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?!

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

Not helpful. Better to plan early if you have a very strict budget and can’t just go out and buy stuff the day before.

Not sure if this picture works..

Big box of red/green balloons?

Whereabouts in the country are you op?

When my daughter was one I bought her a box of wooden blocks ive literally just given them away after 20 years as her brothers played with them too they are still immaculate

See your local waste exchange (or set one up the idea is you swap items you don't want for items you do ive swapped a stack of books for doritos) freegle and local free sites

Agree with PPs, start with Facebook local selling/freebie groups for anything you think they might like. When my ds was 1 I bought a huge bundle of kids musical instruments for a fiver and wrapped them up individually- he was over the moon!

For new stuff - Poundland, B&M and Home Bargains.

We have a local Facebook page where people give things away, including toys.
If there is a fairly well-heeled area near you, join their free page. People often have a clear out at this time of year and with the charity shops taking less, you might get lucky.
The best thing I ever bought my son (who is now 15) was a Bob the builder car wash that I got from the charity shop for £3!

Hopefully you can get some stuff from charity shops and Facebook etc but for any new bits our local Primark has a big gift section and it's really cheap. The stuff isn't going to be brilliant quality but it looked alright for one or two little bits and pieces.

We have a wooden dolls house from Asda which is great, but we also have a big wooden fire and police station from KidKraft which my son loved at 3/4. I've seen a few of them second hand.

They are tiny. Grab a few bits in the supermarket/Tiger and a book, jigsaw.
Playmobil is fab - but you could look on ebay fir a wooden one. Galt do a nice dolls house for small hands. I made a rocket from a cardboard box for my 3yr old, he sat in it all day! I lost the photos😭.

Facebook, Freecycle, Olio, charity shops, etc. It's surprising what you can get free or cheap. At that age they won't care what you get or if it's new. I'd maybe buy them 1 main present each off you, 1 small present from Santa & pad out with secondhand toys. Some of my DC's favourite gifts have been secondhand (big box of action figures, wooden doll's house, Barbie House, My Little Pony castle). And yes to wrapping up boxes for your youngest, everyone knows the boxes are the most fun part. Blow up some balloons inside and you've got a dream toddler gift 😂

Save your money on gifts & make the most of activities (make paperchains, bake biscuits, walk around looking at lights, etc), that's what they'll remember.

Definitely do the boxes etc for the 1yr old. She’ll have fun but won’t remember Christmas Day as such. As suggested look on line for either second hand or discount codes, or charity shop if there is one near you.

Making the dolls house as described up thread is a good idea.

Look for cheaper food options, I think I saw something on YouTube about a Christmas meal box in one of the supermarkets, similar to the Indian/Chinese food deals. I can’t remember which one, sorry.

Seriously don’t go overboard on anything. Christmas is not worth going into debt.

I’ve just remembered, I have packs of decorated paper that would be perfect for wallpaper on a dolls house or whatever else you can think of. I could send you some if you want. I really don’t need it.

I did balloons in a big cardboard box for youngest Ds who was 1.5 last year. Was very popular with all the kids.

They are so young, they’ll have no expectations and just love the decorations! Big wrapped boxes with tiny toys in will make them very happy I would have thought.

keylimefly where do you live? I have a wooden dolls house you can have if you’re near me…. If not keep checking your FB marketplace as dolls houses are always on there either very cheap or free.

And you’re right, 1-year old won’t have a clue what’s going on so doesn’t need anything in all honesty! Your three year old will simply love unwrapping a few bits - keep checking freecycle and marketplace for things people are giving away and don’t stress or feel worried if you can… you’re doing a great job xxxx

I've had some great finds in charity shops and FB marketplace this year. The kids are so young, they really don't know. I'm going to wrap up some of dds (1) existing toys for her as she'll have no concept of Xmas. Recycling and pipe cleaners sounds great!
For 3 yo could you bake some treats? Cookies or fudge or something?

Definitely start in Aldi! They have lots of great wooden toys at reasonable prices.

Asda and Aldi both do good wooden toys and very cheap, including a wooden dolls house for £30 in aldi. Lidl have various duplo and playmobil sets for under £20. Argos have 20% off toys which stacks with other codes/offers such as 2 for £15 - great value.

Agree with second hand too, some lovely things around for a fraction of the original price.

Some cheap ideas which this age will find really fun - they have no idea how much stuff costs and little things can be exciting, which is fab

• bubble wand (50p asda)
• playdoh (from £1 for a tub, just use plastic cutlery and cutters you probably already have).
• stickers / sticker book
• magazine e.g. cbeebies, peppa pig magazine.
• marshmallows

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Oh and books of course! B&M had peppa pig books for 89p, hey duggee annual for £2 etc. The works do 10 books for £10. Or you often find people selling them on Facebook marketplace for next to nothing.

I don't either. It's all about itganisingba Sunday dinner and buying some presents. No stress

You could get a second had dolls house? Get on Facebook marketplace or charity shops? Alternatively could you get one of those huge cardboard ones from hobby craft that you colour in? They're about a tenner and if you put it up they're quite big? And he'd love getting to colour it in himself!