So, the holidays are rapidly approaching and I was curious if anyone has any great ideas for their kids?

DS7 is totally 100% obsessed with Legos and has been for years now. I am thinking of buying him a Snap Circuits set from Amazon... seems to fit with the building theme, but might teach him something (different) in the process. http://www.snapcircuits.net/

He also requested a Rubik's Cube! LoL

For younger readers, Australian author Greame Base does a wonderful range of picture books which have stunning illustrations and all most all of them have a mystery to solve or a code to break. While the reading level is not terribly high, the codes can be quite tricky and the themes in them are great. Amazon puts his books at around grade level 3 - 6, so just adjust as necessary I guess!

Giant 30-inch Battleship Playset from amazon for my son.4
Fisher-Price Little People Animal Sounds Zoo Playset for my daughter.1

If you want to allow your children to permanently stain your house a nice shade of blue, you can buy a chemistry set.

DS5 has gotten a tremendous amount of mileage out of the Mega Rig Space Shuttle. It is very well made, and snaps together many different ways. Plus it comes with an alien with suction cup feet.

http://www.amazon.com/Matchbox-Mega-Rig-Space-Shuttle/dp/B0014412KI

DeeDee

My son LOVED Snap Circuits at 7. Good choice! This year, at 11, it'll be Rocksmith and wireless headphones. They grow up so fast.....

Mega Rig Space Shuttle = totally awesome! We also bought the dino helicopter set and both sets snap together in great ways! Super durable too! We all love the Blokus game.

Second the snap circuits and Greame Base (DD5 and I were just reading Animalia this afternoon for the first time).

Lego, Mindware KEVA contraptions, and erector sets are all popular in our home.

Oh, and geeky T-shirts from shirt.woot.com for DS7.

I want to make this fabric tea set, but I'm not sure if I'll get a round 'tuit before Christmas. Those pesky round 'tuit's are so elusive.
http://www.cherishedbliss.com/2011/08/fabric-tea-party.html?m=1

And maybe I'll buy this bop it.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3529049
They like noisy flashy noisy things you can touch a lot. Bet it's a hit!

The whole family enjoyed the Wii, and then we saw the Xbox Kinect device, and I knew instantly they'd solved the major problems with the Wii motion controller in a very elegant way (yes, I'm a tech nerd, this is a perverse source of pleasure for me). So that was going to be the big-ticket present for DD6 this year... but DW vetoed, because she'd been asking for her own laptop for quite a while now, and we just acquired a bedroom set for her that includes its own desk, just waiting for a computer.

As the resident tech nerd, I'm officially going to resent my family when they all have newer/better systems than mine.

Ds8 is getting a chemistry kit, and I'll probably also get him a handheld GPS unit for geocaching. He's also expressed an interest in this - http://www.walmart.com/ip/Doctor-Dreadful-Zombie-Lab/16911946 Ugh.

My 13 year old really likes his Rocksmith.

DS3 loves Snap Circuits since he was 2.5. Once we help him set it up, he is able to switch pieces to create his own circuit. Highly recommended!

Thinking about getting him Castle Logix (http://www.amazon.com/Smart-Tangoes..._1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321292504&sr=8-1) and some ThinkFun games.

We got the Kinect for DS's birthday this last year and the kids love it!

My son wants a MacBook. He knows we can't afford it right now so he is asking for cash to save toward the MacBook. But he says what he really wants is to move to Texas. He said he would do without Christmas presents, birthday presents, eating out, everything if we could just move away from our small town where he doesn't fit in and feels like an outcast. His sister, who lives in Dallas, told him last night that she met a kid that talked just like him and had similar interests. His sister told the mom about her little brother and described some of the things he did and the mom said her son did some of the same things and is highly gifted. That child is lucky that he lives in a big city where there are other kids like him so he doesn't feel so alone.

for all the snap circuit people - we agree - DS 5 loves it - we are getting the R/C kit - seems to be stand alone but also could be an add on - looks awesome

snap circuit rover

DeHe

The battleship came in the mail today. �3 ft is bigger than what I thought.

Who wouldn't like that? Zombies AND candy! Awesome!

(isn't it great raising a boy????)

I'd REALLY like to get Butter (8) a kindle fire so she could get off my tablet, but since she's homeschooling now, we should probably get another computer...I'd also like to get The Diva a DS since the Leapster is now a giant papeweight, ugh!!!

