Christmas shopping ideas

[goldcatt]

Seems lots of science suggestions which is very cool. Now about the artistic daughter, one year I put together an 'art kit' for each of my kids instead of an Easter Basket. They all were and still are into the arts.

I found a personal type of container, for the daughter it was a pink chest of some sort. I put in markers, colored pencils, charcoals, water colors, real artist brushes, modeling clay, feathers, sequins, glue, glitter (don't ask what I was thinking, I still remember), buttons, seeds, just lots of stuff that could be used, artist drawing pads, water color paper, stencils...

They used those kits for years and were great on rainy days and sick days.

That's one thing I'm putting together for her. I know a local artist who's a retired teacher, she gets me everything as far as the actual art supplies wholesale from one of her sources. Which has saved me a LOT, she goes through some of the stuff so fast. The rest is as you said different shapes of pasta, seeds, beans, beads, all different kinds of lacing, tissue paper, whatever I can get my hands on she'll find a way to use.

I've been looking for something like a foot locker or a chest that will be durable and a little nicer than the clear plastic tubs everything gets put into around here. It's great for organizing but I get the feeling she'll be into arts and crafts for a long time and she should really have something nice.

 

[goldcatt]

I know. At this rate all the GoldKitten's will be getting is two paper cups and a piece of string!

Well duh. That's the only phone they need. I'd prefer they learn how to spell proper english before learning textish.

 

[Annie]

Seems lots of science suggestions which is very cool. Now about the artistic daughter, one year I put together an 'art kit' for each of my kids instead of an Easter Basket. They all were and still are into the arts.

I found a personal type of container, for the daughter it was a pink chest of some sort. I put in markers, colored pencils, charcoals, water colors, real artist brushes, modeling clay, feathers, sequins, glue, glitter (don't ask what I was thinking, I still remember), buttons, seeds, just lots of stuff that could be used, artist drawing pads, water color paper, stencils...

They used those kits for years and were great on rainy days and sick days.

That's one thing I'm putting together for her. I know a local artist who's a retired teacher, she gets me everything as far as the actual art supplies wholesale from one of her sources. Which has saved me a LOT, she goes through some of the stuff so fast. The rest is as you said different shapes of pasta, seeds, beans, beads, all different kinds of lacing, tissue paper, whatever I can get my hands on she'll find a way to use.

I've been looking for something like a foot locker or a chest that will be durable and a little nicer than the clear plastic tubs everything gets put into around here. It's great for organizing but I get the feeling she'll be into arts and crafts for a long time and she should really have something nice.

A big footlocker is a cool idea, but make sure to get her something she can pack & take, I know my daughter often brought her's to friends and they often took them outside in nice weather.

PS Skip glitter!

 

[judyd]

How about walkie-talkies? My granddaughters have them and have a lot of fun with them. Sometimes they even have truck drivers in the area get into the silly talk!

 

[goldcatt]

Seems lots of science suggestions which is very cool. Now about the artistic daughter, one year I put together an 'art kit' for each of my kids instead of an Easter Basket. They all were and still are into the arts.

I found a personal type of container, for the daughter it was a pink chest of some sort. I put in markers, colored pencils, charcoals, water colors, real artist brushes, modeling clay, feathers, sequins, glue, glitter (don't ask what I was thinking, I still remember), buttons, seeds, just lots of stuff that could be used, artist drawing pads, water color paper, stencils...

They used those kits for years and were great on rainy days and sick days.

That's one thing I'm putting together for her. I know a local artist who's a retired teacher, she gets me everything as far as the actual art supplies wholesale from one of her sources. Which has saved me a LOT, she goes through some of the stuff so fast. The rest is as you said different shapes of pasta, seeds, beans, beads, all different kinds of lacing, tissue paper, whatever I can get my hands on she'll find a way to use.

I've been looking for something like a foot locker or a chest that will be durable and a little nicer than the clear plastic tubs everything gets put into around here. It's great for organizing but I get the feeling she'll be into arts and crafts for a long time and she should really have something nice.

A big footlocker is a cool idea, but make sure to get her something she can pack & take, I know my daughter often brought her's to friends and they often took them outside in nice weather.

PS Skip glitter!

Oh I know all abut the glitter. The hard way.

I'm still finding little bits of it in odd places from last year. It's the gift that just won't go away.

