Practical presents for the boys?

meghans30

I know it is only September, but I'm already thinking about Christmas presents and birthday's. We've cleaned house this spring. The boys had so much "stuff," but really they only play with the following things:

Blocks

Cars/trucks

Play Kitchen

Trains

I really do not want to go overboard this season with buying them things they don't really need and won't play with. What are some toys that your 3 and 5 yo's truly LOVE playing with? What are some good sites? 

Marce921

I'm so tired of having so much crap in this house. I did a major overhaul of toys and put away a ton that DS didn't play with (had him help me and we filled a 50 gal tote!). For his birthday in November, he's getting the Tag reading system. I've heard it's great and it's a learning "toy."

Heidisean

My 4 year old is getting a DSI and games. That is what she is asking for so I figure than she will ask for games from grandparents too so all the garbage isn't all over our house.

jettagurl

Tag

Leapster2/Explorer

Trio blocks - my kids love them

games  - we did a huge box of them last year....Candyland, Yahtzee, Memory, Uno Moo, Uno, Bingo, etc.

Steering away from toys - you could give them snowboots/sleds if you winter doesn't really start til after Christmas.  

I'm doing my best to scale way back this year...last year got entirely out of hand! And I have 4 kids to buy for (the babies had no clue what was happening last year) this year. 

 

 

Purrrfect433

Someone linked to a blog last Christmas where the parents followed this guideline for gifts: Want, Need, Wear, Read. So, they bought their kids something they wanted(like a toy or whatever), something they needed( I believe it was new socks in that case), something to wear, and something to read. I love this idea, because you can still really tailor the gifts to the person and make it cool, without going overboard, kwim?

So, for Ben's birthday this month, he's getting the following:

Want: new bike

Need: new bike helmet

Wear: Spongebob jammies

Read:  Magazine subscription

There's a few other "Wants" that we'll suggest to other people, like those Hexbug Nanos and he wants one of those Paper Jamz carboard guitars. 

kelly&paul

that's a pretty good idea purrrf. thanks!

Jamaica_Bride

My guys LOVE legos, my family room is covered with them as I type this )

cbidt*sgirl

Jamaica_Bride:

My guys LOVE legos, my family room is covered with them as I type this )

this exactly.

hmckeown

Reid is OBSESSED with Legos. We are having a Lego party for his 5th birthday next week.