Kids' presents with the 'wow' factor that don't break the bank

[Pregnantabroad]

We're trying to cut down on Christmas spending and the main challenge is that 'Wow' gift that gets opened last. We usually do a big Lego set..c £100 each. We have 4 kids aged 5,5,8,10. Any suggestions for a cheaper wow?

Scooter. Bosrd game in a big box

Do you think they will be disappointed if they don’t get Lego? I’d download the John Lewis app and get their reward card. Costs nothing but they often do good deals on Lego such as 3 for 2. They’ve just had 40% off 3 sets or something similar.

Could a WOW be a new bike for them but you’ve bought second hand?

Wow factor is not a size thing for kids but getting something they really want and will play with. What do they want for Christmas?

I probably will buy a Lego set but more of a £40 one. Grandparents will probably buy it too (drives me nuts... We have boxes and boxes of the stuff). I will check out the JL app. Thank you. Board games also good idea. We're going to do a scooter for one of them. Twins also have December birthday.

Look on ebay/ fb marketplace for 2nd hand lego. We got 6 big sets for £80 - DH and I spent a few evenings checking the pieces were there which was quite fun. They weren't in original boxes but kids didn't care. I keep meaning to do it with the mountain of lego we have here!

Sorry to be that awful gendered person but any girly girls in that group? I’ve got DD a dressing table and going to put on some fake make up, new hair clips etc. I already know she’s going to love it as she’s asked for it constantly. And yes I never thought I’d be that mum she had neutral clothes and toys til 3 and now we live in a rainbow unicorn dreamscape.

I agree with a previous poster - what do they actually want? Wow doesn’t have to equal £££. Do you have stuff like a great frisbee, a stomp rocket, a kite? You could do stuff like that as a joint family present to be used by all the family. Could add some fireworks and sparklers for new hrs eve kind of stuff… have you got a holiday coming up that you could buy something for eg a seaside holiday then boogie boards.

The wow present is so specific as it’s to do with something they really want or are excited by… one year it was a dog cage for a stuffed toy, another year it was a popcorn machine, last year it was a football stadium tour… so it’s very much something that is hard to advise other people on.
If money would be better later on you could do a voucher for a family day out or a trip…

I would just stick to buying what they want, it's not really wow if it's something they don't actually want/haven't asked for.

Yeah, what do they actually want? I love Lego but your house might be overflowing with it.

Join The Entertainer’s birthday club for 20% off toys too, good for Lego and similar brands.

I guess when I say 'wow' I just mean big. They will have their list which we'll buy from but they haven't written it yet so I'm not sure what they want. Also am not letting the Smyth's catalogue anywhere near our house this year as it just makes them ask for the biggest shiniest thing. I thought if I had any ideas here then I could drop hints to them. If they picked up on it then win win!

Wow doesn't have to be big.
Wow doesn't have to be expensive.
I worked in retail and remember the year that all the kids wanted was Beyblades - essentially spinning tops that cost a fiver.
Or the Tamagotchi years. They were a tenner I think.
Other than Lego what do they actually play with/enjoy doing?

A £10 item could be a wow gift for a 5 year old if it’s something they really, really wanted. My almost 8 year old still doesn’t consider the cost of something a factor in how much wow a gift brings. I can’t think of any £100 item that she’d really want except maybe a tablet. There are lots of smaller items she really wants though.

You need to move away from focussing on size I think?

Something we did was to scour the car boot sales for things like K'nex and Lego and package that up into nice storage boxes rather than buy new sets.

You can get amazing stuff, you wash it, sort it by colour and it looks great.

I would start looking second hand for good quality stuff. Something like roller blades can be bought very cheaply and often have very little wear.

I bought my eldest when he was ten a book on how to create moving lego. Bought a lego motorised element then they spent ages going through lego storage to find pieces and made some cool stuff. No words just pictures so super easy to create/ adapt.

Try the Bike Club?

For the 5 year olds what about one of those big colour in cardboard Wendy houses? You can get houses, ice cream vans, I think I saw a castle once too. And usually only £10-£20.

Where is your lego kept may I ask? I am making ds something like this..

How about a pogo stick or swingball? Both quite "big" presents that have lasted us years. Our kids often love the little stocking filler gifts best though!

The biggest "wow" a present to my dc ever got was when DD got her own bag of marshmallows for her 3rd birthday.

The biggest wow present I ever got – and I remember it now I’m 42! – was when I got a little triple pack of mini lipsticks from Body Shop when I was 15. The GLAMOUR! Proper 90s brown and purple shimmer colours.

Move away from GIANT, expensive wow and towards each child’s dream gift. If grandparents are getting Lego anyway you don’t need to.

I dont believe the best is what they 'want' the best stuff I ever got was suprises I didnt even know I wanted. We dont do lists and our kids dont ask for things, we are there parents so obviously know what they like so its unneeded.

My best ever gift I was 3 nearly 4 and got a wendy house, I still remember it perfectly and was obsessed. It was one of those plastic pipe ones so not crazy expensive (not the expensive outdoor wooden ones although I would have loved that too) although I think they have moved on to cardboard now.

I also agree with the cost not mattering, everyone says teens are so expensive but last year my teens absoloute favorite thing was a gooey ball that splats when thrown against a wall... it cost £1 and kept them all entertained lol.

2nd hand.

Best gift last year was a bike - £20 from someone local and no hassle of building it!

Also £100+ lego sets off fb marketplace/ebay for under £50