Birthday ideas for 4 year old!! HELP!!!

sammy_kaye18

Hi All

AM in desperate need of some help please!

My little boy will be 4 on May 26th.

He loves his birthday cake on his birthday which he will get, I have money aside for it already in the bakers but im worried that we are so financially in trouble that i wont be able to afford much for his birthday and its upsetting me so bad i dont know what to do.

I have been tryignt to save but the last few months we seem to literally be gettign to the next apy day with only 20 - 30p in our pocket - me and boyfriend have sat and talked baout our money but we have so much to pay out this month that i think we will be in the same boat and i will be paid the 12th/13th of may so will need to attempt tp get gifts then

Im just looking for some help and ideas of cheap things i can get/buy/make him that wont cost alot.

He has a sandpit - he uses it as a table cos it has a lid on - which hes had about 2 years now and a hand me down bike form his brother which i think is prehaps too small now. hes not a materialistic child - he doesnt want modern top 10 toys - hes mad about his cars and power rangers etc.

Ive thought about colouring books because he loves them and i can pick them up cheap enough in wilkinsons etc.
Also he lies dressing up so im hopign to find a few bits in charity shops i can adapt to be a costume of some sort without too much altering.

I jsut feel like all his little friends have so much adn that i cant offer himt he thigns id like to. I think his last christmas he had about £100 and his little stocking had a tub of bubbles, 50p colouring book, 50p pack of crayons, 50p dvd form a charity shop of mixed cartoons and 3x 29p books in a charity shop and although he loved them i still feel bad as they were all i could afford.

I work 11 hours a week and boyfriend works all the hours he can and we are still just scraping by. Im hoping to find some freebies that are kiddy frinedly too which can be gifted to him too.

HELP!

rainmac

Poor you, don't worry about what everyone else has, you are doing your absoulute best for your son and that is always good enough.

It was my son's 4th birthday last week and we didn't buy him very much at all. I did feel a bit mean but he had pressies from other people and a party and he's not materialistic so had a great birthday. I'm so glad now we didn't spend more as it was absolutely not necessary and we couldn't really afford it anyway.

If your son loves colouring books what about a 'hamper' type thing filled with colouring books, felt tips, crayons etc from Wilkos, 99p store etc with a few sweets? I promise you your son will love it and think you are fab for giving him such a great present!

You could do a birthday tea party with little sandwiches - we did this last year and put a rug on the living room floor to sit and eat on.

I emailed a photo of my son to cbeebies magazine and they printed his photo in the magazine the week of his birthday - he thought this was one of the best presents and was completely free! You had to send the picture 4 weeks before the birthday date to [EMAIL="'cbeebiesweekly@bbc.co.uk'"]cbeebiesweekly@bbc.co.uk'[/EMAIL].

Good luck!

Rachel85

I am a firm believer that giving children everything does them no good.

Is it possible to get your money back from the bakery and buy a (cheaper) cake from the supermarket? The ideas you've suggested are great and when wrapped up with some balloons he'll be thrilled. Could you try Freecyle to see if anyone has any toys to spare?

Sharra

What about downloading some free colouring sheets to make your own colouring book. You could also make him a book with him as the star - a very simple story including his name and print that out for him to colour in.

mamamia

Sharra wrote: »

What about downloading some free colouring sheets to make your own colouring book. You could also make him a book with him as the star - a very simple story including his name and print that out for him to colour in.

Exactly what I would do if I were you. Loving our children dearly is more important that buying, buying and buying. I make my children birthdays special by telling them how much we love them, singing happy birthday to them and giving them what we can afford, no matter how small.

Lillibet_2

Hope some of these help :

From the freebies board

Free story book
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=844481

Free song of your childs name (don't know whether you could burn a copy to CD?)
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=830015

Free Disney colouring sheets & puzzles
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=810779

Free book& DVD
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=813899

Free Ferrari stickers
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=794105&highlight=ferrari

Have you tried asking on freecycle for trucks/action firgures/old DVD's/character t-shirts/PJ's /bigger bike/1st roller skates etc?