I get my kids what I want them to have and there's always at least one gift of art supplies and one handmade thing (doll clothes or felt food/dishes, etc)...

For Butter, I have my eye on...pocket dictionary, small binoculars, microscope, telescope, magic set, chemistry set, paints, canvases, small digital camera

For The Diva (4.5) art supplies, something for dress up, handmade doll clothes...maybe some more play food...and Legos...

DD9 has hinted that she would like an iPOD touch, but has not come right out and asked for it. She also wants purple UGGS. This is a difficult dilemma for a fashion conscious nine year old, as she knows that she can't ask for both (But of course, her grandmother would never see her do without :-). DH and I are doing up an art studio for her in the basement. It will be hard to keep that under wraps, but I know she is going to be super excited.

DS3 has only mentioned that he wants more trains. I'm not sure what else he could possibly need in that department, but he maintains that Santa is bringing him more. I'll be interested to see what that is and how we will make room for it. Nanny mentioned something about finding him a Polar Express set. Goody. I am trying to talk him into asking for a Leappad Tablet because I think he will love it.

Who needs Santa when my kids have their grandmother?

Last week, DS came running into the bathroom at 6am while I was getting ready for work. He poked his head around the shower curtain and whispered, "I think I just heard Santa!" I assured himt that it was much too early for Santa, so he decided to go back to sleep and check again later. I'm thinking it is going to be a LONG wait for Christmas this year!!

Good for him. I've been thinking of getting one for myself, but I know I don't have the time. Glad to hear he is enjoying it!
Grinity

I recently brought my daughter to a toy store and told her she could pick anything she wanted, but I ended up reneging on that promise. What she picked was a zoob jr. building set:

http://www.amazon.com/Zoob-13030-ZO...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1321368400&sr=1-9

The problem is that she's 2.5, and in the 3rd percentile for weight. If she uses every bit of might in her little body, she can snap a piece together with another piece, assuming she's lined them up perfectly. She can't really build anything when it's that hard to put the pieces together. We ended up getting "The Cat in the Hat I can do that" game:

http://www.amazon.com/Cat-Hat-Can-T...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1321368589&sr=1-1

Does anyone know of a building set appropriate for a small 2.5 year old girl? She's been playing with megablocks for a year now, and I think she wants to take the next step.

She specifically requested "gears for girls" as well. I'm thinking about getting her this gear set from Trio, but I don't know if she'll be able to do much with it herself. The reviews are kind of mixed. Some people say 3 year olds do it, others say Trio is better for 5+ because of the difficulty in putting the pieces together.

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1321367995&sr=1-4

I don't own either of these, but I've noticed there's a couple brands of these magnetic building sets. http://magnetixtoyreal.info/magnetix-micro-magnetic-building-set/
There's Magnatiles and geomag on this page
http://www.fatbraintoys.com/toys/toy_categories/building_construction/index.cfm

I got the boy a small trio set for his second birthday but he wasn't strong enough to use it 'till he was 2.5. He's 4. We've added to the set. He still plays with the Trio all the time.

A game he loved was Perfection, but without the timer. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004NAJI1K/ref=redir_mdp_mobile

Here's his latest original Trio designs a dog, a trophy, and a caterpillar. The caterpillar looks suspiciously like a weightlifting bar, a quid ditch broom, a walking stick and several other designs I've seen. Trio has a satisfying snap.

Before buying a 2.5yo a magnetic building set, make sure you understand the risks. If the child swallows one magnet, the results are benign, but with two or more magnets (or one magnet and at least one piece of ferrous material) , the results can be deadly. An immediate trip to the ER is indicated.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5548a3.htm

My DS is not small for his age, but he has low muscle tone, and he has been enjoying the regular-sized Legos since about 3.

Legos are quite fun for kids of all ages.

I remember hours of joy constructing lego space warships and conducting unwanted aerial assaults on my sisters' lego pastoral country houses.

That's a good point for all of us considering these types of toys. I could probably trust my daughter, but not her brother who is currently 10 months. Perhaps I should have mentioned him in my first post in this thread.

