No toys on DS6 list

[QuackWoof]

Hello, my budget for Xmas is £400 for my DS6. He wanted a Nintendo switch which eats up most of that. I’ve bought it tho as it’s what he wanted. His other gifts are pants, Pjs and a new toothbrush (he needs these), and then bath bombs, chocolates, a hair gel, a book, a puzzle, 1 small selection box, colouring in book, new felt tip pens and a football strip (top only, and got it on sale).

We don’t do gifts in our families so he doesn’t get other gifts other than what we give him.

I’ve just realised he basically isn’t getting any toys for Xmas, and I’m worried this is a bit sad at only age 6? But he doesn’t need new toys, as he has plenty, and he doesn’t need a bike or a scooter as he has these.

The switch is a toy. You could get some lego, cars, dinosaurs, dolls or action figures playmobil etc if you wanted a non-screen based toy. Or maybe a Science kit...
But the switch is a toy, an expensive one with that I'm sure he'll be delighted to have got what he wants!

but using £350 of it on one item limits the gifts massively. It definitely needs to be bulked out a bit, maybe with lentils

I really don’t understand. Why does it need to be “bulked out”? As in your analogy, it actually doesn’t need to feed more people or fill more space. It doesn’t need to be “bigger” or “more”. Why? That one gift, leaving aside the cost, is hugely exciting and fun for him -if this is what you think he wants. He will be playing it all day and for weeks and months afterwards - it’s actually loads-it will fill a room and time all by itself.

Don’t feel guilt tripped into buying him plastic tat for the sake of it.

My DS is also 6 and everything on the list is what he’d ask for! He has never played imaginatively with toys and doesn’t like Lego. He likes electronic games, books, puzzles and soft toys. If you’re looking for some traditional puzzle games, Jacques has a great selection. My son loves Shut the Box, and also Code Breaker.

My DS is nearly 6. He is getting monster trucks, accessories for his wooden train track, books, a remote control aeroplane and some wooden things for his kitchen. He's not really into technology yet. Happy about that. Want him playing with toys and using his imagination for as long as possible. Also, means Christmas is much cheaper. I'm sure the expensive tech years will come but think 6 is a bit young.

@Greytea

I really don’t understand. Why does it need to be “bulked out”? As in your analogy, it actually doesn’t need to feed more people or fill more space. It doesn’t need to be “bigger” or “more”. Why?

The lentils was a joke, but I don't think you need to understand why my opinion differs to yours. It's quite normal for people to view things differently and that was just my take.

That one gift, leaving aside the cost, is hugely exciting and fun for him -if this is what you think he wants. He will be playing it all day and for weeks and months afterwards - it’s actually loads-it will fill a room and time all by itself.

I guess we differ here as well because there is no way a 6 year old of mine would be playing switch all day for weeks. If you think that's a successful gift that's great, but I stand firm that is far too much at that age.

My son loves Flat Stanley. I don’t, but it’s the first chapter book he’s paid attention to!

My DS is nearly 6. He is getting monster trucks, accessories for his wooden train track, books, a remote control aeroplane and some wooden things for his kitchen. He's not really into technology yet. Happy about that. Want him playing with toys and using his imagination for as long as possible. Also, means Christmas is much cheaper. I'm sure the expensive tech years will come but think 6 is a bit young.

Your son is 5. His tastes will change massively over the next two years, unless he is very unlike his peers.

6 or 7 is a normal age for getting a Switch - DS(7) got one last Christmas and I had the same dilemma about other gifts. I skipped the pyjamas etc but added a fluffy detective Pikachu toy and a board game (Labyrinth) to play with the family on Christmas day, which has been a great success.

Her kid DOES like dinosaurs etc...

Also can she give him the rest of what as pocket money and premium bonds?

Not only is that not gifts so not what OP is asking about (and really depressing) but she stated she pretty much hit her budget so she certainly not going to up it for premium bonds that in no way fixes her worry/dilemma.

Like I suggested before for less than £10 more OP can easily get things like the Jurrasic park fossil dig eggs cheap (I even think poundland does them) and Im sure for a kid that likes dinosaurs they will be great. Poundland also had Sabretooth fingerlings for £4 which a kid who enjoys dinosaurs might also like and some £1 Dragon toys too which is a similar catagory (they where popular at my DS birthday party).

Maybe just buy him the toothbrush now because he needs it and then buy him an actual toy for Christmas?

It's really sad you consider a toothbrush to be a Christmas present. It doesn't matter if it's a 'cool' Spider-MN one or whatever he's into - it's still a toothbrush. I'd be disappointed with that as a present and I'm 40 not 6.

