Whatcha planning on getting your twins for Christmas?

It's easy for us this year because they will be 16 months and more interested in the boxes and wrapping paper, so a little financial load if off our shoulders...this year. Next year, not so much.

I think we are gonna get those Singamagigs for all, Tickle Me Elmo (never had one with our first), FP Stand and Spin Rampway, Pillow pets and a few more little things....not sure just yet.

Whatcha planning on getting the twins?

 

You'd think but my kids didn't care much about the boxes last year, lol!

My kids are a year older but this is what they still play with from last year:

Play food and dishes. Kitchen too but my kids like the play food and dishes the best and don't really play with the kitchen that much - so if money is tight, skip the kitchen for now, but seriously they LOVE their play food and dishes (we mostly have Step2 sets for now, getting more stuff this year).
Little People toys
Doodles
Shopping cart (we have the Little Tikes one)
Doll and doll stroller
Wood puzzles
Megablocks (or wait for their birthday and get duplos)

 

They are getting a little tykes workbench (small one), some little tykes push trucks with handles (forgot the specific name), pillow pets, and the stand and play raceway from Fisher price. I am excited about the raceway, It is on sale at TRU for 29, I have a 20% coupon and $5 gift card so I am getting it for $19. Yes, I am excited by bargains.

I might also look for some small little people trucks/cars as they are really into them right now.

 

We're also getting the stand and play ramp thing, it's perfect for this age range!! We're getting a train table for the twins as well, and pillow pets for all. I'm thinking of either scout and violet, or these leapfrog laptops, I'm leaning more towards the laptops now because they adore pushing buttons on mine! :lol: Liam's also getting some new thomas trains for all the wooden track we have, and rylee loves dora so we'll find something for her.

 

Someone else on this site recommended the anywhere chairs from pottery barn.. I ordered them a couple of weeks ago and they just arrived.. they're super cute!! A bit $, but I think they'll last until they're 4 or 5.

 

Puzzles, and lots of books as the books they have are from when they were really small and the girls are sick of them. Dolls, dress up dolls (not sure what they are called but they have click pieces and made by fisher price), wood blocks, sesame street plush dolls, clothes, dvd's and the leapfrog tag junior with books. I know nana got them more little people stuff which they don't need but whatever. MIL is a different topic.

 

A $1,700 swingset! That is the twins' 2nd birthday and Christmas present and Hannah's 1st bday and Christmas present!! LOL! I did buy them some small coloring books and a couple DVD's too

 

That's what we did for the twins and my dd's bdays/Christmas last yr, we haven't regretted it for a second!

The boys are getting mini sticks and mini hockey nets and hockey jerseys. I come from a long line of hockey fans and they boys absolutely LOVE the mini sticks they have now. I love that little laptop, I'll have to see if they have it in Canada, I'm getting them each a scout puppy too!

 

My two are a bit older but last year we got them:
Play kitchen (they love it!)
My Pal Scout and Violet
Tickle Me Elmo
Sweeping Sam
Singing 1-2-3 Vacuum Cleaner
Books
Crayola Art Easel

 

The biggies will be these P'Kolino reading chairs, and then some smaller stuff like that Leapfrog laptop, Leapfrog Alphabet Explorer, Mega Bloks, and some Melissa & Dougs wooden puzzles.

 

I've got them some touys from the Target Clearance a while back.I think one is a Tonka ride on, some Little People stuff and things like that. I will prob also get them some peek a boo books since they absolutely LVOE LOVE LOVE them! Not sure what else. I get them so muhc during the year. However its cheap stuff. I just bought a used train table for $10 and just added a coat of paint and its pretty much new. They alreayd have Scout & Violet but they are just now really liking them.

 

I think we are planning to get the Pottery Barn anywhere chairs as well. And then I did a little yard sale/consignment shopping! We got them a megablocks set with a couple of trucks and then we also got them a little people train set. There are few things that the OT would like us to get and we will pick those toys up as well. We aren't planning to get too many things because I am sure that the rest of the family will buy enough!!!

 

Kitchen - not sure which one (suggestions welcome)
Basketball hoop
Doodle
A doll for DD
Books

 

Last year we got them the Pottery Barn Anywhere Chairs and a few small gifts like crayons and wooden cars to put in their stockings. The ILs got them a Kangaroo Climber.

This year we're thinking about a play kitchen and/or a toolbench, some trains and accessories for their train table, and maybe a few books or other small toys.

 

They are getting these:
http://www.runbikes.com/Strider-Sports-Running-Bike.pro

We're thinking that they will be satisfied with gifts from family and then getting the bikes out for spring/summer when they are 2.5yrs

 

So far we've purchased the Singamagigs, VTech Alphabet Train, Imaginarium 5-Point Bead Maze, and some pj's. It's so helpful to read what toys older LOs liked/didn't like at this age.

