Is this a good gift idea?

[cornflowerblue30]

This year I'm thinking of making some nice handmade gifts for some of our cousins children who are aged between 6-11.

I'm thinking a movie night hamper with popcorn and those retro popcorn containers snacks and voucher for digital rental movie. My husband thinks this is cheap and I should just buy a toy/voucher. Personally for me I hate January when dc have a tonne of toys and they open play with once and then I'm left sorting out stuff for charity.

My other option is one of the children loves baking so I was going to do a recipe in a jar for her.

Mine would love a hamper of popcrn,a tub of pick n mix, American chocolate, and a google play/ nintendo online/ app store/ etc. voucher.

The digital video things are often quite hard work, and often they give up before redeming them.

You could ask their parents what their main gift is going to be (which they may not know yet) and get something that matches. Ie they are getting a Nintendo Switch - get a Nintendo voucher, getting big Lego Harry Potter set - get small Harry Potter set.

Hamper idea sounds lovely and thoughtful

I've done something similar, but included a DVD (when they were still more normal!) along with popcorn and a fleece blanket (lovely but cheap from either Primark or Ikea - can't remember which as I get loads in both). I used a large plastic bowl for the popcorn to go into as the "hamper" part, and also included a salt grinder (supermarket), and a jar of more savoury spicy seasoning (I can't remember the recipe but I made it myself from the spice cupboard and used an old Schwartz jar to put it into with a nice label on it). The family in question were delighted with it!

Baking gifts are great - and any tools that can be her own are also good - maybe a couple of shaped cutters, or some silicon moulds for baking cupcakes (Ikea have cheap ones that are very effective), or a tub for baking to stay fresh in....

I've also done a "game night" hamper for a (different) family - again a bowl and popcorn, but a board game, pack of cards, bag of dice etc.

Another idea I'd had (but weather was never cold enough for it to work) was a "Snowman making" hamper - pair of gloves and beanie hat each, some dressing up type clothes for a snowman (there's a good charity shop locally that has some quite theatrical bits at times!), and the makings of 'Smores (marshmallows and a pack of biscuits which have chocolate on 1 side - chocolate digestives are best) and hot chocolate for heating up afterwards.

I think it is a nice idea, although I agree that a digital movie rental sounds like a faff. Could you put in a homemade voucher and transfer the cost directly to the parent's bank account (with their agreement of course)?

My four year old would love this.

Writes down idea

I think its a Wonderful idea! I know my 7 year old would absolutely love this.

I did a hamper like this last year for OHS nephew and he loved it. Basically a bunch of dvds (I kept an eye on the disney offers and tesco 2 for £8 choices) and filled it with snacks like popcorn, haribo, candy floss, those retro style popcorn boxes (I think from poundland?) And fruit shoot drinks x

I’m a big fan of gifts that naturally disappear so I love the concept. But making popcorn for a movie night is a fairly normal event in our family so it would fall a bit flat tbh. I love the baking one though. I wouldn’t really want extra bits like utensils as we have all those, but they might be thoughtful for a family that don’t bake as much.

I made an ice cream hamper once with toppings and sauces, big cardboard ice cream cups, cones, scoop and sprinkles and a homemade voucher for ice cream that was an envelope with a fiver inside. It worked well for the family in question which had teens to toddlers.

BTW, if you do go ahead with the movie hamper you should know that adding skittles to hot popcorn takes it to the next level

We received an ice cream hamper but rather than disposable stuff it had glass sundae dishes and long spoons. Plus sprinkles, sauces, wafers and a box of flakes. We still use the dishes and spoons years later.

I think popcorn and a movie is fairly mundane, but kids love sweets

So a hamper or goodie box with lots of different retro sweets, and a shit ton of them, usually delights most kids (and adults)

M'y kids and I would all appreciate this so much

There's an amazing pick n mix website called Pick Yo Mix. The codes Fizzy or September get you 20% off.

AintOver I love it, definitely putting a bag of pick and mix on the dc's gift list!

@thelegohooverer @ShaunaTheSheep an ice cream hamper sounds amazing and it's thinking outside the box too.

I'm sold on the ideas and love the phrase naturally disappear wasn't familier with the digital movies really as myself and dh mainly use Netflix so will look at other options. DVDs are practical but not sure if they have a player plus then their left with another dvd for the collection.

Thanks everyone love the Christmas thread

Ice cream hamper would be a winner here!

Mine are little but they would absolutely love this and even though we do popcorn and treat movie nights, they would absolutely still see this as special and be very excited. It's a lovely thoughtful idea

I'd really like my kids (between age 4 and 13) to receive this. We don't have a DVD player and only buy digital ones if they often want a movie that isn't on any of the many subscriptions we have. So it would be really nice for them to be able to choose any as I don't let them buy one often. Mine are all obsessed with popcorn too. It is the main feature of a cinema trip, and even though we have a popcorn maker, they'd still be thrilled to receive popcorn in another form.

I did this for my nephew one birthday, a pick n mix bag, popcorn, glass bottles of fizzy pop, American sweets and a nowtv 2 month movies voucher.

I really love the idea of an ice cream hamper, I have a few hard to buy for relatives who love a Knickerbocker glory, if anyone can suggest any good ready made hampers? I can't see any great ones on Etsy, so think I might have to make my own. Any recomendations for ice cream glasses?

I’m doing an ice cream hamper for my dn & dn this year I’ve got ice cream bowls & spoons am going to get wafers, sprinkles and some sweets.
For a friends DCs I’m doing a bath themed hamper with novelty sponges, bath toys, bath bombs and jelli baff.

@user32723 I got plastic banana split style ice cream dishes with matching spoons from Home bargains, I noticed that they also had glass ice cream glasses too. Could also try The Range or ikea.

I love the bath hamper idea.

My kids would love this!

I'm stealing the ice-cream hamper idea, I think that's the best of the hamper suggestions.