Hmmm....so far the neighborhood kids haven't been as into the arts and crafts, they're all abut bikes and scooters and tree climbing and bubbles and chalk drawings. But that's probably something that will come. Not a bad idea.

 

[Annie]

How about walkie-talkies? My granddaughters have them and have a lot of fun with them. Sometimes they even have truck drivers in the area get into the silly talk!

My brother and I got walkie talkies when we were like 7. Used them for a couple years, great fun!

 

[Big Black Dog]

For the boy, Legos. They have some really neat Star War's Legos. For the girl, anything Barbie.

 

[goldcatt]

How about walkie-talkies? My granddaughters have them and have a lot of fun with them. Sometimes they even have truck drivers in the area get into the silly talk!

I thought about that too. I think I've pretty much settled on the laser tag idea, I found a place that has a set of 4 for them and their friends in my budget AND no tax, no shipping!

I wonder if I could get walkie talkies to go with them, say 2 each on different bands so the teams could talk to each other without the others hearing them? Or they could use them in other ways. That would be a neighborhood kid commando dream, and learning to coordinate would be great for them too.

 

[Annie]

How about walkie-talkies? My granddaughters have them and have a lot of fun with them. Sometimes they even have truck drivers in the area get into the silly talk!

I thought about that too. I think I've pretty much settled on the laser tag idea, I found a place that has a set of 4 for them and their friends in my budget AND no tax, no shipping!

I wonder if I could get walkie talkies to go with them, say 2 each on different bands so the teams could talk to each other without the others hearing them? Or they could use them in other ways. That would be a neighborhood kid commando dream, and learning to coordinate would be great for them too.

When the kids were around 7 or 8, we also started getting presents for 'family', meaning memberships to the Art Institute, Zoos, Museums. While we had subscribed for years, doing it on Christmas seemed to make them more special to the kids.

If daughter likes more than just 'art' she might also find a pair of tickets to a play or concert + dinner way cool!

 

[goldcatt]

For the boy, Legos. They have some really neat Star War's Legos. For the girl, anything Barbie.

He's great with Legos. I'm not fond of stepping on the ones he misses at cleanup time in the middle of the night though.

He's been asking a lot lately about other things, motors and electronics and how magnets and all kinds of machines work. The last thing he got in really big trouble for was getting up in the middle of the night and trying to take apart the pipes under my bathroom sink. With some success.

Now I know if he asks me where I hid the duct tape to grab the tools and figure out what he's been up to.

Most of the cool Barbie stuff unfortunately is what the grandparents already got. That would be too easy.

 

[goldcatt]

How about walkie-talkies? My granddaughters have them and have a lot of fun with them. Sometimes they even have truck drivers in the area get into the silly talk!

I thought about that too. I think I've pretty much settled on the laser tag idea, I found a place that has a set of 4 for them and their friends in my budget AND no tax, no shipping!

I wonder if I could get walkie talkies to go with them, say 2 each on different bands so the teams could talk to each other without the others hearing them? Or they could use them in other ways. That would be a neighborhood kid commando dream, and learning to coordinate would be great for them too.

When the kids were around 7 or 8, we also started getting presents for 'family', meaning memberships to the Art Institute, Zoos, Museums. While we had subscribed for years, doing it on Christmas seemed to make them more special to the kids.

If daughter likes more than just 'art' she might also find a pair of tickets to a play or concert + dinner way cool!

A play or concert? Museums? Here?

But maybe movie passes.

 

[Annie]

I thought about that too. I think I've pretty much settled on the laser tag idea, I found a place that has a set of 4 for them and their friends in my budget AND no tax, no shipping!

I wonder if I could get walkie talkies to go with them, say 2 each on different bands so the teams could talk to each other without the others hearing them? Or they could use them in other ways. That would be a neighborhood kid commando dream, and learning to coordinate would be great for them too.

When the kids were around 7 or 8, we also started getting presents for 'family', meaning memberships to the Art Institute, Zoos, Museums. While we had subscribed for years, doing it on Christmas seemed to make them more special to the kids.

If daughter likes more than just 'art' she might also find a pair of tickets to a play or concert + dinner way cool!

A play or concert? Museums? Here?

But maybe movie passes.

Whoops! Now keep in mind that many high schools and colleges often put on productions for children and don't cost much! Some towns have "Children's Theater", again low cost and something she might like to participate around 10 or 11.

Nearly all high schools, middle schools, and universities put on Christmas music concerts, vocal and instrumental. Some do special matinees, just for children.