@mam0918

Like I suggested before for less than £10 more OP can easily get things like the Jurrasic park fossil dig eggs cheap (I even think poundland does them) and Im sure for a kid that likes dinosaurs they will be great. Poundland also had Sabretooth fingerlings for £4 which a kid who enjoys dinosaurs might also like and some £1 Dragon toys too which is a similar catagory (they where popular at my DS birthday party).

That sounds like a lot of cheap plastic stuff tbh. Not all kids like toys like that. I think a lot of that stuff gets bought to fill up a present pile. It seems pointless if he will look at it briefly when he's opened it but then it will just get left until it's inevitably taken to a charity shop a couple of years later.

Agree with @Onehappymam

Don’t feel guilt tripped into buying him plastic tat for the sake of it.

I'm no eco warrior but the amount of plastic bought for the sake of it is crazy.

Oh, yes, I agree with you. Personally, I think a 6-year-old is too young for a Switch. But the OP says it’s what her son wants -so it surely will fill acres of metaphorical time and space for him. If it won’t, then I’d suggest he is possibly too young for it and to wait a few years. I wouldn’t want to spend that much on a Switch if that’s the case.

His other gifts are pants, Pjs and a new toothbrush (he needs these), and then bath bombs, chocolates, a hair gel, a book, a puzzle, 1 small selection box, colouring in book, new felt tip pens and a football strip (top only, and got it on sale).

It is great that you got him a Switch, which is what he wanted… but don’t give a child (especially at 6!) a toothbrush, hair gel and chocolates as presents. Get him the Switch, the full football strip (not just the top), and a book.

If there’s any toys he would like, I would get them if you can. He’ll have to have some breaks from screen time so it’ll be nice if he’s got some new toys to play with. If there’s not any toys he’s interested, then I wouldn’t. My kids loved toys at that age, most kids seem to.

A novelty toothbrush, pants and socks are great stocking fillers if it’s a big stocking.
I always do chocolates, a card game (top trumps, Uno), a book he really wants, some stationery bits and a small toy like a Lego set or similar. You could do a theme so if the switch is for minecraft then get a minecraft figure, socks, pants etc. Things for school like a branded water bottle or lunch bag are good too. If into Harry Potter get a chocolate frog and some Bertie Botts as the sweets?
We always have a cuddly toy in the top.
Last year we read the Christmasaurus in December and he got a toy Stuffy which he absolutely loved.

OP has stated her kid DOES like dinosaurs so what are you on about.

Also the jurrasic park egg isn't even plastic its sand and an activity to physically do lol.

One of the many things that really annoy me is when people wrap up what is in effect ‘shopping’ just to bulk out a pile - start this year with quality over quantity . Your son wants a switch , you’ve got him a switch he likely won’t be excited by pants in a stocking or hair gel because he will be mesmerised by the Switch .

Toothbrush, chocolates etc are completely normal presents in a stocking for a child… Not sure about hair gel, but I have girls, and they always got hair slides etc, so it seems fine. A full football strip would be expensive and way over the top. The shirt itself is fine.

But surely you open little stocking presents first, quite - very - early on. My DC always liked getting little things like new knickers and socks and toothbrushes and a pack of sweets or chocolate coins etc and would rush to lay the socks or pack of knickers out and choose what they were going to wear for the rest of Christmas Day. The main present to open was later in the morning, so they had to wait for that. Even as teens, they liked the little things in the stockings - bits of make-up, bath bombs, post-it notes, new dance tights etc. They knew that the main present was later in the morning when everyone is up.

Why would this ‘Really annoy’ you? It will have zero effect on you 🤔

£28 on pants!!!! What?!! Go to primark or pep and co! That's ridiculous!

Things are as expensive as you let them be - £28 for pants is ridiculous! I buy supermarket pants for my 6 year old, £6 for 10 pairs.

I disagree with the posters who say that toothbrush/socks/chocolate aren’t presents- they are staple stocking fillers and if your kids aren’t excited by them then I think that’s more sad

@Winterfires i mean if someone does it for me or mine , I don’t care what others do for theirs but I do think quality over quantity is the way forward .

They are if you shop in Next, thats why most people don't.

Primark, Asda and Pep & Co are go too for kids clothing (maybe Florence and Fred but I wouldnt know as we dont have a Tesco here)... I think I paid £1.50 for 3 pair of paw patrol pants last time I bought some which was Pep & Co. Cheap and nothing special about them having 'characters' on them.

Something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read is the most dull and depressing take on Xmas ever. It makes me irrationally angry. If me DH produces an ironing board on Xmas day because I need it I'll murder him. Presents should be something you want.

I think the toothbrush is fine if its one he wants. I disagree pants should ever be a Xmas present but PJs are fine.

Puzzle and colouring stuff are toys. Hes got a switch and games. Many boys would be really excited by a football strip, I think that's plenty. Hes got something really exciting plus a couple of smaller fun bits.