll have to check out the bargain threads and see if we can get him a toy thing like hot wheels/lego and a personal thing as well.

these vtech dino transformers went down a treat with our DFC - although quite young, many of the kids in care are emotionally younger than their chronological age.

Maybe add a small selection of boy stuff, all in a box - top trumps cards, matchbox cars, some silly stuff like a whoopie cushion, war stuff (little tanks and plastic soldiers), star wars stuff, lego.

My DFCs came from a very deprived and neglectful background and loved quantity over quality. Also, one of them was unable to play independently, and so really needed stuff that he could play with others. Loved puzzles because others would interact with him to help do the puzzle. Loved cards for the same reason.

you could get lots of books on amazon for that...

www.amazon.co.uk/Muddle-Earth-Chris-Riddell-ebook/dp/B009ZV4XOE/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1416136653&sr=8-6&keywords=chris+riddle

www.amazon.co.uk/Pepper-Far-Flung-Adventures-Chris-Riddell/dp/0440866960/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1416136714&sr=8-7&keywords=chris+riddle

Maybe add a small selection of boy stuff, all in a box - top trumps cards, matchbox cars, some silly stuff like a whoopie cushion, war stuff (little tanks and plastic soldiers), star wars stuff, lego.

I think a small selection would be much better, Book (amazon 2,81) uno....£5, ( card game everyone loves) then other bits....magazine...with toy...stuff to read, play with, play with other people....

by the way where did he sign up to this..

Another who would love to know how to sign up for this!

I think a stocking would be a nice idea.
A book £3 something to eat £1 an item of clothing £6 and a lego set £10 would come in at £20.

incidentally, local authorities usually give foster carers a generous lump sum just before Christmas (and birthdays) so that presents can be purchased.

The foster carers I know spend a small fortune on their charges, and they are not short of presents to open. My DFC get presents from their family (parents, grannies, aunties) and from our family (including my PIL).

Is your DH buying for a child who is in residential care (ie a childrens home?), or in foster care?

I also would like to do this. IF you had any info.

I think the stocking idea. What about some chocolate in their too. chocolate santa, My son has always loved novelty pencils.. no idea why? Also he also has a whoppe cushion every year.

please be careful mumsnetters, every year on every forum there are people telling sob stories about vulnerable kids with no presents, and lovely people like the OP and others send gifts.

Im not trying to say that OP is pulling a fast one, but maybe the organisation that her DH is supporting is not legit, as LA carers get allowances for gifts - in my experience, children in care do not go without at CHristmas.

Also, unless this is being driven by the LA itself, Id be surprised if stuff is going to a child in care - every gift that crosses my threshold from outside has to be approved by the child's social worker and wrapped in her presence, so that no letters or photos can be slipped in, no phones can be smuggled. Also to ensure its appropriateness for a vulnerable child.

Just please do your research, and check with your LA social services if they approve of and cooperate with the organisation asking for donations.

Could it be a miscommunication and it's actually for a child in a shelter? That would make more sense.

I agree it's important to make sure it's legit, which is why the john lewis campaign, and similar ones, is good.

Thanks Dwells. DH said the gift is checked before being given to the child. I got the impression DH got involved through work and he is a copper. I'll ask him to check with the local authority, and if it's legit I'll post the details, if it isn't legit then bad move to ask coppers to contribute and we'll go from there.

Aha Holger! He does have work based connections with shelters e.g. women fleeing domestic violence so that might be the thing. That would indeed make sense.

I would also like details of this as I would like to give something too.

box, thats good to know! I also wondered if the gifts were for children in shelters, or children on SS radar from families in crisis.

Our local radio station (Wave105) has a toy appeal every year. You donate unwrapped gifts and they get them to the children through relevant organisations.
Might be worth looking for something like that if people want to get involved..

As an adopter I would second Caramel in saying stick safely to the age limit, especially when it comes to things requiring dexterity or reading skills.

I believe my DD1 benefited from such a scheme in her early years when on SS radar but not in care. When younger, she told us that she didn't think Santa had been able to find her in the past as she moved around so much.

I am also tempted to say nothing which requires too much (any?) help from an adult; something that packs away easily into its own box for ease of transportation and storage.

I'd go with a few things as well such as a book, cuddly toy and something like a small lego set. You'd need to be careful with the book though as a book about a 'traditional' family would probably be inappropriate and of course, he might not be able to read,how about something like 'The Snowman'.