How could I forget? Wedgits!!! DD5 got a set for her 2nd bday; she and DS7 STILL play with those things! (I play with them too!) Great gift for a wide range of ages.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=wedgits

I'd go for 'regular' Legos. I'd also make sure to pick up this amazing little tool they sell - http://shop.lego.com/en-US/Brick-Separator-630 The brick separator. I can't tell you how amazingly happy I was when I found this little thing. Also, on the Lego website you can find a couple of girl sets called Bellvue - http://shop.lego.com/en-US/BELVILLE-ByTheme

ETA: So long as fine motor control is good, there's not a whole lot of reason not to go straight to legos... but, if she has trouble with very small pieces I'd do the Duplo sets.

We haven't started Legos yet. We're preparing. I just ordered the free Legos jr magazine. I bought a storage drawer like this from Walmart.
http://m.staples.com/mt/www.staples.com/Plastic-Storage-Drawers/cat_CL140604
Right now it separates his trio, erector jr, floor puzzle, and army guys. I got the idea from a family magazine where they used three of these narrow clear drawer towers, put a board across it, and called it a Lego bench.

Any have a good recommendation for a beginners pottery wheel that actually works?

Lol. Ditto

My daughters 7 and 9 have had this snap circuit game since they were 4 and 3. They love it and we have upgraded twice for more challenging projects. RadioShack now carries it.

Edda

We have only a laptop that is kind of hard for DD to use when she tries. I am thinking of getting a new computer that will be set up as comfortably as possible for her. I also want to get her some FUN games that will help her learn some keyboarding skills. Suggestions are most welcome - not only for the software but for the actual computer, keyboard, monitor, etc. I am not what you would call tech savvy in any way, shape or form...

Pemberley-how old is DD? maybe a tablet? or the new kindle fire, which is, I think 7" (my tablet is 10")...on my tablet at least, the keyboard feature is very satisfying, you can almost "feel" the individual keys (go to a store and try one out). and they are so small and light...I let DD8, use it in her new beanbag and I swear, the schoolwork gets done faster...plus, I love free apps instead of having to buy software

anyone have experience with these?

http://www.amazon.com/MindWare-Q-Ba...mp;ie=UTF8&qid=1321796274&sr=1-1

or a rec for a different marble run? It's mainly for DS, who is almost 4, but I'm sure DD (7) will also play with it.

No, but, my 2 cents...I sew, ALOT, and have several machines. I got DD a "toy" one (that really sews, but with a crummy chain stitch) when she was just 3 (the box said like 6+ probably)...she used it quite a bit, but it was pretty unsatisfying. After a few turns with one of mine, I was able to get her a Hello Kitty model (but NOT a toy, just a cute paint job) that is a 3/4 size. I got a super deal on it too, but would have spent the money anyway since she is far more satified with it, you know? In retrospect, I wish I would have skipped the "toy" one andgone straight to the real thing...so maybe you can do the same? Is it a size issue? or price? Craigslist, freecycle or if you maybe have a college or other kind of arty school that might be getting rid of some? I seem to remember that my dad MADE my mom the kind you kick yourself, if that's maybe an option? I just googled it, lots of options

Also looking for more recs for games for the two of them to play together that are also not maddening for an adult. So far we love Uno, Spot It, Blink, and to some extent Rummikub cards (a bit hard for the 3yo). For reference, the 3yo can play a vagely serviceable game of chess and sustain attention for it, but he's only at an early reader level so games with reading don't really work. He can read numbers, use dice, and count just fine.

Ultramarina, we have the HABA wooden marble run set. They have been very well loved here, and played with for 7 years straight.

Like these:
http://www.themarblerunshop.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=107

The wooden ones have the advantage that they combine well with any other wooden blocks you happen to have lying around the house, or indeed many other objects. I think they're expensive, but ultimately a more flexible toy because you're not limited to only the pieces you bought.

DeeDee

Wow, great ideas here!

DS6 wants the snap circuits too, I might have to add that to the list. Next week is his birthday and my Mom got him the Lego Ninjago game. We bought the Contraptions 200, 50 piece and catapult sets. Not sure which one will be for birthday and the others for Christmas.

We just had our school book fair and bought a bunch of books - he devoured the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book the first day. So we might get some more of those for him.

DD8, loves Wimpy Kid and hates to write, but adored the Wimpy Kid Do It Yourself Book

That sounds like fun. Is it anything like Wreck this Journal? We got both he and his sister the Keri Smith Boxed Set, but he didn't find any interest in it (even though he asked for it after I got it for my husband)...

The wimpy kid do it yourself isn't quite as extreme as wreck this journal, from what I can see. DS has the wimpy kid one and loved it. It had lots of fill in the blank stuff, empty comic strips, that sort of thing.