Have you got any tesco vouchers you could convert to a "deals" day out instead of a present? Or have you got an forgotton pennies languashing in cash back accounts like Quidco or Rpooints or forgotton loyalty points you could cash in, Nectar points used to be redeemable in McDonalds for a meal (not sure if you can still do this?), Boots points for character bubble bath etc?

Finally I am guessing that you have rooted around in the charity shop 10p bins for cars & figures etc, what about car boot sales, they should be starting around the bank holiday weekend & often kids toys get sold off for 10-20p especially at the end of the morning?

HTH & good luck. Maybe come back & let us know how you get on?

sammy_kaye18

Hi peeps

I have been having a look round and have come up with a few ideas for my little one. He enjoys dressing up lately so i have thought of a few things that might be do able round this for a few ideas. My sister in law was getting rid of some shirts her husband had outgrown so she gave them to my boyfriend who refused point blank to wear them cos they werent his thing - a plain long sleeve white shirt, a blue one and a few others. Also in my fabric store i had only white material, yellow material, 2 red pillowcases and light green material.

So ive come up with these ideas for fancy dress costumes I can hopefulyl make with some wonder web and basic stitching.

white shirt -
doctor (will use an old headband and super glue an old cd to it to make his head light thingy) and ben already has a little doctor play kit with stethoscope etc
chef - (piece of card, rolled round to make a cylinder - one chefs hat.)

blue shirt -
patient/surgeon - will make a little white face mask for him form old flannel

green fabric - dinosaur tail stuffed with some of the endless carrier bags i have lurking around - also adapt a hoodie he already has but refuses to wear so it is a dinosaur body and head.
- also a pocho with zigzag cut on bottom, and make a material hat - belt from spare fabric and some card and tinfoil to make a small sword for peter pan

yellow material - make a robe/poncho type thing - get a cheap pack of sequins form wilkos to string/sew on spare fabric to make a belt and make a card crown fro him and that can be a kings outfit.

red pillowcases im hoping i can unpick somewhere and then sew together to make a red cape.

also im planning to look in the charity shops and pick up a selection of hats for him to play with too. Poundland have some animal masks in too at the minute which i think he'd like.

Also.......Ive spoken to my boss in work and have asked if she gets any large boxes on a delivery if she will save them for me and im hoping i will be able to get them, get a few tester pots of paint (although i have some colours left over from painting the house), paint the boxes and then set it up in his bedroom as a play house/fire station/power rangers den for him.

I spoke to my dad too who doesnt know what to buy him (he lives in Crewe) but decided he is wanting to come down fro his birthday and has said rather than a big present he will get ben a little something and pay for us to go out for the day - we are going to a place named Folly Farm - which is basically a kids place with a giant climbing frame/animals/rides etc but ben has been there once before and loved it so that will be the day before his birthday.

So its looking promising - I have saved a few pictures into my msn too so need to get to a library nearer the time to print them off then im hoping to make him his own colouring book.

Its looking good so far im jsut hopign nothing bad happens - she says - after jsut cutting her hand open on a serated bread knife - and yes it hurts!

arthur_dent_2

Ok I am going to really sound mean now........

DD1 1st birthday bought her nothing, 2nd birthday a gardening set cost £3.50 3rd birthday a boobah £2.50 in the sale 4th birthday nothing, but did have a party at the village hall about £80 5th birthday again party about £80 6th birthday Pizza Hut with her friends £25.

DD2 if you thought I was mean with my first think the same again with my second except far less because her birthday is in the summer hols so she does not have a proper party.

The point is that my children have a lovely day and we do great things it is not about what you spend on them it is about time that you give them. If your family is anything like mine they will get plenty of presents.

Christmas is equally as mean they get about £30 each spent on them.

bluenose1

I think the ideas you have got are great and he will enjoy your thoughtful presents more than those who are given so much they don't know what to play with.

There is a good megabloks ship reduced to £4.99 on the Argos thread that I am toying with the idea of buying to put away for my 5 year old. The reviews on the thread look very good.

jopsey

does your Dad ever travel to Widnes? only I am in the process of sorting my boy's toy box out and you are more than welcome to it .

mirrorimage0

free printable wrapping paper, also has characters you can print off, power rangers. spongebob etc... good luck

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....html?t=852713