What Kind of Gifts Do You Buy Children at Christmas Time?

Instead of gifts we started giving "experiences"...tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters, tickets to Holiday on Ice, a day at the zoo, etc. Mainly for the exact reasons you gave, they already have so many toys and by the time they get gifts from grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc...the house isn't big enough for all that "stuff".

well, I wish that I had been told about the "gifts of 3"....just like the Wise Men.....but that knowledge came too late in life!

So, my rule of thumb was always:
a board or card game
a book or books
a piece of clothing, usually something beyond normal budget
a video game, movie, or cd
a couple of misc toys
& one big thing....a bike, a game system, etc. Whatever was age-appropriate.

My budget remained the same for many years. Now that my sons are older, the pile of gifts has dwindled....as the cost of electronics has soared! Would I do it the same - all over again? Nope, I'd do the "gifts of 3"!!

Oh, & each year, before birthdays & Christmas, we'd go thru the household & eliminate the outgrown personal belongings....passing them on to family/friends or local charities.

Christmas is fun... they should get a few toys! I try to get what they really want as long as it's reasonable. They also get cloths and books. They really have gotten way too much to tell you the truth. I have way to much fun shopping! The oldest who is 13 gets a lot less only because the older they get the more expensive the requests!!

We buy what is in our budget.

HI
Well we have the same problem w/ my daughter. Its very hard to buy things, seems like she has wayy too much. So now w/ my SIL we dont buy toys we buy gift cards and take them to places. We do Odyssey Fun World, Chuckee Cheese, Six Flags, etc. We take our girls out for a day and let them get what they want like hair, nails,makeup, etc. Its fun to spend time with family and you dont have to make more room for toys that will be in a donation box in a few months. Some people think gift cards are impersonal but we choose where we want to go and use our gifts out all together :)
Good Luck!!!

I buy a lot of books...no one else will buy my children books, because we could stock a library off our shelves and they don't know what to get. Probably because I buy a lot of books. :)

I also buy unique things that others aren't going to think of...a kit to build a birdhouse, a carnivorous plant garden, etc...and if there's something really special that's asked for, I'll get it. This year it's a Dinosaur Train Mud Set.

We let them ask Santa for one thing. My son always asks for a bell. THis year it is a yellow bell, it's been blue, red, green, gold. He's 10.
The girls ask for all sorts of things but then say, we don't need anything. Because they really don't.

I get them their one item they asked for from Santa at the mall.
Then they get books and puzzles, Jewelry, craft kits, tools, a stuffy,

Nieces and nephews get books and m&ms or Skittles. This year my 13 yo nephew is gettng a slingshot. I try to get the older ones practical gifts now. Like car accessories, fishing equipment, tools.
Since they all live in the midwest some years they get gift cards if we are not going to be going home.

I was given an article from one of the teachers at "parenting" classes for lack of better explanation. It suggested that you buy your kids 5 things (if my memory serves me).
1. something that is physically played with (roller skates, ball, etc.)
2. something that is hugged and loved (doll, stuffed animal)
3. a game or toy
4. something to be creative with (art easel, crayons, play dough)
5. a book

All things can be dialed up or down as far as price and budget.

We've stuck with this idea and use the two bigger items that may be hard to wrap from Santa (or the item asked for). Santa doesn't wrap in our house.

And, we add a personal ornament for them to keep as a keepsake. I bought a journal for each girl last year and haven't done it yet, but plan to write down each year's ornament and why it was chosen for each girl. When they marry, we will give them their box of ornaments and the journal.

For other kids in the family, we draw names among the cousins and each cousin has to pick out the gift for the other. We also set a limit based on VALUE and not actual price since there are so many sales that time of year.

Up until last year we always gave out kids toys, books, games, movies and other things that they wanted. Last year my daughter asked if for Christmas i would instead let her go on a school trip to France. It was $5,000 dollars plus personal money. That was much more than what we would have spent, we decided to let her go and now she and my son are both going to Greece with there school this year. Our private school offers trips during spring break for ages 10-18, I suggest trying to find a fun opportunity such as these for older kids instead of toys.

We don't like to get tons of little stuff. We have done things like bicycles, scooters, a dollhouse, a train table, a toy kitchen, etc. I get alot from used childrens stores for great prices. And it is usually one big item each or one big item to share (since the girls are 4 and 5) and then smaller things I get are art supplies like paint, big drawing pads, new markers etc. We always use that stuff!

I give a variety of gifts. Books are almost always included. If I know they need clothes, then they get clothes, and then I try to give something fun too. It really depends on the budget.

Gifts are a very small part of our Christmas. Due to split houses and choice, our Christmas is about three weeks of various events and traditions. The Christmas morning gift-giving is stockings with a few candies, an orange, and nuts. Santa brings one present for each child. Any other presents are opened from any other sources (relatives, kids giving to each other, etc.). Then we have a fancy breakfast and go out to do something.

The parents also give the household one one group Christmas present that is sometimes a thing and sometimes an event. One year we went to an indoor waterpark (several months later). One year we got an inflatable bouncer. One year we got colored lights for the playroom. One year we got an electric piano.

The kids are completely satisfied with this. Christmas is not a time of avarice for them, it's a time of special events.

for my kids i buy 'more expensive' items. we have every toy out there and then some. so this year i will keep it small but with things they wouldn't otherwise get.

I will usually ask the mom what they think the kids would like or could really use. If you are looking for an alternative to toys, you could ask more for books, clothes, or gift cards for someplace fun that you can all go to together (movies, etc.). I do tend to get books for my SIL's kids because they spend entirely too much time watching TV and playing video games. Last Christmas I splurged on gift certificates for ski or snowboard lessons at the ski mountain that is near their house.