What's on the Christmas list this year?

I'm just wondering what everyone's kids area asking for this year. My kids want the Leap Pad, but I'm worried becasuse the twins are almost 8 years old. I don't know they're too old for that. I know my almost 4 ear old would get a lot of use from it.
They also want board games, crafts, bop it, pogo stick, electric scooters, transformers, Barbie stuff, Hot Wheels race track, and every single thing from the American Girl catalog (although they never actually play with their A.G. dolls!), power wheels, spy watch, and a remote control car or helicopter. They are obviously NOT getting all of this stuff.
They are all girls but they like "boy" toys, too. :ibiggrin:

What are your kids asking for and /or getting?

 

One girl wants a mouse and the other wants a hamster

 

My oldest son is 9 and he's a very smart kid, he wants I think it's a solar powered remote control vehicle (too expensive), some air/water experiments (I'm planning to get him), the hot wheels race track that you put on the wall, a big transformer thing, and some new games. He's also getting an mp3 player, and a stereo to connect it to that he'll share with his sister.

My oldest daughter is 5 and she wants just about every single solitary thing she sees!! :lol: She's also getting an mp3 player and sharing the above stereo. Probably get her some new games. But I'm debating whether to get DS games or games for her leappad. Definitely a few new board games too.

My suggestion to you for your almost 8 yr olds is to look at getting a tablet instead. I got kaelyn the leappad for her 5th birthday with 1 new game plus the apps it came with. She's finished that game 4 times now, including the expansion...and her birthday was sept 5th. She's also finished a couple of the apps already. So I'm debating whether to get a tablet for our whole family, I'm looking at the Kindle Fire specifically. Something the big kids can use for games, everyone can use for movies, dh and I can use for internet and I can use for reading. This is just my thoughts on it for you

I think I'm also getting all four kids the regular scooters. I haven't decided for sure on that one yet.

 

I'm having a hard time with my 6-year-olds this year. (I posted about it in another thread and got a lot of good ideas!)

For their birthday next week, they're getting their ears pierced, as well as getting Pillow Pets and little purses (since they now have enough allowance to actually want to buy stuff). My MIL is getting them American Girl dolls. I'm reluctant to open that door, but I know they will LOVE them.

I haven't decided what to get them for Christmas, but some of the things on their Amazon list are shrinky dinks, more Magna Tiles, Lego kits, chapter books (despite the fact that they show very little interest in them so far), some easy math games, Snap Circuits, and Polly Pockets.

They'll also, as usual, get art supplies.

 

I took the boys out over the weekend to the toy store and honestly they asked for very little. I already decided one is getting a laptop and the other a iPad. They also want a Lite Brite and an Easy Bake Oven both of which I can pick up easily. I told them NO expensive Lego Sets this year since we still have lots of Lego stuff all over the house from last year. I'll pick up a few DVD's and Wii games .. but it's going to be a small Christmas this year since they are both getting very expensive gifts.

 

I bought the girls Mobigos with one game each and a small karaoke machine. This is their first video game/handheld system.

They just made out their Christmas letter to Santa and were allowed to ask for three things (going with the fact that Jesus was given 3 gifts, therefore they can only have 3 on their list). I had them go through the TRU catalog and circle everything they liked, then cut it all out, and choose 3 things from that. With their discarded items, I made a wish list on TRU to send to the grandparents.

Things they were interested in: Lalaloopsy doll, furr real friends, easy bake oven, arts and crafts, telescope, globe, and...I forget what else.

 

Aaron is getting a nintendo DS, some games for that and some games for the wii. He is also getting movies, a nerf gun, a star wars remote control vehicle and a darth vader clock. IMO, at 6, he is too old for the leap pad so we didn't consider it for him.

 

Timothy's getting the Knex starting line set of Mario Kart and a cool wii remote. In his stocking will be soccer socks, a book, a new bookmark, a webkinz, and a Luigi motorcycle for the Knex set.

Sarah is getting the AG retired Felicity Stable Set (only $45 new in box on ebay for anyone interested) and an AG mini. Probably Addie. In her stocking will be a book, paper for her paper dolls, a new bookmark, a necklace, and a webkinz.


