Last Minute Gift Guide: KIDS
5 cheap and simple things your young child will love and actually play with - guaranteed
2007-12-21
Tired of taking last year's unused "hot kid's gifts" to the Goodwill? Here's a list of tried and true ultra-cheap no-brainer gifts for small kids that are guaranteed to get extra playtime.
Standard Unit Wooden Building Blocks
The absolute best gift that will stand the test of time in both durability and playability is a set of classic “Standard Unit” wooden blocks. The sturdy kind you find in day care centers. Trust us, you’ll play with them too and you’ll never find a better value.
Recommended: Melissa and Doug Block Set
A Conductor Baton
If she doesn’t poke her sister’s eye out with it first, it’s a great gift that can be found at any Symphony Store in America for about 5 bucks. Make it come to life by tossing in a couple of DVDs of classical music performances.
Recommended: Premier Batons
A Tent that Fits in the Bedroom and a Sleeping Bag
Nothing fancy from REI or rated to -30 degrees, just something that sits up with sticks and fits next to the bed. A perfect reading nook, hideaway or imaginary camping adventure.
Recommended: Me Too Play Tent
An Exercise Ball
All kids love balls. What’s better than a ball? A BIG ASS ball.
Recommended: Pro Spirit Fitness Ball
A Cardboard Box
It’s the running joke among parents that their kids enjoyed the box that a particularly disappointing toy came in more than the toy itself. That’s not a joke. It’s the absolute truth. A box has no limits. It can be anything. All the imagination those electronic thingamajigs are supposed to spark? A box does it ten times better.
So you don’t just look like a cheapskate, cut out a window ina wardrobe box and make it a puppet theater with some glue stick, construction paper and a Sharpie.
Recommended: Any local storage facility sells cheap wardrobe boxes.