I had planned to save these magnet sets for Christmas, but we ended up taking them out on a rainy afternoon:

Jumbo Marble Set
Magnetic Bingo Chips
Floating Magnet Matching Set

Our children, ages toddler through 7, are all having a blast with them. I don't think there are any choking hazards apart from the bingo chips.

The eldest will be getting some Teifoc. It's a German-made building set that uses real mini bricks and mortar (which dissolves in water, so you can reuse the bricks). It looks pretty neat. I'm hoping the buildings will be sturdy enough that little siblings won't be likely to demolish them.

Since standard marble runs are a safety concern here, we decided to invest in these Duplo tubes and stone quarry. I'm looking forward to seeing what gets rigged up with them. (The older children have a place where they can do things with small parts, but they seem to have more fun when they're all playing together. )

re: Keva contraptions, do you think these are good for 11 years old?

On Amazon's site it says their recommended age is 7-11, manufacturer's recommended age 7-15.
Keva's website says 7 & Up

As I mentioned before, magnetic toys have a hazard beyond choking. If one magnet is successfully swallowed, no problem, it'll come out again in the usual way. If more than one is swallowed (or one magnet and one or more ferrous materials), then it can result in an intestinal blockage. Or, even worse, the materials can become attracted to each other across intestinal walls, leading to a perforation or other significant complications. In either case, the only way to get them out is surgery.

So, with a typical toddler around, this is a significant risk. I wouldn't have worried about it with my own DD, because she was never had that habit of putting things in her mouth. You have to figure out how this risk matches your own family.

Also consider any pets....I will not allow those magnetic toys in my house with a 6 and 9 year old plus a dog...they have friends, little people come over...6 year old even still puts her mouth on things sometimes...9 year old could design magnetic braces....not a risk I'm willing to take...:)

Sorry, I meant to say that there's a low risk of choking *or* swallowing with the sets I mentioned (apart from the bingo chips). The floating discs and "marbles" are both a little more than 1.25" in diameter, so they don't fit through a standard testing tube. As for swallowing them, I'm not sure anyone smaller than an elephant could manage that.

For magnets that are actually advertised for babies and toddlers, GeoMag GBaby is the best option I know of. I think FatBrain has them.


Edited to add: FatBrain also has Magneatos Jumbo and SmartMax construction toys, which are safe for the younger set. I'm very tempted to add one of these to our collection!

Ooo, I just put the horseshoe magnet set on DS's list. Thanks!

Just got the Keva Contraptions in the mail today. It's a HUGE box, I'm SO excited to give it to DS for his b-day on Thursday

DS 6 (almost7) loves the snap circuits (he's also a lego fanatic). He got the snap circuits about a year ago and still loves pulling them out. It is nice to have an adult work with him from time to time to talk with him why things in series work different from in parallel and how what he is seeing is an example of what he's read about (light energy, movement, vibration causing the noises etc), but he loves to just play and explore them on his own.

This year he's getting a beginner mindstorms set. At 6 he'll need help with it for sure, but he's so interested in robotics that I think it's time to get his feet wet (and ours too)

I also find that Magnatiles is an excellent toy. All three of my kids love it. Ages 3,4,6. It is like 3-D tanagrams with all sorts of fun geometric shapes. Not cheap, but well worth it. http://www.amazon.com/Magna-Tiles-Translucent-Colors-100-pieces/dp/B000CBSNRY/ref=pd_sim_t_2

Also don't forget a chess set. DS loves pulling that out over and over too - if he doesn't know how, no stress chess is a nice way to start.

Geee I wish we could get some of the stuff mentioned in this thread here. I'd LOVE those snap circuits for example... *Sigh*

Aiden (will be 5 then) and Nathan (3 now) are each getting a LeapPad for Christmas. Even though they have the explorers and still use them all the time, I recon it's time for upgrades. lol.

Nathan is also getting his first Duplo set, and a huge pile of his very own stationery and art supplies. (so much of excitement - he is always asking Aiden if he can use his stuff), and perhaps his own chess set and/or an extension pack for his Smartmax set that he got for his birthday (http://www.idealtoy.co.za/?page_id=29&post=29 ). it is magnetic but the pieces are big. dylan cannot even get them in his mouth so he also loves to play with it.