Shameless plug time. I do have an Etsy shop for hand-knitted hats and scarves that fit American Girl dolls (link is in signature). If anyone is looking for a stocking stuffer, they would be great. If you don't see a color you want, pm me. I will do custom work. There are a very limited amount of yarns where I could match the colors and make a doll hat and a girl hat. I use a fine yarn on the doll stuff and the girl stuff would need a bigger yarn. Sparkle magenta and Sparkle white are 2 colors I know that I could make matching girl/doll sets. Okay, commercial over.

Marissa

 

My girls can't read yet and I refuse to buy a ds till they can. Technically they still have 3 years of play with the leappad. My mom is buying it for them and I'll probably buy them some games for it ( we have explorers but there are like 4 new games). They really haven't asked for anything specific. Maybe another trip to build a bear for clothes

 

I feel like I am the only one that has twins' who does NOT play with their toys! Here are a few examples~

F/P Dollhouse and furnitures
Snap n' Dolls
Step 2 Kitchen / tea party
Workbench
Dinosaurs
Imaginext Batman and Dragon
Star Wars (collection)
Scooby-Doo Bus/figures

I'm ready to get rid ALL above because it is pointless to keep! I started telling them last year that if they don't play with any of their toys. We will packed them up and give it to another kid who need toys or want to play with it. Last week my daughter came up to me and say, please get rid of the doll house and furniture. I even asked her do you want to get rid of your kitchen play set? She said, Yes! My husband said, No but he has never been home to realized that she HARDLY play with it even all of her tea party too! She only plays with her kitchen food onto the floor with a blanket like a picnic that it. I have known that my daughter just was not into dolls, high chairs, bottle feeding dolls, and etc. I tried to get her to play with it. She only play with 1 of her favorite toy ALL time is her "Pet Shop" with the house. She want to get that new Pet Shop with tree house this Christmas.

My son just NOT into any of the toys above because he and my daughter play Pet Shop ALL the time! They will stack up pet shop in his Imaginext Batman and Dragon.

Last year, a 'Miss' Christmas was his newly Imaginext Dragon (and the collections) hardly play with but did asked for one. And then my daughter wanted the Fur Real Friends (4 of them) and the track that they go around. Both of these toys were sitting aside and hardly play with it.

This year I made it to a point that they are to write to Santa Claus only 3 list of toys that you will PLAY with it! My daughter says she want more Pet Shop and even my son points at the store, get this one for Rianna when he actually wanted it himself.

They both previously gotten the LeapFrog TAG Pen when they were 2 yrs old. They did like it for a while but now its sitting in our book shelf. We also brought them a new Explorer and games they hardly play with it anymore because ever since Daddy brought i-pad they prefer that over Explorers. They love playing Angry Birds and other among games.

They currently playing Pet Shops, Wooden blocks, and tons of board games at this age (they turned 5 this past Sept). How did you get your kids to play with toys?! It drive me nut that other Moms have kids play tons of toys and never bored! What wrong with my twins?! LOL


R want Pet Shop newest glitter and tree house and Penbo, she can't come up with 3rd one yet.
J want more Wii video games, a electronic basketball shooter, and a electronic piano

 

Diana- Timothy is not really good at playing with toys. It does get frustrating. He loves boardgames and any thing where he get's to interact. I will say that he's liking more stuff now that he's in school and seeing other kids play more. He likes Legos now when he used to hate them. He did tell me that he wanted Legos with more defined pieces. I figured out he has trouble taking all the little rectangles and figuring out what to build. But his teachers have sets that have big palm tree leaves or ends of boats and he can use those as a starting spot to figure out what to build.

I really want to get rid of about 1/2 our toys. My Sarah just never forgets a single thing they have. So I have to gradually sneak stuff out.

Marissa

 

Diana -- It sounds like your kids have great imaginations! And if they only need a few things, think of all the space you can have!

My kids don't play with a lot of their toys either. Unless I threaten to get rid of them, then of course they "LOVE" them.

One thing that helps is to get something out for them when they're not looking. Clear a space on the table and set the Legos or baby doll stuff or whatever out on it, and let them "discover" it. That's exactly what their infant daycare teachers used to do, and it still works at age 6! They just get used to having the same things in the same places, and stop seeing any of it.

