Solitary chicken - need advice

[AndyRoo]

Hello all,

 

So we checked with my brother-in-law and his wife what the kids might want, and they suggested we get them arts & crafts type things.

 

For Sophie (who is 6) we bought a papier-mâché kit, but James is only 3 so we can't think what to buy because of small parts etc.

 

Can anyone think of any thing in the A&C arena that might be suitable?

 

Thanks,

Andy

[Cat tails]

Playdo or any clay I guess.

Those big markers to draw with amd a block of paper or something.

Fingerpainting kit (depends on how much you like your brother-in-law... )

[Blackrocksrock]

Playdoh is good and you can get it with shapes to press into. Painting is even better - that and noisy toys are good gifts for uncles to give!!!

[HarrisonFamily]

I wouldn't really worry about the small pieces most 3 years olds would have stopped trying to eat anything- 3+ is the health and safety we have covered our backs.

 

Arts and crafts presents are great because they can be done and then disappear rather than trying to find space for presents that are not really played with !!

 

Playdough is great but even just a nice set of colouring pens and colouring books of favourite characters is nice, sticker books - most children love stickers....not exactly arts and crafts but a good quality puzzle is also good for 3 year ols but the number of pieces is more tricky as I have looked after 3 year old who can do 12 pieces and other who can do 50 !!

 

Good luck and Merry Christmas Shopping..

[Grandmashazzie]

Andy you can get kite making kits, try amazon. You can colour them in and then assemble and then go fly them.

[Groovychook]

Bath paints are good idea as a small present, my little 3 year old loves them

I bought him a scribble pad last year too which he likes (it's a bit like an etch-a-sketch). Mess free arts & crafts

[AndyRoo]

Oooh, I'd forgotten all about Play-doh! I might look into that! I can't wait for mummy and daddy to complain it's all been trampled into the carpet!

 

Maybe we'll have to wander the halls of Toys R Us at the weekend (may God be with us) and see what we can find!

[Grandmashazzie]

Best wandering online methinks

[Alis girls]

Take ear plugs. Brio railways (wooden ones ) appeal to both sexes. Yes playdough is great - you will be popular when its trodden into the carpet What about a garden toy - sand pit with lid to keep cat poo out? Oh the list is endless.

[AndyRoo]

His parent's specifically asked for arts and crafts stuff. I still don't trust a 3 year old not to try and consume things otherwise I'd go for some lego or something.

[Alis girls]

Sorry Andy - silly me got carried away. I forgot the A&C. We all start with that and give up when they hit their teens and want something with a remote control. That is when you will suddenly become very popular as you splurge on expensive games etc.

[AndyRoo]

Sorry Andy - silly me got carried away. I forgot the A&C. We all start with that and give up when they hit their teens and want something with a remote control. That is when you will suddenly become very popular as you splurge on expensive games etc.

 

I forget if it was last year or the one before but we bought Sophie a Furby with all the bells and whistles... apparently she played with it for about a month and it is now sitting in a box of unused toys! *rolls eyes*

 

I thought about some fuzzy felt or maybe a thing to make pom-poms with feet and wiggly eyes etc., but I wasn't sure if it was something he'd understand. Apparently he quite likes Frozen, so I am thinking about a singing Olaf toy or something.

[Willow]

What a fab uncle you are Andy

 

I remembered play doh used to do themed sets so I was sure there'd be a frozen play doh set and https://www.amazon.co.uk/Play-Doh-Summertime-Featuring-Disney-Frozen/dp/B017HAS6QU/ref=sr_1_2?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1480631136&sr=1-2&keywords=Frozen+Olaf

[chickencam]

My children had a centrifugal painting set from Early Learning Centre which had spinning plate on which you put a square of paper you then pressed a button to spin it and kept pressing it whilst dropping paint onto the paper which created fantastic patterns but contained the mess in the tray. Don't know if they still make anything like this but mine loved it. You can also buy fancy aprons and floor mats and there is always glitter and glue or glitter glue

[AndyRoo]

Well, we got them a little bit of artsy stuff: necklace / bracelet making set for Sophie, and then a Paw Patrol colouring pad for James. Then we bought them a couple of board games to share (Elefun? and Pop-Up Pirate).

 

I wandered around and being slightly sexist I kept saying to the other half "All young boys like Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers," and "are you sure Sophie doesn't like My Little Pony?" only to be greeted with shrugging...

 

Then we got home to a text from their mum saying they also like Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers and Monster High, My Little Pony, and Shopkins?

 

So they might be getting very spoiled by their uncles this year!!

[soapdragon]

I work on the assumption that they will play with the packaging far more. ES, now 12, had huge cardboard boxes and lots of old plugs and leads which he was obsessed with for several years - subsequently diagnosed with Asperger's which explains the plugs and leads but the neurotypical (sp? ) YS, now 8, loved the whole cardboard box thing too! There is no telling what they will latch onto ....very much each to their own but def not worth getting 'the latest' things as will prob only last for a few weeks!

[AndyRoo]

I think Sophie is probably of an age now where she will focus more on the content, I have a feeling James may well still be all about the packaging.

 

In the end we got them -

 

Necklace and bracelet making set (Sophie)

Monster High doll (Sophie)

My Little Pony (Sophie)

Make your own papier-mâché owl kit (Sophie)

2 Ninja Turtles toys (James)

Paw Patrol Colouring Matt (James)

2 kids activity packs (James)

Elefun game (Joint gift)

Pop-Up Pirate (Joint gift)

 

...and yes, we know they're being spoiled! I hope their parents don't go nuts!

[soapdragon]

That's what Uncles and Aunt's are for! Takes the pressure off the parents! Parents will just be v grateful you didn't get anything noisy!

[Luvachicken]

I know you've bought it all now, but for next time you could get things that are a bit like cheesy Wotsits, but I can't remember what they are called.

 

You make the end of the wotsits damp and they stick together with no mess into whatever shapes you like and come in different colours.

I have bought them in a kit before, one was a dinosaur and the other was a pony.

 

If I remember right they were very child friendly and it didn't matter if they got eaten.

[Cat tails]

I know you've bought it all now, but for next time you could get things that are a bit like cheesy Wotsits, but I can't remember what they are called.

 

You make the end of the wotsits damp and they stick together with no mess into whatever shapes you like and come in different colours.

I have bought them in a kit before, one was a dinosaur and the other was a pony.

 

If I remember right they were very child friendly and it didn't matter if they got eaten.

 

I know what you mean! They are made of corn starch and only coloured with natural colourings.

[AndyRoo]

That's what Uncles and Aunt's are for! Takes the pressure off the parents! Parents will just be v grateful you didn't get anything noisy!

 

We got told off a few years back for spending too much money!

 

In fairness most of what we bought was either on sale or only cost about £15 tops!

[Grandmashazzie]

Lovely presents. The parents can always put some away. I used to divide my lots stuff into 4 plastic boxes and rotate them. It was great if weather was bad and we were stuck in house. We would gather up the current stuff and box it and put away, then bring a diffferent box down.All the 'new ' toys had been forgotten about so it kept them occupied.