 

There is a theme emerging. They like to help by doing whatever mommy is doing so I am thinking "little" cleaning things like vacuum, broom/dustpan (saw a cute set at TRU), etc. Then I was thinking play food. They have a shopping cart and kitchen and they really are into it...need more food though. They are also into babies and their strollers, so I am thinking a bed and changing table maybe. Art easel and table/chairs to set up art/reading/craft corner. They are also into Thomas and I just found some 18 month thomas trains...they are REALLY into trains...funny. Lastly, I think they would LOVE pillows for their cribs. They just love pillows.

 

We are getting the girls pink plush chairs from babies r us.Abby just learned to sit down and sits on anything with a ledge even if her little tush doesn't fit LOL. We also got them thier own little pink lab top they always play with ours and locked the keys the other day ( I didn't know the keys locked) it took us about half an our to get it sorted lol

 

Shopping carts
play food & utensils for their kitchen
they love the lift flap books
Little People - they love them!
baby stroller (we have one and they fight over it!)
and I'm sure some other things, thats just what I've thought of so far...

 

Mine are 20 months, and I'm really overthinking things I think!

Some ideas I've had are....
an easel
train table
table and chairs in their size
Powerwheels?

I agree, they are going to be excited this year, but it's not like they really get it. I'm afraid that I'm thinking too big, and too advanced. The train stuff and easel all say 3+ on the age ratings, so will they even appreciate it?! Their birthday is in April, so that's not too far off anyway if I want to hold off on something...

For those with older kids, what do you think?

 

They will LOVE the train table, and the table and chairs in their size! Mine immediately head for the train table at the library and the one at Barnes and Noble when we go and scream when we take them away. They love to lay out train track (liam especially) on the floor and drive the choo-choo's on it. And we have this table/chair set that we keep out all the time and they are constantly sitting at it (and climbing on it too....). And we bring this picnic table set out when we have friends over, and the twins adore sitting at it. They climb on it too so it doesn't stay out for very long after we use it! But I love both sets for my kids! And we've had them both since our oldest son was little, and he's 8.5, and both are still in awesome condition!

The powerwheels I would wait on, even my 4 yr old has trouble driving her barbie jeep, and we bought it for her when she was 3 yrs old. She's slowly getting better but still runs into trees! :lol:

They would probably enjoy the art easel too, mine love to color, just make sure you get a good sturdy one, we have a flimsy wooden one that kept getting knocked over so we just took it apart and mounted the white board and chalk board on my big kids closet door with velcro tape. That way, we can switch out the boards anytime we want, and it can't get knocked over!

 

I'm not sure about the easel, but we bought our boys a train table for their 2nd birthday (thinking they'd grow into it) and they have ADORED it since day one! I think this was probably the best present I've ever gotten them. :good:

 

I don't have anything new to add, as most of what's listed is what we are getting as well.

I do have a question though- what's a train table? Mine are liking trains, and this sounds interesting.

Thanks!

 

Train table

This is an example of a train table. You see them on an even bigger scale in the "posh" toy stores, children's museums etc....

So now that we are talking train tables, those who have them what brand do you recommend? Are the trains and tracks interchangable across brands?

TIA!

 

Train tables come in a variety of styles, and price ranges! Really, you just pick what suits your house, your style and your budget.

For us we will likely go with a simple style like this table. #1 we prefer the honey or white color to go with other furniture. #2 It has BIG openings underneath for easy access, I plan to buy a couple of bins to go underneath to hold all the trains and train tracks. Some of them have much larger legs on them and a very small opening, which will make storage a pain, like this circo table.

As for tracks....go cheap when you can! You don't have to spend the money on the Thomas the Train, or Brio wooden track sets. We bought 2 sets from target years ago for our oldest son (about 6 yrs ago), and then just added a few nice pieces from the Thomas and Brio sets, like the bridges, and a roundhouse. You can buy any basic wooden set and then accessorize and add onto it. Most wooden train sets are interchangeable, at least we haven't found any yet that aren't

 

Maggie here is that same set, but cheaper, just in case you were looking to buy it:
Train Set That's a really good deal for a train table AND track set to get you started! Nice pieces in it too!

 

DO NOT buy a brand new train table, EVER. I've picked up 3, used over the last 5 years for way less than you would pay new. If you have trains already, check out craigslist. The best one I found was a thomas table, with trains, for $75 (I got about $100 worth of thomas stuff plus the table).

ETA and we had 2 for the older son, gave one away to a neighbor, and we recently got another off freecycle for the twins for their toys. I don't have 3 tables in our house and the ones we have did last quite a while.

 

My only advice w train tables is... if you have climbers.. make sure it's a sturdy one The daycare kids used to constantly climb on mine, so much so that I let my cousins ds use it and I'm not sure if I'm going to ask for it back anytime soon, the boys must stand on everything!!