Xmas presents for a 2 year old and 4 year old

woodstock

woodstock

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Hi everyone

Since I know a lot of folks have kids here, I thought I'd ask this.

I'm trying to think of something creative for my niece (almost 2) and nephew (almost 4). I don't want to just give them the latest toy, and I don't want to contribute to the spawning of another mindless consumer.

Any ideas? Mom and Dad (my brother and sis-in law) have something like 8 horses so they are already on their way to becoming outdoorsy horse-people. (which I think is great, it's how I grew up).

I also have both birthdays coming up very soon thereafter so the more ideas the merrier.

Thanks!
 
Llots and lots and lots and lots of candy. Then leave. :D
 
I was thinking about maybe a bullhorn, or one of those noisemakers - you know, the kind that spin around and around?
 
Actually I would recommend books. Books that help with imagination and wonder. The toys will be forgotten about in a month or two. But books will sit on their shelf and be reread. As they grow they will look back at the the books and remember the quality time reading them with parents or their aunt.

Here are few recommendations:
Runaway-Bunny by: Margaret-Wise-Brown
Good-Night-Gorilla by: Peggy-Rathmann
When-Was-Little-Four-Year-Olds-Memoir by Jamie Lee Curtis
Chocolatina by: Erik-Kraft
Duck on a Bike by: David-Shannon

and of course what kids book list on PoA would be complete without Brave-Potatoes and Two Brave Cows by Toby Speed.
 
What I've been doing for my grand nephews and neices since their 1st Christmas are the annual silver eagle coin and a savings bond. Also got them the Ranger Rick subscription when they were younger. Parents and grandparents inundate them with enough toys and clothes that it didn't make sense for me to add to it. Sure, they didn't care when they were younger, but that's changed as they've aged.

Kaye
 
http://www.violetthepilot.com/

I also saw a "Andy the Pilot" booth at Osh that was developing childrens videos about around flying diffrent aircraft to new places... I can't find the web site.

Might as well get the airplane bug in there early.

Missa
 
My kids have always been fans of books, although my 9 year old now asks for Starbucks cards. Also, there is National Geographic Kids magazine, which they LOVE. NatGeoKids might be too grown up even for the 4 year old, but My Big Backyard magazine for the younger one and Ranger Rick for the older one is a good combination. Both are published by the National Wildlife Federation.
 
Fingerpaints, drum set, play dough. Anything that makes a mess.

Glad I could help. :rolleyes:

:D:D:D
 
This was absolutely the most popular toy when we had several kids here for Thanksgiving. The 2 1/2-year-old and 4-year-old fought over it at times. I don't think Fisher-Price makes it anymore, unfortunately. I found an interesting article about it:

http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/fisher/

The movie they watched several times (at their request) was "Cloud Dancer", but I wouldn't suggest buying it for kids. :D
 

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Diana said:
This was absolutely the most popular toy when we had several kids here for Thanksgiving. The 2 1/2-year-old and 4-year-old fought over it at times. I don't think Fisher-Price makes it anymore, unfortunately. I found an interesting article about it:

http://www.weathergraphics.com/tim/fisher/

The movie they watched several times (at their request) was "Cloud Dancer", but I wouldn't suggest buying it for kids. :D
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That is a great link and that is one of my all time favorite toys. I was much older than the intended audience when they came out but I still enjoyed playing with it.
 
smigaldi said:
That is a great link and that is one of my all time favorite toys. I was much older than the intended audience when they came out but I still enjoyed playing with it.
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I asked the 4-year-old why that was his favorite toy, and he said "Because it's so cool." :D

We still have the whole airport set with the helicopter and people and luggage vehicles, fueling truck and all that stuff. We don't have the dog, though.
 
Hey, thanks! Great ideas.

I wonder if their Mom would approve of me getting them excited about flying. :)

Last year, believe it or not, the favorite gift was a stocking stuffer - those crayola fizz bombs you put in bath water? Whoda thunk it. I went out and bought a case for them after that.
 
Hey Beth. My Granddaughter is 3-and-one-half. In the past, she's loved some of the following:
Tent of some sort she can sit in in her room--was big stuff!!
Sticker books--she loved to tear off stickers and paste them somewhere <g>. Sometimes even in the book!!
Computer games: there are a couple really neat games if she has the patience to sit at a computer and play them with an adult helping: Pajama Sam, Putt Saves the Zoo and Freddie Fish. She loved these. They don't make them anymore, but you can still purchase them on the net.
Little people Zoo was also a big hit.

Hope these help.

Best,

Dave
 
If it is still around, how about a subscription to Highlights magazine? It was one of my favorites as a kid.
 
woodstock said:
Hey, thanks! Great ideas.

I wonder if their Mom would approve of me getting them excited about flying. :)
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If she has a problem with it just respond with a "Well I could have bought them a drum, finger paint and play-dough. At least what I bought them will not anoy the senses and make a horrific mess."

Missa
 
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