Christmas presents - do you assemble or just wrap?

GettinNervous

Regarding toys, do you just wrap them in their boxes and assemble them on Christmas Day, or do you assemble them and put them under the tree? It's such a downer for the kids to have to wait around for me to untie 43 of those little doodads per toy. I was thinking about putting some things together and wrapping them already assembled.

 I'm just wondering what everyone else does.

DevonPow

This year I am going to assemble, but still wrap.  I am also buying things earlier so it makes it easier if anything is broken/I need to return anything.

LestaMarie

I'm usually in such a freaking rush around the holidays that it's a wonder my kids' presents are wrapped at all.  I'm *supposed* to start my shopping tomorrow and if I do what I'm supposed to do, then I should be able to assemble, then wrap, the kids' stuff.  And it's not only annoying to the kid to have to wait around to play with their toys - it's annoying to the parents to have to assemble the toys, put in the batteries, etc, on Christmas day, amid all of the other excitement going on.

mlm1128

Gifts from us are wrapped in the boxes.  Gifts from Santa are assembled.

sunshiny79

We assemble most of it.

elm1032004

We assemble anything that they can play with right away....if it's an outside toy that I don't want them riding etc in the house then it's just wrapped.

~Kat~

DS has always been young enough that he didn't care if it was assembled right then or not. We just wrapped the box and assembled it that afternoon. This year though, I think he may be getting a play kitchen so we will put it together before we put it under the tree. It would be a PITA to try to put it together with an excited preschooler and 5 billion little screws.

jettagurl

This is a great idea!  I always make sure to have all batteries needed, and some extras for gifts from other people, but never thought to go ahead and assemble the toys...I'm definitely jumping on that bandwagon!

 

suzymarie

The main reason I like to pre-assemble is you can get all the packaging thrown out ahead of time, and not have all these giant trash bags on the day of.  That also lowers the change of parts of the toy being thrown out with the trash.

hmd

If they require assembly, we do it beforehand and don't wrap them.  Otherwise, they are wrapped.

triplea1819

Santa gifts are not wrapped and fully put together. 

Gifts from every one else are wrapped up in box.