Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Christmas/Hanukkah/etc presents?

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!