another christmas present dilema!

Poppy9

You could buy vouchers for their local swimming pool. If you also want to give a present for him to open on the day go to the Works and find a nice musical touchy feely book.

One year we gave my daughter a tricycle for her birthday. She wasn't very impressed and said "yes but where's my birthday present". We had lots of other little things for her but she was most chuffed with the Handy Lamb book (99p from one of those book clubs that leave stuff in office)

essexhoney

not sure what sort of thing you are after but this is brilliant
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3481578/Trail/C%24cip%3D29054.Toys%2Band%2Bbaby%3EC%24cip%3D29100.Interactive%2Band%2Belectronic%2Btoys%3EC%24Brand%3DLeapfrog.Leapfrog.htm
its currently 9.99 in argos or it is £15 in boots on there 3 for 2 offer.
My son now 5 still plays with his and i have just bought one for my daughter 8mths not only is it musical but it also teaches colours and numbers too and attaches to the cot and sings lullabies to settle baby to sleep!

either that or the chunky wooden puzzles were a winner with my son or board books are great too again my son still uses them not only did he love looking at the pictures and learning what the different pictures were he is now learning to read the actual words too!
these are all things that will last him a good few years to come and they aint that expensive neither
i hope you find the perfect gift

Savvy_Sue

The best aunt will, before buying a noisy present, check that it won't drive the recipient's family mad too quickly.

I escaped fairly lightly at home, but in the church creche was the most appalling Jack-in-the-Box which sort of whined when it was opened. The kids loved it, but I found it the most soul destroying noise on God's earth and started to hide it each Sunday.

bigmuffins

Books are always good - Redhouse do a gift book-a-month offer around the £35 mark, where they send out a new book every month - have a look on the website. www.redhouse.co.uk

They have a 10% discount when you spend £25. Dec code: 3901 but I am not sure if that applies to the gift subscription. Spend £30 and choose from one of 3 free gifts (Kipper/Flower Fairies jigsaw or The World of Jacqueline Wilson)

If you call them they are usually very helpful: 0870 191 9988 Customer Services

sooz

the aqua draw is fab. fold up small, no noise and no mess - well water only. you can even get the small aqua mats, that come with a small aqua pen [got these for my son at boots today on 3 for 2]

other things at boots were brio starter kit, so you can always buy more bits for next xmas/bday etc. starter figure of 8, 1 bridge and one train was 9.99, also on 3 for 2.

however, i am also suffering from too much clutter. would love membership for nearest small zoo, animal farm/sanctuary/legoland type thing/ delete as appropriate. something to get mum out of the house with toddler, without being forced to go once a week.

hope this helps

next year buy stickers,sticker books,etc toddlers looove them, but maybe he's a bit too small this year.



also nothing that needs batteries or that you can't switch off/turn down. all those type of pressies ended up at the charity shop. like the baby drum kit and the baby keyboards. :eek:

In_for_a_Bargain

Hi in my estimation, it doesn't matter what you get they will spend hours with the cardboard box it comes in,and I say this from experience!! I would maybe say vouchers for the Birthday (parents may appreciate it if not much money available and child too young to know difference) and for Christmas Early Leaning Centre do very reasonable and small gifts. Also supermarkets are pretty good for toys these days.

rchddap1

Last Xmas my nephew was around 10 months old and I didn't have a clue. However, OH and I decided to get him a little plastic trike (from Toys R Us for £20 ish....Tomy one I think..transformed from a walker to a trike). He was too young for it when we bought it, but now....he's in seventh heaven (and has been for a while). My sister has a laminate floor and he get some speed going and flys to the otherside of the room. He's always flying around on the thing (after Dad taught him how to use it...wish I'd been there to see that though....6ft dad on a little trike for a 12 month old hehehe). Its even been taken on holiday with him this week.

Don't worry about getting something for 'now'....with Xmas round the corner they'll have plenty of that. Keep an eye on what may be useful 6 months down the road.

Last year I also picked up a little 'xmas' outfit for him from matalan. It was a full lengh suit....with a little tail, and antlers on a little hood. He looked great....now how to top it this year.

jellyhead

for children whose birthday is close to xmas i think vouchers are a nice idea because when they're young they outgrow clothes and toys quickly and vouchers can be used some time after the event. my summer babies have their birthdays halfway between xmases and it's great because they need a different stage of toy by then, or when older just enjoy having something different later on in the year. my sister was always complaining when her winter baby was pre-school because she had to buy him clothes and toys every six months because he needed them, and how nice it would be if she'd had a summer baby instead so rather than tonnes of age appropriate stuff in the winter he could have some in winter and then some for the next stage in the summer. vouchers in the winter would get around this problem because the parents can choose to use them later on.

jockettuk

my daughters birthday is the 6th jan and i find its great having a birthday just after christmas as we get her birthday stuff in the sales.. we have bought summer toys and summer stuff in the past so that she gets it for her birthday but cant really use it till the summer time.. we have got her clothes but a bigger size so that she can have them throughout the year.. she will be 11 this jan and all she wants is bratz stuff.. i give a list out to family and friends and they just mark off what they getting her for christmas/birthday and some give her money so what she doesnt get we go off shopping middle jan..

when she was a baby and she was into certain stuff mine liked barney she was given these or if the parent wants to start a collection for a baby then get some of these.. friend was collecting beatrix potter for her daughter..