Christmas ideas

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Racerx

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So my tenants have two boys 3 and 6. Last year I got the kids tickets to monster jam. And the parents a gift card to a steakhouse owned by one of my customers. This year plan on a seafood restaurant owned by a different customer for the adults. But was kind of stumped on the kids. Nothing warms my cold black heart like a kids smile so was hoping to get some ideas. Reading the amateur rocketry thread and the talk of estes model rockets got me thinking.
 
My grandsons are 2 & 4…anything that involves tools or tractors, real or toy, works for them.

we built a billy cart for their birthdays this year that they can ride down the hill in their back yard.
 
They might be too young, but the popular gift around here has been lock picking kits and tools. You can get a kit with some locks to test on and some tools. Boys seems to like them more than girls.
 
Beween 3 and 6, we got a lot of mileage out of brio wooden railways and magnatiles and legos.
 
charheep said:
They might be too young, but the popular gift around here has been lock picking kits and tools. You can get a kit with some locks to test on and some tools. Boys seems to like them more than girls.
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There ya go, set them up for a future career as - well, take your pick.
 
I agree that they're a bit young for model rocketry. Around here, 6 is a good age for a first BB gun. Maybe a cap pistol for the younger one?

Drum kits and trumpets are always good gifts for young kids who belong to someone else. ;)
 
Our kids really enjoy KiwiCo boxes. They’re fun and educational, and you can do individual boxes or a subscription.
 
Half Fast said:
Drum kits and trumpets are always good gifts for young kids who belong to someone else. ;)
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I managed to pull off both noisy AND destructive for my nieces and nephew one year, and lived to tell the tale!

paint ball guns (although I couldn’t get them to shoot each other), and harmonicas for the six-hour drive home. ;)
 
Man I wish someone got me a lock pick kit at that age. Because at this age, after a couple years of trying I’m limited to stealing things out of the lower bays of motor homes, or maybe a weed eater out of a Home Depot storage shed protected by a Chinese master lock clone…

Just sayin…

Sounds like you like these people, so a drum set and puppies are out.

Hand launched gliders. I LOVED those as a kid that age.
 
As a father of a 6yr old girl and a 3.5yr old boy: magnatiles are great. For a cheap gift, stomp rockets from dollar general or similar. Seriously. They can use them in the house or outside, Styrofoam rockets won't hurt anything. If you want to spend a little more, get them a fort building kit like this one. My kids have a huge set of them along with some blue sheets/spring clips and they build forts of every size and shape.

Wiggle cars are another fun one, which turns our tile living room into a race track, but they work great outside as well.

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Tools said:
Man I wish someone got me a lock pick kit at that age. Because at this age, after a couple years of trying I’m limited to stealing things out of the lower bays of motor homes, or maybe a weed eater out of a Home Depot storage shed protected by a Chinese master lock clone…

Just sayin…

Sounds like you like these people, so a drum set and puppies are out.

Hand launched gliders. I LOVED those as a kid that age.
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They're good tenants and the kids are cute and always wave. Rent is always early, even during the lockdown when our governor did an eviction freeze even when the husband was laid off for a couple months. So I like to show my appreciation.

I think we're the abnormal ones in that we would have both enjoyed the lock pick set. Start the deviance young, I've always said that.

I remembered launching some Estes rockets with my dad in one of the fields he had permission to hunt around that age. But my parents were the ones that let the 3 year old drive the gas powered golf cart without a governor to get the mail at work...located on a four lane highway...alone! Couldn't reach the pedals so I had to stand.
 
eman1200 said:
I don't know much about kids but I think 3-6 may be too young for model rockets. how 'bout fireworks?
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I set my grandparents boat on fire with sparklers. 4th of July parade. Boat was decorated with streamers. And my family gave the 4 year old sparklers...right next to Grandma who was on oxygen.
 
Hehe, my son asked for a weed eater at six…

Mom said N O.

I said get in the truck, we’re going to Lowes!
 
Tools said:
Hehe, my son asked for a weed eater at six…

Mom said N O.

I said get in the truck, we’re going to Lowes!
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I've got a unique situation with 2 houses on one 5 acre parcel, so theyre tenants and neighbors. The 6 year old likes to hop on my zero turn mower. Found the key on once. I hate mowing and I've got 3 acres to mow. There's 10 bucks in it for ya kid.
 
SoonerAviator said:
As a father of a 6yr old girl and a 3.5yr old boy: magnatiles are great.
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I’d forgotten about those as my kids have outgrown them, but yes - they’re great and my kids loved playing with them at that age.
 
Racerx said:
I've got a unique situation with 2 houses on one 5 acre parcel, so theyre tenants and neighbors. The 6 year old likes to hop on my zero turn mower. Found the key on once. I hate mowing and I've got 3 acres to mow. There's 10 bucks in it for ya kid.
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Good age to get that started. I think we started the boy around that age, now we basically don’t mow. It’s the kids job and they can get paid if they have a good attitude or they can do it for free if they have a bad one.
 
frfly172 said:
LEGOs
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Have you priced those things lately? Easy to drop $100 on one or two build projects, especially if it's star wars related lol.

Mega Blocks are a bit more friendly to kids under 7 anyway, unless you want to be bugged to pull stuff apart or randomly find microscopic pieces with your feet.
 
Zeldman said:
Jarts...

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No, of course not...what was I thinking.??

But especially fun at night...It is amazing us kids of the 60s survived the 60s...
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I actually found a set of jarts in the original box when I tore down and rebuilt the garage. Metal tipped and all. Did the same people that made these make wood burning kits as well?
 
RC trucks? Traxxas has some reasonably priced entry level RTR ones that would be fine for kids their age. Fast enough to keep them from getting bored, but slow enough to not break all the time
 
SoonerAviator said:
Have you priced those things lately? Easy to drop $100 on one or two build projects, especially if it's star wars related lol.

Mega Blocks are a bit more friendly to kids under 7 anyway, unless you want to be bugged to pull stuff apart or randomly find microscopic pieces with your feet.
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Megablocks are kinda for 3 and under. Lego stuff need not be spendy, though I was glad to ditch the Bachmann HO stuff for Lego trains. I also keep a broom in the 5yo's room to clear the lego minefield.

ktup-flyer said:
RC trucks? Traxxas has some reasonably priced entry level RTR ones that would be fine for kids their age. Fast enough to keep them from getting bored, but slow enough to not break all the time
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The 1:28 (SC28) and 1:16 (Losi Mini-B) stuff is pretty kid friendly too.
 
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