I'm having a hard time buying my 5 year old Xmas presents

[Casnos Minis]

[SIZE=14pt]He has so many match box's, trucks, cars, and machines of all sizes, a new bike and 4 wheeler for his birthday, a radio and cd's. I just don't know whay else to get him. He likes the horses, but isn't into really working with them, he wants to ride my instructor's pony so I might do a lead line lesson a month with him. Does anyone have any ides? He like to take things apart, he has real tools. He loves Lightening McQueen and I did get him the trailer turck thing that goes with Lighting McQueen, a horse book, and a pretend bow and arrow with suction cup arrows. He has a baseball glove and bats and balls. PLease help!!!! I feel terrible Cassidy is almost done and she's easy, anything horse related.[/SIZE]

Christy

 

[iluvwalkers]

[SIZE=12pt]i think boys are harder to buy for, i can find a million things my daughter would like but only a handful for my son...wish i could help. Nikki [/SIZE]

 

[Reble]

Train set for his age.

 

[Danielle_E.]

Does he like to play outside in the snow? Is he an outdoor kind of kid? Do you live outside of the city? or in an area where their is some open space? What about a pair of cross country skis for kids. You might just find kids size ones at a second hand sport store. What about a toboggan? I find kids now a days don't get out enough in the wide open, too busy with their indoor toys, computer, videos, etc.

 

[mininik]

What about martial arts lessons?

 

[Jill]

I just finished Xmas shopping for my nephews. One, Jonah, is turning 4yo in March. I got him a Vtech V.Smile video game thing and a few games. From what I could tell, they are "nice" games and geared towards learning (not violent or anything). The system was $45 and the games about $20. It looked like it did come with some kind of a game as well (I didn't totally "get it" but think Jonah will!). I think the age range on some of the games was up to 7yrs (?).

It was easier to buy for him when he was younger! And now trying not to buy his little brother, Eli, the same toys I bought for Jonah (as he probably inherited them) but I can't really remember WHAT I bought him last year or the year before OH!

 

[Marty]

A kid can never get enough match cars.

Then get him the cases that he can put them in. They are really neat and have little handles on them to carry them around. We have 8 of those.

Action figures always work.

Legos; man, you can build the Pentagon now a days with legos

Model cars are easy too and what about a train? Nothing like tons of train tracks running all throughout the house. Hey, but it's fun.

How about a sled, ice skates? Although my boys preferred sledding down the hills on garbage can lids OH!

Then for snow days we always got those little learning videos that go according to age.

Water color painting sets with an easel?

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Raven has always loved to read she is reading Watership Down now a favorite of my childhood I think she likes to read due to games like Leapfrog stuff she loved the science and astronomy leap frog and when she was in kindergarten was the only one in her class who knew all that stuff

 

[Sonya]

I think little boys are the easiest to buy for...things are easy to find and inexpensive. I don't have kids though, I can remember a couple things I've bought my nephew in the past:

Lego sets

My nephew is big into hunting (because his Dad goes alot)...if your son is into that Hunter Dan...my nephew loved it, I bought the tree stand, tent and a bunch of other accessories. I think it's a good gift, because often boys DO want to play with dolls but because dolls are always considered a "girls" toy, boys never get the opportunity. I even bought him different outfits for the doll depending on what Hunter Dan was going to hunt that day...Deer or Duck, etc...

model sets (cars, planes) that he can build

chemistry set

I can't remember anything else off the top of my head right now...Did he see the movie "Transformers"? Maybe some transformer toys...and the movie itself (I think it's out on DVD now)..

I'm sure whatever you get he will be happy with, boys are so easy to please. (at least in my experience with the nieces/nephew).

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Lets see Lincoln logs of course legos what about card games that you can play together ie: Go Fish or even Uno. Since Uno is both color and number cards even young kids can play if they know their colors. Finger paint and paper any boys I ve ever know loved that because it is messy.

 

[Casnos Minis]

[SIZE=14pt]Thanks guys those are great ideas. [/SIZE]

Danielle E. - he loves to be outside and has sleds and stuff, but no skis yet.

mininik- we tried karate at his sisters dance studio this past spring, he didn't really like it.