Aiden will get more Fly Guy books, some new stationery (a given) and then I need to find one more thing for him.. I'd love a snap circuit for example, but yeah - nothing like that here unfortunately. I may get him this Camelot JNR 3D wooden challenge puzzler game: http://www.idealtoy.co.za/?page_id=29&post=5

Dylan (11 months at Christmas) is getting a new puzzle (with the little red knob thingys) as all the old ones really are well-worn now, a Leapfrog MY Pal Scout, some new board books and then a noisy toy of some sort.

I am not getting much for DD (3.5 months at Christmas) either. Considering our house is full of toys...

lol - yep, and honestly, most of his gifts will probably be re-wrapped for his 1st bday in January. (hehe)

So, I ordered Ethan the snap circuits - http://www.amazon.com/Elenco-SC-300..._1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322506161&sr=8-1 and a Lego Technics set - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003F80IME/ref=oh_o00_s01_i00_details Both on sale! I also got him a rubik's cube and some pokemon cards and some books. He's going to be so excited about that lego set!

LoL! Hoagies just FB posted an angry cartoon Santa yelling, "Rice cakes?! I guess somebody only wants educational toys this Christmas.""

LoLoL, serves them right!

My son has enjoyed his Snap Circuits. You can get them from Radio Shack, too.

My son got Tomy Gearation two years ago when he was just-turned-three. He still has fun with it and the magnetic board has been great for his letters and numbers. (Lately he likes to use it as a scoreboard whenever we play a game.)

I'm glad to see so many "thumbs-up" on Contraptions. I purchased it for my son just this morning before I saw this thread.

Hubby wanted to get Chaos Tower , but I don't think our son has the dexterity for it yet. Maybe next year.

Does anyone have World of Goo ?

Would a typical 8 year old enjoy it? My son loves gears and building things and the computer so it seems a great idea.

*edit* It's for my almost five year old.

Is anyone familiar with a robotic/programmable-like product that is between the Snap Circuits and the Lego Mindstorms? My DS 10 is too old for the former and I'm not sure he's $300 worth into the latter. Wondered if there was something in between where we could see if he was interested before buying the Mindstorms?

Thoughts?

Thanks.

There are the motorized lego technics sets. They run about $100-$200 each. Not all the technic sets are motorized though, you really have to read the description. Some can be motorized but you have to buy the motor set separately. It's a bit confusing, IMO, but it's a nice step up from Legos without investing in Mindstorms. http://technic.lego.com/en-US/Default.aspx

(My DS7 has been telling everyone he asked Santa for Mindstorms so that's what he's getting for christmas! I hope he's not too sad christmas morning!! I wish he was willing to get over Santa alraedy!)

DS8 is getting a video camera for his b'day which is on the 23rd. For Christmas he's getting video editing software. He loves making movies and has worn out our old camera and windows movie maker. Time to let him get a little more serious.

I bought "uberstix" for my little boys. They like legos but they aren't obsessed. My 6yo loves his erector set and this is along the same lines.

We're also considering either a Kindle Fire or a Color Nook. Anyone have these and love or hate it?

My daughter is exclusively getting Plan Toys (eco-friendly wooden toys dyed with safe paint and not made in China). I am opening an eco-friendly products store and I ordered some for her.

I got her some things for fine motor skills (little screw on wooden pieces toys, cool water filled blocks, and these stringing beads) and I also got her a few play food items. I think she will be ready for those well before she turns 2. She is already copying most of what we do. She also got a rocking horse, but she isn't feeling it yet. I think she is too short. She can't even get on it.

I also got upper and lower case letters and some "fraction" puzzles because I have a limited budget right now for our Montessori home school supplies when we start and these and the motor skill ones work for that.

She just turned one and got some Green Toys (recycled milk cartons) stacking cups and a sand pail set. They were cool, too.

for 8 yrs, world of goo is perfect...if you meant for a 5 year old...it might require a bit more coordination than most 5's have. but it is super fun. I loved it

My DS5 loves world of goo, the story or set up fascinates him, but it is hard, and he needs help as the levels progress but he seems ok with it. Although right now DH and DS are stuck on the explode the head one and the integration destination levels, but they just informed me that they almost have that one!!! The explode the head one my DH can't get and is so frustrated.

DS5's favorite that he can now do himself, although still gets stuck sometimes, is
despicable me, can't take him to the movie but loves the app!!!

DeHe