Plus, they get their play spaces so cluttered that they feel like they can't do anything at all (I will often find them coloring on paper on the carpet rather than using their art table because the art table is totally covered with piles of stuff). So it helps to do a huge tidy-up once in a while.

But if your daughter actually ASKED you to get rid of something -- do it! Even if it's something you love and wished she would play with, it will be so freeing for all of you to have that space back!

I did sell all the train stuff recently. I hated to do it because I had spent a lot of money on some of it just last Christmas -- I had visions of them making huge layouts all over the house -- but they almost never used it and it took up tons of space. The first time I mentioned I was going to sell it, they said "NOOOO!!!!" and played with it for a few days, but then it went back in the closet. Six months after that, I just sold it without giving them a choice. (I told them we were going to use the money for their birthday and Christmas presents -- that helped.)

 

Last year we started, at the suggestion of someone here on TS...Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read.

I warn them right up front, that money is tight and they are likely not to get much. They both have the laptop/Ipad/Ipod/cellphone list for wants. The one thing they both asked for was a password journal, its somekind of electronic diary???, Cassie added a Fijit, a homemade scarf and for the 4th year in a row she asked for blankets (not getting them, but also not sure WHY??). Her need and wear were about the same, socks, jeans slippers hats mittens. I'm impressed with her read list as she is not exactly a big fan of reading, she listed 3 books!

Holly is having a harder time with her list. Her want and need and wear lists all include socks (They can't FIND their socks so they figure they should get new ones!! LOL), she is my reader and her book list has at least 6-8 books on it. Her want list also includes and ereader (Kindle or Nook)

I noticed at Big Lots there was a tablet on sale that I might consider for both of them. They can use it like a laptop, with our wireless, and like a reader. I have to go find out more about them!!! If thats what I end up going with, other than socks and underwear that will be it.

 

Could it be that when they hit '1st grade' they'll start playing more of their toys because they are in school all day? And that may change the way I see them play with their toys? Right now, they missed the cut off date for K so they are onto another year of preschool. In our school district only have half day which is like 15 mins more than preschool hour. However, they are in school every day Mon-Fri, 8 30 to 11 AM because they are both in 'At Risk" program. My son has harder time to social but his excel at reading/math as 1-2nd grade level. I'm wondering if that also another contributed to why he doesn't play with toys because nothing 'challenge' him unlike all of the board games and video games. We have so many board games that are for age 6 yrs and up. He's so good at playing but he is nice when he help his sister on how to play the game.

Thank you for all of your wonderful tip/advice!
Diana

 

It could be. Like I said, Timothy went from hating Lego's to asking for them for bday and xmas.

Timothy does sound similar to your son in that Timothy's math skills are on a much higher level. He learned Monopoly when he was 5 and he'll sit and work through a video game and the logic of how to meet all the goals. I spent many winter afternoons (mine were in 1/2 day kinder in the mornings) playing card game after card game after board game.

Going to school has been good for his social skills. It's also been good for his pretend play and toys. On rainy and snowy days they have to play inside. They don't always get their favorite toys because they have to share. So Timothy has to try something new or sit there and be bored and watch the other kids have fun. He's learned to be more adaptable in his play.

Marissa

 

Mine do go to school all day and they seem to play with their toys more than before

 

Marissa,

I watch another set of twins very close in age gap. Hmmm, the last 2 years the other set of twins' love playing all of the toys that we offer while they DO help my kids to sit down and play. It was not until Justin got a hand of Wii games where the boys were learning from him. It is only one twin that loves to play with Justin. They challenge each other all the time while the other twin plays with my daughter on other toys around the house. They are no longer here because they are in K this year. My friend happened to asked me if I was still taking babysitting position for this school year. Sure enough, there is another set of twins only this time they are girl/boy and only 4 days apart in birthday!

Does Timothy communicate with other kids in chatting conversation? Justin is very quiet, reserved, does not pay attention especially when we are gong places he would be in dazed. At Target, he has NO interest of any of the super heros toys. He just like standing and looking at many of the board games, Wii video games and books. He just gotten a really nice Star Wars collection for his birthday. Even the kids I watch did not play with it either but this boy loves Star Wars?! I think mainly like the costume he worn and the star wars swords.