 

[Annie]

I thought about that too. I think I've pretty much settled on the laser tag idea, I found a place that has a set of 4 for them and their friends in my budget AND no tax, no shipping!

I wonder if I could get walkie talkies to go with them, say 2 each on different bands so the teams could talk to each other without the others hearing them? Or they could use them in other ways. That would be a neighborhood kid commando dream, and learning to coordinate would be great for them too.

When the kids were around 7 or 8, we also started getting presents for 'family', meaning memberships to the Art Institute, Zoos, Museums. While we had subscribed for years, doing it on Christmas seemed to make them more special to the kids.

If daughter likes more than just 'art' she might also find a pair of tickets to a play or concert + dinner way cool!

A play or concert? Museums? Here?

But maybe movie passes.

Check this out:

Performing Arts Schools, classes, workshops Universities, Workshops & Classes

 

[goldcatt]

When the kids were around 7 or 8, we also started getting presents for 'family', meaning memberships to the Art Institute, Zoos, Museums. While we had subscribed for years, doing it on Christmas seemed to make them more special to the kids.

If daughter likes more than just 'art' she might also find a pair of tickets to a play or concert + dinner way cool!

A play or concert? Museums? Here?

But maybe movie passes.

Whoops! Now keep in mind that many high schools and colleges often put on productions for children and don't cost much! Some towns have "Children's Theater", again low cost and something she might like to participate around 10 or 11.

Nearly all high schools, middle schools, and universities put on Christmas music concerts, vocal and instrumental. Some do special matinees, just for children.

When the high schools have those things we're usually at them, but it's once or maybe twice a year. The traditional Spring musical and there's one school that puts on a fall drama.

The university here has gotten expensive, which is sad. I was a theater minor there and it used to be well funded and inexpensive, with a show of some kind almost always running. They've lost a lot of their funding since then for several reasons and the offerings and prices have changed accordingly. It's a huge loss if you ask me, especially considering what's available in the area otherwise.

There are occasional shows in the closest smaller cities, but that's still well over an hour's drive each way. So it pretty much has to be something they both enjoy. Last year we were lucky enough to have a Disney on Ice show about an hour and a half from here and only about 2 weeks after Xmas, so they got tickets as part of their present. But there's nothing on the schedule close enough this year.

There is a small semi-professional theater group in the area, but their grant this season is for Shakespeare. They're not bad, I enjoy it when I get the chance to go, but it's not kid fare.

Being someplace other than the sticks would help. But then they have some advantages here they wouldn't have elsewhere. Like being able to play neighborhood commando without worrying about things like crime and traffic.

 

[Annie]

A play or concert? Museums? Here?

But maybe movie passes.

Whoops! Now keep in mind that many high schools and colleges often put on productions for children and don't cost much! Some towns have "Children's Theater", again low cost and something she might like to participate around 10 or 11.

Nearly all high schools, middle schools, and universities put on Christmas music concerts, vocal and instrumental. Some do special matinees, just for children.

When the high schools have those things we're usually at them, but it's once or maybe twice a year. The traditional Spring musical and there's one school that puts on a fall drama.

The university here has gotten expensive, which is sad. I was a theater minor there and it used to be well funded and inexpensive, with a show of some kind almost always running. They've lost a lot of their funding since then for several reasons and the offerings and prices have changed accordingly. It's a huge loss if you ask me, especially considering what's available in the area otherwise.

There are occasional shows in the closest smaller cities, but that's still well over an hour's drive each way. So it pretty much has to be something they both enjoy. Last year we were lucky enough to have a Disney on Ice show about an hour and a half from here and only about 2 weeks after Xmas, so they got tickets as part of their present. But there's nothing on the schedule close enough this year.

There is a small semi-professional theater group in the area, but their grant this season is for Shakespeare. They're not bad, I enjoy it when I get the chance to go, but it's not kid fare.

Being someplace other than the sticks would help. But then they have some advantages here they wouldn't have elsewhere. Like being able to play neighborhood commando without worrying about things like crime and traffic.

I agree that day trips can get expensive, but if get a chance they're worth planning for. While my kids all developed interests in the arts, one majored in music, they were all very different in what they liked.

It was rare that all 3 would be taken to the same production, though they all had to go to the museums. What worked best here, (at the time they were very young, money wasn't an issue), planning a special day with one of the kids-other parent would stay home with the other two or do something they liked.

