Big Gift suggestions

So, my mom is a PITA. I love her, but she went and bought Hailey a $150 doll house for Christmas. Now she doesn't know what to get Jake that is equivalent in value. I have no idea. Sometime that expensive is probably going to be big in size, and I don't have a play room or anything so that's something to think about too.

Does anyone have any bigger gift suggestions for a boy who will be 2 yrs 8 months at Christmas?

We got them a diner play thingy last year, and they still love it, so I don't want to put it away to make room for other stuff. My sister bought them both bikes, so they don't need those. There are a few outside toys that fit the bill ... but I hate giving them something for Christmas that they can't use for 4 or 5 months ... plus, their b-day is April, so outside stuff would make better birthday gifts.

You'd think it wouldn't be stressful to think of a gift for him! But it is!

 

Train table?

 

Looking at this fire station for my DS, who is 4.5, but I'd bet it would work for your son also:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=11151314

 

A really nice train table would be a great idea.

 

I was thinking train table but that firehouse is pretty cool too! And the firehouse is sort of equal with a dollhouse as far as the type of toy. Tell her to get him something you know he'll like and give you the rest in cash! lol

 

Thinking outside the box... Could they share the dollhouse and then your mom gets each of them something smaller?

 

I think the traintable is a great idea. :good: Would you want anything that hooks up to the TV? Something like this?

 

Or how about one of those ride-on toys. Like this: Big Wheels

 

My son was about the same age last year and we got him GeoTrax. Oh my goodness, the best present ever. All my kids love it. I started out buying a "lot" of them on eBay and have since added at birthdays and now again this Christmas. This same little guy also absolutely loves the girls' Fisher Price Loving Family dollhouse and pieces.

 

A&N love their train table! I know it's a little ways out from XMas, but what about a bike for the spring time?

 

I like the train table and Big Wheel ideas! I can't think of anything else right now, but if I do I will be back.

 

My kids loved their ball pitt. You always need to buy at least 1-2 bags of more balls - they hardly give you any with it. After my second daughter we got rid of ours, since I got tired of picking up the balls and we had twins on the way. Now, we are in the process of finishing our basement and I regret giving it away. We paid $75 for the castle ball pit and I think anywhere from 30-50 for extra balls. I think my DH might have a fit if we got another one, but the kids did love it!!!

 

Maybe a wooden barn. It would go well with a dollhouse

 

I like Minette's idea of having them share the dollhouse, then she can get them each something smaller and less expensive. I know my boys love to play with their cousin's dollhouse.

If you don't want to do that . . . why does it have to be something equivalent in value? They aren't going to know the difference. I don't think I'd stress about finding something you think he'd like that is that much money. Instead, just think of something he would like, like a ride on bike (w/o peddles if he's like my boys!) or some trucks. A train table is a great idea, my boys love theirs, but it is expensive and takes up a huge chunk of space.

FYI - if you go with the train table idea, pick a table you can flip the lid on. We put the tracks away and flip it over (we have to flip it because we were stupid and glued most of the tracks down) and then get out the legos for a few weeks. Keeps the table fresh and increases the time and interest they have for the trains or legos.

 

Powerwheels battery operated car/4-wheeler
train table
tent and tunnel sets
sports set (b-ball hoop, t-ball set, golf clubs, etc.) - I know, it is an outside toy
Imaginext sets plus accessories

 

We're getting this, for all three kids, but I know Kevan will like it the most:

http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1354

The tracks are fixed -- no pieces everywhere! And, they work with any type of trains or cars.

They have it at Sam's Club right now for $69, but Amazon is the next cheapest price I can find -- at least it was a few weeks ago.

 

We got the above toy for my DS for his 2nd birthday. It is played with literally every day. It is one of the best toys we have ever bought our kids. We bought it on-line through Walmart - no shipping - site to store - for $89 I believe. One of our best buys yet.

 

Does he like dinosaurs? My boys LOVE to play with the demo model of this remote control dinosaur at Target.

Can you believe our kids are almost 3?! Unbelievable!

 

I ditto the train table...My boys birthday is a few days before Christmas. Last year, at 3 we bought them a Kid Kraft train table and Thomas trains for Christmas and it was a huge hit. They are playing trains as I type this and it is a year later.

 

The geotrax is something they can both grow with and there are SOO many extras you can add on to it. The Imaginext series is great too, my kids play with ALL of those. We also had a big bounce thing that connects to a blower. It folds up nicely and only gets to 5ft tall. My kids all still play with that. I was never a fan of train tables but only because my kids wanted to make train tracks bigger than the table so we just assume use the ground and we gave away the train table.

 

I was going to suggest this dinosaur too. Jake is transfixed every time we see it. He screams when we have to leave it. It really looks adorable and I am half tempted to get it for MY Jake for Christmas, even though I will be the one playing with it and him watching yet. :laughing:

 

Wow! Thanks for the awesome ideas! I am leaning towards the firehouse, because it's similiar to a dollhouse. Honestly, I would let them share the dollhouse, but my mom is all about getting them EACH something big. I honestly don't care if they are price equivalent ... but my mom does. She's silly like that. hehe.

Jake fell in love with the Cars big motorized car at TRU that was like $200 ... but I feel bad getting that when he won't be able to use it till the weather gets nice here... so I was thinking of that as more of a b-day gift in April. Plus, then I KNOW Hailey will want one as well ... somethings I just feel like you need to get at the same time.

I love the train tables, but I honestly don't have the room... my mom's already killing me by getting them both rocking chairs and then the doll house and now something for Jake! I know she loves doing it, but I'm like "RELAX! or buy me a new house to fit all these toys!"

Liz- I love that!!! That might have to come from Santa since my mom is already taking all the big gift ideas!

And Erin, Jake is a big baby! He was PETRIFIED of that giant dinosaur at TRU. We hit the button to demo it, and he freaking out was like "Mommy, I don't like it. Make it stop!!!"

thank you all so much! You've given me lots of good ideas ... But really, I need a bigger house! haha