All 4 of them love to play Wii games but I only allow them to play on Tues/Thurs because my kids have school every day in the morning. The twins that I watch have school on Mon-Wed-Fri. So they are off on Tues/Thurs where they play Wii games. In this case this girl is also very much tomboy like my daughter does not play with dolls or anything too girly. They both loved craft/coloring/painting so I offer that to them. It just a nice changed up for my daughter to get used to having some 'girls' around beside all boys.

We have a smaller set of legos, none of them seem interest yet. What they have been doing is taking the wooden blocks build them like 'Angry Birds' while I have a game called UNO Barn. Those little chickens look a bit like Angry birds so they are having a blast time with it.

So far I brought for the kids that they wanted

Pet Shop Treehouse and Speedy
Loopz game
Simon Flash
Scramble Flash

Both getting
Crayola Color Explosion Glow Dome
Angry Bird game
Penbo-pink similar as Fijti
Wii, Just Dance for kids and Mario Bros. Sports Mix

and then Justin want an electronic piano

 

Timothy does chat with other kids now. He used to get a big-eyed look when a kid would sit next to him to try and play. But now he has a best friend and plays. He's still very hesitant in new situations. I don't really see him talking to that much to any of the kids that don't go to his school that are on his basketball team. He's slowly defrosting, but he's definitely cautious.

He also still isn't Star Wars crazy. We've let him watch some Star Wars. He loves Darth Maul, but past that character, he could really care less. That was also something he picked up in kindergarten. He took what the other boys were playing and found something he could relate to. The super heroes, Timothy still doesn't like.

You know, if your kids aren't into toys, don't feel guilty about not buying them. We only get about 2 presents for each kids plus a few nice stocking stuffers. I would rather spend the money on one great toy that they'll love than buy stuff I'm not sure about. Part of Timothy's xmas is a blue-tinted, clear Wii mote that lights up. He loves wii, so we're getting him something that he loves.

Marissa

And they do now have an Angry Birds game. My kids have never seen the electronic game, but I did consider. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Angry-Birds-Knock-Wood-Game/dp/B004U52VPS/ref=sr_1_1?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1321548217&sr=1-1

 

Marissa,

If you plan to get those Angry Birds, get them at TRU because it is a sale for $11.89 until 11/23rd. I would double check to see if they are on stock at your store location. I'm going to attempt to get it tonight. That is pretty much all they are getting for Christmas per list above. However, I did buy them 2 new Fairy Tooth Pillows from Etsy. If you're interest, I can pass off to you and anyone else too. I happened to shop at JCP the other day and caught my eye on this wooden blocks (Castle) for $19.99. The 4 kiddies play all the time with the regular color sets so figured this one would be fun for them.

Anyway, Justin did not used full sentence structure, or use his imagination (just to chat) until he was about 4.5 yrs old. It's been a really rough road for us the first 4 years of his life. I knew from the time he was 12 mos there was something about him that I couldn't pinpoint but realized he isn't babbling like other babies were doing in his play group. I joined a group of 60 Moms, still friends with half of them, and we go out out when we can for drinks just to catch up. He IS doing so much better but need to work more on his communication skills and social aspect. I admit I am a bit nervous for next year with K because it is so different than preschool due to 'independent' in the classroom. We shall see what happens when time do come.

I do agree that it is easier to get 1 big thing for both of the twins'. Justin only listed what he wanted per above that is all he's really getting this year. And I do like how my family room is starting to come back

 

Both of the girls have decided they are in desperate need of Stompeez. They just think they are the greatest thing ever. Allison is dying for a Penbo, which is an interactive Penguin, and we already got the girls a Fijit, but will probably take Allison's back since she wants the Penguin instead. Other than that, they haven't been just begging for much.

 

Mine too! Their list consists of Stompeez, one wants a bow and arrow :unsure: and the other a boomerang. :unsure: No idea what else they'll get. Probably a new leapster game each, arts and craft stuff, a few dresses, a wii game, and a few other odds and ends.

 

A bow and arrow and a boomerang? I hope you have a lot of property around your house!

 

Oh my goodness -- I had never heard of these, but I just watched the video on their website and am cracking up. :rotflmbo: What will they think of next?