My daughter liked musicals-made sense then and now-so one of us would take her, all dressed up of course, for lunch at a nice restaurant, then to play or ballet. The one son was always into science fiction and history, some cross over with his younger brother too. This usually led to special exhibits at Natural History museum and then a movie with the theme. They usually did dinner somewhere with Dad, my tastes never did match up much with the boys. LOL! The youngest son was always into sports, so often he would go with his grandpa to various games and they'd pig out there. Both of them liked that, a lot.

Even after the divorce, one of mine and my daughter's best memories was going to see Les Misérables. I saved for nearly 1/2 a year for that! We went with my niece and SIL. Had dinner at The American, (now defunct), saw the play then stayed overnight at
The Hilton Chicago hotel. She was in 7th grade and it was a Christmas and Birthday gift.

Anyways, sometimes these things don't work out for a Christmas gift, but might be something that can get tucked away for the future. I think developing interests in the arts is important and provides so many ways to spend time together as a family.

 

[goldcatt]

Whoops! Now keep in mind that many high schools and colleges often put on productions for children and don't cost much! Some towns have "Children's Theater", again low cost and something she might like to participate around 10 or 11.

Nearly all high schools, middle schools, and universities put on Christmas music concerts, vocal and instrumental. Some do special matinees, just for children.

When the high schools have those things we're usually at them, but it's once or maybe twice a year. The traditional Spring musical and there's one school that puts on a fall drama.

The university here has gotten expensive, which is sad. I was a theater minor there and it used to be well funded and inexpensive, with a show of some kind almost always running. They've lost a lot of their funding since then for several reasons and the offerings and prices have changed accordingly. It's a huge loss if you ask me, especially considering what's available in the area otherwise.

There are occasional shows in the closest smaller cities, but that's still well over an hour's drive each way. So it pretty much has to be something they both enjoy. Last year we were lucky enough to have a Disney on Ice show about an hour and a half from here and only about 2 weeks after Xmas, so they got tickets as part of their present. But there's nothing on the schedule close enough this year.

There is a small semi-professional theater group in the area, but their grant this season is for Shakespeare. They're not bad, I enjoy it when I get the chance to go, but it's not kid fare.

Being someplace other than the sticks would help. But then they have some advantages here they wouldn't have elsewhere. Like being able to play neighborhood commando without worrying about things like crime and traffic.

I agree that day trips can get expensive, but if get a chance they're worth planning for. While my kids all developed interests in the arts, one majored in music, they were all very different in what they liked.

It was rare that all 3 would be taken to the same production, though they all had to go to the museums. What worked best here, (at the time they were very young, money wasn't an issue), planning a special day with one of the kids-other parent would stay home with the other two or do something they liked.

My daughter liked musicals-made sense then and now-so one of us would take her, all dressed up of course, for lunch at a nice restaurant, then to play or ballet. The one son was always into science fiction and history, some cross over with his younger brother too. This usually led to special exhibits at Natural History museum and then a movie with the theme. They usually did dinner somewhere with Dad, my tastes never did match up much with the boys. LOL! The youngest son was always into sports, so often he would go with his grandpa to various games and they'd pig out there. Both of them liked that, a lot.

Even after the divorce, one of mine and my daughter's best memories was going to see Les Misérables. I saved for nearly 1/2 a year for that! We went with my niece and SIL. Had dinner at The American, (now defunct), saw the play then stayed overnight at
The Hilton Chicago hotel. She was in 7th grade and it was a Christmas and Birthday gift.

Anyways, sometimes these things don't work out for a Christmas gift, but might be something that can get tucked away for the future. I think developing interests in the arts is important and provides so many ways to spend time together as a family.

We do as many of those things as we can, geography is limiting though. We make it down to Philly a few times a year, to places like Harrisburg or Scranton more often. We haven't done the NYC trip yet, and we probably should. It's about the same distance as Philly, but much harder to do as a day trip and actually get to do much because of the way the City is.

It was easier when they were younger and more "twinny" actually. What one was doing, the other had to. No exceptions. They're differentiating a lot more now, which is normal and great in a lot of ways but not so good for one Mom trying to be two places being two different things to two very different little people at once. But we do what we can. Local is much easier because I can arrange a carpool or swap time with other parents for a few hours. It's hard to arrange that for whole days. Unfortunately that means we're stuck with what's available....*sigh*

Oh well, I have some good ideas for Xmas now.