SuperNaturale

Sleepyhouse · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 7936

Parents probably have ideas down pretty well - but maybe you can help us aunts/uncles/friends with gift ideas??

My nephew is turning 5 in December - lucky me has to come up with 2 gift ideas. I try to stay away from regular toys from a toy store because he gets SO MUCH of it already.

Usually for Christmas I make him some comfy pants and get a book or game or something. Birthday might be a small toy. I've thought about getting him "event" gifts but I do so much with him already that it wouldn't really seem 'special.'

Anyway - I'm throwing around the idea of a science kit. A book with experiments and maybe some of the stuff he'd need to do them. We're talking baking soda/vinegar volcano type stuff here.

Is 5 too young for that? I found a book that is listed as 5+. I know when I was young I had a book like that that I loved but I think I was older.

Otherwise, he likes cars and movies and working in the yard/with tools but has so much of that stuff already. Any ideas?

Aryn · Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 1389 Location: Astoria NY

I bought a science kit for my nephew this year (he turned 6) - my sister suggested it because he told her he wants to go to "doctor school".

I got this one, it's 5+

My sister reports that he begs her to "do science" on the weekends! I think it's a great idea.
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Crumb · Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 2395

The Crumblette is a week short of 5 and she would LOVE a science kit. That one the aryn posted is awesome.

I tend to give either consumable gifts (lots of art supplies) or books. I love that you give him comfy pants and a book every year - that's awesome.

Sleepyhouse · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 7936

mohawk · Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 1195 Location: Saint Louis

I got my 4 year old niece a science kit for her birthday this year. It was putting together different instruments to learn about sound. She loved it. And as a parent I would be giddy as hell if someone gave Ruby a science kit. I was raised on those things! I even had a rock tumbler to make ordinary rocks into beautiful polished stones!
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Sleepyhouse · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 7936

crookedtree · Joined: 18 May 2007 Posts: 1847

I buy my niece a lot of books to counteract the hundreds of dollars worth of plastic princess toys her grandparents get her each year.

She is 6. Last year she LOVED these encyclopedias I got her. There are several more in the series. For her birthday I got her a book of Shel Silverstein poetry. She's obsessed. She tells me about it every time I talk to her on the phone.

My mom always gave kids gifts of art supplies or cooking supplies. Like a kids' cookbook + apron + wisk/spoon/bowl set. Or a big pad of paper and nice new markers, fun crayons, stencils, etc.

When my niece was 4, I gave her a dress-up bag. I collected old clothes, purses, and accessories from my friends and went to the thrift store to supplement. I put it all together in a canvas duffel.

My other niece is almost 2. I have no idea what to get her. She's obsessed with cats and eating blueberries. Help?

Crumb · Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 2395

crookedtree - Check out Neil Gaiman's book Blueberry Girl. It is, hands down, my favorite children's book of all time. (Every time I read it to the Crumblette I cry. Every. time.)

Chupacabra · Joined: 03 May 2006 Posts: 1572 Location: Astoria, New York

Jzane · Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 2413 Location: Charlotte, NC

Are there any children's museums or fun stuff for kids where he lives? Maybe a day pass or a 5-time pass to one of those, if they're available?

I like the art supplies idea. Giant pads of paper, maybe a roll of butcher's paper, and those smelly markers or 94-box of crayons? Washable paints, stamps and stamp pads, chalk, those scissors that cut in funky shapes, etc.

crookedtree, my current idea for my friend's daughter who's almost 2 is a toddler-sized apron and maybe some cookie cutters or child cooking supplies. The ones at Growing Cooks come in tiny sizes for tiny people, and adding embroidery isn't that much extra.
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scarymonster · Guest

happyapple · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 1515 Location: Ottawa Ontario

My son is 5 and he loves doing science experiments so a kit would likely go over well. What about art supplies? A marble run would also be educational and fun for a 5 year old boy. This is the one that my son has and it keeps him occupied for a long time!
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knittykat · Joined: 08 Apr 2004 Posts: 10694 Location: Here & Now

My girl LOVES to shop for books, so a gift certificate to a local bookstore (extra points for a fab indie used bookstore if you have one). Especially since kids get way overwhelmed with gifts around holiday time, and it's nice to have something the parents can use during the dull post-holiday time.
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Jzane · Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 2413 Location: Charlotte, NC

Bumping to say that I ended up getting my friend's daughter "Blueberry Girl" for her birthday this week. The report: her mom was crying by Page 2. Thanks for the great suggestion, Crumb!
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Sleepyhouse · Joined: 09 Apr 2004 Posts: 7936

I ended up getting my nephew a marshmallow shooter for his birthday (which we still haven't gotten to work because our marshmallows were not fresh).

And a set of Stomp Rockets for Christmas. Which will hopefully work. They were on a bunch of lists on Amazon and got high ratings for such a weird little toy- I hope he likes it!