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Gift ideas for nieces and nephews
Hi ladies,
I'm looking for some gift ideas for DH's 5 nieces/nephews. We are recently married and DH has admittedly been inconsistent in remembering birthdays and holidays each year for each child. So I'm trying to get us on some kind of plan to ensure everyone is remembered and gifts are relatively equal.
Family A has a 4yo boy and 7yo girl. They have every toy a kid could want and tons of relatives to spoil them in addition to their parents.
Family B has a 6yo girl, 10yo boy and 16yo girl. They definitely have less at home than their cousins and fewer extended family that gets them gifts.
I'm looking for advice on how much is an appropriate amount to spend for birthdays/Christmas as well as gift ideas for the various ages of the kids (including ideas for kids who seem to already have it all). We really want to avoid cash/giftcards for the younger kids, and when we ask their parents for gift ideas that is always their go to response. Thanks!
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Re: Gift ideas for nieces and nephews
Cash and gift cards for the little ones is actually something THEY like because they get to feel like big kids and pick out/pay for their own present. That experience of swiping the card and purchasing their own gift is a present in and of itself. This is coming from someone who is generally anti-gift cards. My nephew turns 10 on 9/10 and wants a really expensive video game. I got him a gift card for what I normally spend and an inexpensive but cool t-shirt so he has something tangible to open too. His mom is getting him a gc to the same store so he can combine them and get the game he wants.
It?s hard to say what you should budget ? that is really a personal decision based on your own finances. I wouldn?t spend more than the parents, that?s for sure. But $20-50 per kid is normal and can be tailored for your budget with all kids considered.
I also had another thought ? does family B interact with family A that often? If not, I don?t see why you can?t budget a little less for family A kids since they have so many relatives that dote on them and budget a little more for family B kids who don?t have as much.
Also, as a consideration, I tend to spend a little more on individual birthday gifts and less for the collective Christmas gifts because you are buying so many at one time and they are all getting presents from other people too.
And lastly, here are gift ideas for each age group:
16 year old girl ? I?d buy an experience for her. Tickets to a concert her parents would approve of, a mani/pedi gift card, nice perfume (again check with parents), etc.
10 year old boy ? either sports-related gear if he is outdoorsy or a video game or gaming accessories if he is that kind of kid.
6 and 7 year old girls ? they can vary drastically between tomboys and frilly girls at this age so I?d check with the moms. But girls in this age group are often into beading/crafting/etc. kits where they can make their own jewelry. The best assortment of those kinds of kits will be at hobby lobby, Michael?s, or Wal-Mart.
4 year old boy ? someone else is going to have to help you with this one, lol. I have a 4 year old girl who is into princesses. That?s no help. The gifts I have purchased for her friends include legos, puzzles, games, books, etc.
- Paula Deen to 104.1 KRBE's Producer Eric 9/17/2011
4yo boy: I have one of those at home. At his school, they encourage a lot of puzzles, which he loves. Those are a good option that are educational and not too $$. His long term, fave toys are the big Tonka trucks, the metal kind. Those are about $30-40 and well made, worth the $. Also, Tinker Toys and Legos. 4 is right on the cusp of real Lego addiction and there are some really cool sets out there.
6-7 yo girl: this is a TOUGH age. I remember when my nieces were this age and they're really coming in to their own but are still small... Oy. Craft sets are probably the easiest- jewelry making kits or art kits. One of my nieces really liked the kind where you design clothes for paper dolls and stuff like that. Alex (brand) has great craft sets for that age. You can find them on Amazon.
10 yo boy: I also have a nephew this age. For the past couple birthdays and Christmases I have given him either cool camping gear like a compass, a camping flashlight, a headlamp. Depending on his maturity level and what his parents say, an entry level Swiss Army knife. I also bought him some "spy gear" like a box that changes your voice. The brand that makes the cool spy stuff is called "Wild Planet" and they have a lot of stuff on Amazon, too
16 yo girl: Here I would buy a small present for something to be opened- and to satisfy my desire to shop- and then get a gift card to Gap. Gap cards can be used at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and on line at Piperlime. Unless you know her really well, she'll want to pick out her own clothes. As far as a small gift, get on Etsy. Hand stamped necklace with her name can be very affordable and unique.
for boys or girls in that 6-10 range, i like the big realistic-looking rubber animals they have at toys r us. there are dinosaurs, pegasus, alligators, meerkats, and a bunch of other random ones... but they aren't "little kiddish". this is what i did last christmas and they were a HUGE hit. even a tomboy can appreciate a pegasus. they definitely encourage imaginative play.
16 (depending on her tastes, of course): pajama pants, slippers, hair things, a little urban decay shadow palette (unless she is anti makeup or isn't allowed), some fun face-masque sample thingees like you can get at sephora sometimes, a cute mini-flatiron, some sort of purse or bag (with gift receipt), a simple necklace (james avery perhaps), movie ticket GC's.
for girls of any age, a purse or bag with little gifts stuffed in the pockets is always fun. we did that one christmas for claire, and she only had ONE gift that was wrapped, but there were a million little GC's and little gifts inside. i think she had more fun nosing around for the little things inside than she did opening the present.
i have a small problem with the "don't give them as much because other people will give them gifts and they have everything in the world". it's still so nice to get a gift from someone!!!
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Thanks so much for all the great ideas ladies! I'm excited to do some shopping armed with the many suggestions.
JaxBride - Sorry, did not at all mean to suggest that we want to spoil the kiddos in family A any less because they have a lot already. It's just that when we ask the parents what they want/like/etc the answer is "they don't need anything - they've got it all." So it's hard to come up with ideas.
AggieDee - I personally love savings bonds and got many when I was young that I was grateful to be able to cash in as a poor college student. They will probably be a good choice for family A along with a small toy.
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