Jill- We have that game system and I did get him 2 new games for it.

Marty- As always great ideas. He has over 2000 matchboxes, but no containers. We have over $20,000 in legos. His father was big into that ans had so many he built a huge city in his parents basement. All that is packed away and isn't to be touched. He does have alot of his own also and plays with them when he get really cranked up it calms him.

We have a bunch of train stuff from his grandfather, he used to collect trains and we have 30 gallon barrels full of them. Just no room to put them as we are living with my parents right now.

I think the containers for his cars, licoln logs, and some games. He has an uno game and they got alot of board games for their birthday last year.

Christy

 

[ChrystalPaths]

From a mom who has been there and done that...more is not necessarily better. I have always put a $$ limit/per child. Large gift or small ones that is all I spend. Christmas is about the sharing and love and even religious feelings. I have 6 things for Aidan, mostly Lightning McQueen also. I do think he'll be pleased with them..no need for "more". Shain wanted a new TV. that is all he is getting.

 

[Sterling]

This may sound a little boring to some....but I've enjoy getting my baby nieces educational puzzles toys. One in particular is a geographical one where it's this big puzzle of the United States of America. Others are farm animals...zoo animals etc.... And I wa so thrilled to find that they actually enjoyed and played with them. Sometimes you have to think "outside the box"...

 

[HobbsFarm]

[SIZE=14pt]Christy, I'm in the same boat you are. My son is 5 and has almost everything a little fella could want like the 4 wheeler and a million Matchbox cars. (You can get those Matchbox car cases at Wal-mart, btw.) Then I have a little girl that's almost two and I could get her sooooo many things that she would just love! We are getting her a play kitchen this year for her big present.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Back to my son,,, we are actually digressing a little this Christmas with his big gift. Even though he has a real 4 wheeler, we are getting him a John Deere battery operated Gator, I think. It is actually a two seater, they have added seatbelts this year, and I think he would feel so important being able to drive his little sis around the farm. Not to mention hauling and moving things around in the dump bed of the vehicle. We aren't ready to take the video gaming world plunge for him yet. Some other things that we want to get him are the original Tinkertoys and a globe with a pen so when you touch a country, continent, etc, it says what you are pointing to. My mom is getting him the new Play Dough Caddy and super size set with tools. My hubby and I are both in construction, so Hall loves grown up tools, etc. One of the home improvement stores sells a cute kid's size tool set complete with tool belt! I wanted to get him the big play size barn for him to play with his Schleich horses and farm animals but we can't swing that too this year. If he has a V-smile, they have come out with a bunch of new games for it this Christmas! Things like that are great to tell the grandparents or whoever might ask what they can get your child. My son also loves doing those Ravensburg puzzles whether it's the big floor puzzles or the tabletop kind. You can get them to fit lots of age ranges and they are durable and last a long time.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Hope this helps some, good luck and let me know if you think of anything else really good!![/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Shannon

[/SIZE]

 

[miniaddiction]

A lot of construction paper, a new box of 64 Crayolas, a pair of scissors and some glue.

Yes Karla that was what I was going to say, that and BOOKS...be it colouring books, story books, picture books..children can never have enough books.

 

[nootka]

Just be careful and double-check what it is.

No child needs more lead...

Why don't you see what kind of locally made "fun" things there might be? I found some nice puzzles that are made in the USA, and think I will be getting my six-year-old some of those.

This year, we're getting less, but we're getting better things for our money (I think!) by shopping locally and staying out of the big-box stores that are stocking the toxic toys from China.

I know you can't avoid ALL Of it, but sometimes the simple toys like the coloring crayons and books are best. Fingerpaints are really fun, and so far, they have washed out of everything they've gotten on.

My sons have gotten interested in bowling, though we had a bit of a time finding one that's made in the US.

Luckily he's an age where he's likely not putting toys in his mouth, but I think these toy manufacturers need to watch out and quit farming out so much stuff to other countries where they are obviously lying about the content of toys.

Good luck, it isn't easy....

Liz