Shit it’s December tomorrow and I’ve not even THOUGHT about Christmas

[KeyLimeFly]

We are fairly skint. Kids are 1 and 3. I’m genuinely considering wrapping up a box full of recycling and pipe cleaners for the one year old - she loves lids, boxes, poking things in holes etc! Three year old mentioned he’d like a dolls house - I thought about Playmobil but not feeling massively inspired by them. I’d prefer wooden but everything seems mega expensive. I’d like them to have a few bits each to open but don’t even know where to start.

Just really overwhelmed and stressed about it all this year. Where do I start?!

There's still some black friday/cyber monday deals still going on atm.

For their age I'd recommend the argos 2 for £15 deals and toysforapound.com. I know argos has reduced chad valley tots town sets much like elc happyland sets. I'm not sure if the house one is still in stock for under a tenner but they also had police sets and vet sets etc for about £5.

Don't panic hun there's still plenty of offers and time :) x

Look on Facebook market place for a dolls house and any other little bits for both children. They won't notice or care that they are second hand

Could you try charity shops and Facebook seeking s sites and Gumtree?

Hi @KeyLimeFly - I started a ‘skint Christmas’ thread and posters had some really fab suggestions if you would like to have a look through 😊
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas/4404889-Skint-Christmas-for-three-children?pg=1

At 1 and 3 they need very little.

Stocking - edible treat, bubble bath and a bath toy.

Scour fb, gumtree, eBay and charity shops for a dolls house, jigsaw puzzles, scooter etc. Lots of great things to be had for very little.

Aldi have a wooden dolls house for £29..99
www.aldi.co.uk/little-town-pink-wooden-doll%27s-house/p/085682544453301

And starting on Thursday 2nd Lidl have their wooden toys in store.
They also have a wooden dolls house for £29.99
www.lidl.co.uk/p/kids-wooden-toys/playtive-wooden-doll-s-house/p47835

They also have the furniture and doll sets for 2 for £10

Link for furniture
www.lidl.co.uk/p/kids-wooden-toys/playtive-flexible-doll-family-or-doll-s-house-furniture/p47828

Look on Facebook for a local freebie group (might be called Gifting, Eco Community, Freecycle, etc). Lovely wooden dolls houses have come up a few times on ours. If you can't get your hands on a free one, try FB marketplace or eBay.

Little bits you would buy anyway like underwear, toothbrushes, gloves make great stocking fillers as do individual packs of art and craft bits, tubs of play doh, etc.

Lidl and Aldi often have nice wooden toys and other bits for reasonable prices too.

No need to spend a lot, especially at their age.

Asda do very reasonably priced wooden toys - Aldi also have a wooden dolls house available on their website for £30.

How skint is skint, do you have a budget people could help you allocate to make the most of? :)

And yes, a sensory box of bits for the one year old would be a perfect present! My mum has always give my babies wooden spoons to play with :)

Sorry to spam but - you are in a great position to not worry so much as they are so young. Lots of lights and sounds, excitement from you and Christmas TV with a bit of Christmassy food/extra treats on the day and they will have a wonderful time.

They will love opening lots of little bits at that age. Charity shops, Aldi, b and m all have some lovely things. A book, bath toys, bubble bath, fun socks/gloves. Please don't worry and get yourself into debt - just baking with you, playing games etc will give them happy memories.

Neither have I, because it's not even December yet.

Mine play with the dolls house furniture and dolls without the house, laying out the rug, setting out the chairs. They get a santa stocking with an Orange, chocolate and a few small items (ranging from 20p in a second hand shop to £2 wrapped up). Then a bigger toy plus something they need like pyjamas. To be honest they like the stocking the best.

www.studio.co.uk/shop/toys-games/dolls---prams/personalised-daisy-cottage-dolls-house?searchTerm=dolls%20house&pageView=&pageSize=40&orderBy=

This is good value as you get the house which you can have your child’s name added to plus 20 pieces of furniture and 3 dolls for £40.
Wrap each set individually and you will have a nice pile of presents.

I haven't either - mine are 3 and 1. They really aren't fussed at this age! As pp said, Aldi, Lidl and Asda all do nice wooden toys at reasonable prices (Asda and Aldi you can order online). Melissa and Doug stuff is good and sometimes gets discounted on Amazon. But definitely don't be afraid of second hand, loads of stuff for these ages gets sold hardly used.

Be careful with the pipe cleaners- kids’ll eat them if you don’t keep an eye. Here- I hope this helps; www.thriftyfrugalmom.com/50-awesome-gifts-for-kids-that-cost-10-or-less/

Wilkos do a wooden stacker
www.wilko.com/en-uk/wilko-safari-buddies-wooden-hoop-stack/p/0438446

Suitable from 12 months and only £4.25

Few toy bits and books in Poundland at the minute

Perhaps check out B&M?

eBay too.

The Woden playhouses linked to look nice, but to my mid, are a wee bit delicate for a 3 year old.

I'd look for a more robust second hand one. Kids won't care!

Definitely wrap up some existing toys, they know no better & enjoy the unwrapping/surprise.

Do NOT get into debt or leave yourself short for bills/food etc for such young kids, they do not know what's 'normal' at Christmas, they'll just enjoy you being chilled out & playing with them. Teach them jingle bells etc

Making a 'dolls house' together out of cardboard boxes & (to save your carpets, instead of paint) sticky paper & stickers - get any existing toys involved!

Lots of Christmas stuff & toys donated to charity shops this time of year 'to make space!!

A few chocolate coins & a Poundland Santa bubble bath/bubbles etc and you can have a lovely Christmas Very Cheaply.

Where abouts are you op? In general terms, you don't have to be specific

Definitely make a little sensory box for your youngest! I have one that has a wooden spoon, wooden nail scrubber, loofa, feather, shell, pumice stone, pine cone and some other bits. Wee ones are so easily amused!

I’m not a fan of plastic, brightly coloured, flashing lights & noisy toys. I really don’t think kids need all that to be engaged with something & can actually leave them overstimulated and overwhelmed.

There are some excellent, cheap sensory activities for little ones on Pinterest that I’m sure you’re two would love. It doesn’t have to be about opening a new plastic encased gift but introducing a new activity.

One I like is “animal rescue”. You tape some toys animals to surface and the littlest have to “rescue” then by lifting up the tape. You can also make homemade play dough. Let them help make some cupcakes etc.

For the one-year old you could find an old collander, put it upside down and small children usually love to put pipe cleanser in the holes. It’s really good for practising fine motor skills! Also with the three-year old you could do balloon tennis, a couple of balloons and either a paper plate or a fly swatter for a racket. It’s excellent for developing motor skills and hand-eye coordination as the balloon is slower than a ball! The children do it at our nursery all the time, and it’s honestly the most fun they know. For an advent calendar if you can print out (from Pinterest, just search) a Santa with a numbered beard and they can glue a cotton ball every day until Santa has a beard.

Facebook marketplace! Lots of people selling at this time of year