This is not a request for ideas - more of nostalgia - wondering what it is like to be the parents of little kids this Christmas season.
Do kids that age still ask for the traditional dolls, trucks, bikes and other toys like that?
Or are they asking for more technological toys?
I can only imagine it must be fun to see that excitement building as Christmas nears - I can remember that being the “golden age” (about 5 to 7 or so) of Christmas’s past, when everything seemed magical.
For those of you with younger kids, what do they want for Christmas this year?
DS. That’s been on the list for three years now for my older son (7). He’s finally going to get it! But not from Santa. He also asked for a puppy (a pug, specifically) and stuff to play spy with. He’s getting a San Jose Sharks sweatshirt, the two latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and various other bits and bobbles.
My youngest asked for a “wifi traffic light”. Seriously. He wants to be able to put our own traffic light out when we’re driving around so we never have to stop. He’s 4. He’s a little more difficult to buy for, but we got him a DS, too. Santa is bringing him a lab coat with his name on it (he loves to play doctor), some Thomas train stuff and books.
The little Torqueling, age 3 1/2, has been asking for “a Barbie dollhouse and some Barbies” for over a month now. Not sure what brought it on; she’s never shown any particular interest in Barbie dolls before. Fortunately, Target had a Black Friday special on a set of 7 Disney Princess Barbies, so we’re all set there. The house has arrived, but it’s “some assembly required”, so I’ll be up late Christmas Eve.
The 10 & 8 year olds have asked for DS’s, which they’re getting, and laptops, which they aren’t. The 6 year old wants Bratz dolls. They’ve all asked for some movies as well. All girls BTW.
4 year old boy. He wants Lego, Star Wars, and dinosaurs.
He has all these already. He just wants different ones and I’m glad to oblige since they’re such great imagination toys. This morning I overheard him arresting a dino with a Lego space cop, complete with different voices.
We got my youngest son a rocking horse for his 2nd birthday - one of the best presents ever. They both STILL play with that thing almost daily. Last night, it was the Zamboni for the indoor hockey game.
Whatsit Jr., age 8: Legos. Also, Legos. Additionally, Legos. Preferably Star Wars Legos and Harry Potter Legos, but he will be happy with anything in Lego format. He also has a lengthy list of desired board games. And he wants a Slinky. He would probably ask for a Nintendo DS if he thought he had any chance of getting one, which I assure you he does not.
MiniWhatsit, age 6: Dolls, dolls, dolls, more dolls, and then some dolls to go along with her dolls. Clothing for her dolls would also be OK. She also wants art supplies and a bike.
Whatsit the Youngest, age 3: Still very vague on the concept of Christmas; therefore has not asked for anything per se. But he mostly likes playing with his wooden train set, his Hot Wheels cars, and his vast collection of alphabet puzzles. (He is obsessed with letters.)
The sprog already got his presents from Mom and Dad for Hanukkah. He got a Paper Jamz guitar and amp, a Kinect, and some smaller stuff. He’s getting science stuff from Bubbe and Grandpa whenever it shows up. I’m also thinking about kidnapping his DSi and trading it in for a DSi XL, because he’s (mostly) taken care of the DSi.
That’s good to hear. We decided on that gift because she’s shown a lot of interest in horses, and because so many of our friends say that rocking horses have been a big hit in their homes.
My nearly three year old doesn’t yet “get” the concept of St Nick gifts yet. (St Nick, dec 5 th, is the Dutch X-mas) He is just warming up to the idea of unpacking gifts and tearing up wrapping paper. His dad and me both feel toys for toddlers are just tools, so I buy them throughout the year and make them available to him very matter-of-factly. That is how he got his balance bike, which was a huge hit seven months ago. Other then that, he really just likes his trains, cars and his stuffed cat. And being read to. And duplo and legos.
We often go to Goodwill, where toys are cheap, and pre-tested and unpacked. He picks out what he wants, tries it out, I make him select something and we take it home.
The Littlest Briston – now five – has a list a mile long. However, there was only one thing she had to tell Santa about when she visited him this weekend – the Go Go Walking Pup. She wants that sucker in the worst way, and yes, she’ll be getting it.
Of course, she’s going to know about it long before she actually unwraps it. That fricking dog is the yappiest thing ever. Every time you move the box, touch the box, look at the box, or make any movement within 75 feet of the box, it’s five minutes of “yapyapyapyap! yapyapyapyap! <pant> <pant> <pant> yapyapyapyap! yapyapyapyap!”.
Can’t wait to hear that for a couple of days straight.
They generally ask for everything they see (which is reasonable since they like anything that is a toy). Specific asks were:
a remote controlled Barbie car - DD7 (which I was happy to find out existed)
a DS - DD6 (he isn’t getting one though since he has a GBA that he doesn’t use)
anything Barbie, Princess, Littlest PetShop or Polly Pocket - DD7
anything Cars, Hotwheels, Transformers or Toy Story - DD6
anything Star Wars - Both (Mom and Dad are proud)
Silly Bands - Both
BeyBlades - Both
To be fair, they moved in less than a year ago and while they had a lot of toys, they were typically bought at yard sales and the like. The idea of having new toys of their own that they get to ask for is quite foreign. They get very excited when they have the same or similar toys to their peers. (Ok and since my whole family has been waiting a long time for these guys to arrive, we are a spoiling them a lot. Heck, with all the stuff they went through, they should get a little spoiling n’est pas?)
Gnat wants Thomas the Tank engine stuff. We’re obliging him, and adding to his Ikea train set. He’s also getting K’Nex sets that work with Duplo, and he got an Imaginext (or something) fire hall from his grandparents last weekend (family Christmas thing) that he’s playing with all the time. He’ll be three in January.
We got my son a rocking motorcycle when he was about 2! It’s wooden and very cute, and we now use it as a Christmas decoration.
He’s now 6 and he wants anything to do with Mario and Sonic. He has many of the Mario characters in plush-stuffed form, and he’s getting a few more. Also games like Connect Four and a few others.
It used to be the Disney/Pixar Cars movie, now it’s Mario. Mario everything. Clothes, pajamas, toys! Fortunately the stuff goes beyond the electronic and into the imagination.
