Edward is the most difficult child on my list this year. He’s 4-and-a-half, and he likes computers and video games. That’s pretty much it: computers and video games. We have a lot of computer aptitude in the family tree so we don’t mind this much (THE CHILD, HE IS ONE OF US), but we would like to find SOME things he likes IN ADDITION TO computers and video games. But what? My computery brother liked Capsela and Erector sets, but Edward is too little for that and also hasn’t shown much interest in building sets.
Well, I’m going through Amazon and gathering ideas.
(image from Amazon.com)
LeapFrog Scribble and Write. He hasn’t shown much interest in writing, so I’m not sure. But on the other hand, he likes almost anything electronic with buttons. And the nice thing about a bigger family is that if one kid doesn’t like something, there are other kids who might: either Elizabeth or Henry might want to play with it.
(image from Amazon.com)
Melissa & Doug Geometric Stacker. This may be too young for him. On the other hand, I can picture him playing with it. And notice the tower on the left is more complicated than the other two.
(image from Amazon.com)
LeapFrog Leapster Mr. Pencil’s Learn to Draw and Write. Again, he hasn’t shown much interest in writing, or in drawing either. But he might if they were in a video game.
(image from Amazon.com)
ThinkFun Chocolate Fix. He likes these ThinkFun games, but my mom already has several at her house for him to play with.
(image from Amazon.com)
LeapFrog Didj Sonic the Hedgehog. In case we decide not to bother trying to get him to enjoy things other than video games.
(image from Rachael Rossman)
Custom name painting. Rachael Rossman made me a Swistle painting, and I like it so much I was fantasizing about having one made for each of the kids. I asked Edward if he thought he’d want one for himself (with his real name, if I can remember it after calling him Edward for so long), on a computer and video game theme. He surprised me by saying YES with enthusiasm, so now this is a frontrunner possibility—assuming I decide about his gift in time for it to be done before Christmas. One thing I like about this idea is that it’s not another toy in the house.
Plasmacar!
http://www.plasmacar.com
Seriously, my 3 (almost 4) year old loves it, rides it constantly. No batteries, self-propelled. Can take an extra rider on the back. Indestructible. Indoor/outdoor.
A computer-y writing toy might be JUST the thing to nudge his writing interest along… Also, we have that stacking toy (ours was from Target) and Marin (age 3) still plays with it, as well as lots of older kids that visit here. It’s the sort of visual toy that kids are drawn to.
Finally, I love those personalized name art pictures! I may have to file that away for the girls’ January birthday…
P.S. Comments are now ON on my last post. Thanks for the heads up! =)
Those name paintings ARE super cool.
My fiance is in the computer techie club and as child he loved dinosaurs, lego and transformers. Maybe Edward would like something along those lines…
Thanks for the suggestions! i love the writing one and I love the names… I think also, that kid digital cameras at Amazon, specifically the vtech one, would be interesting for a 4-year-old.
I bought my BoyChild a regular digital camera on e-bay. It ran me about $25 and when he left it outside and the dog ate it, I wasn’t upset.
It seems like my BoyChild was born with Hot Wheels cars and Legos in his hands. Does Edward like those.
I bought my BoyChild a regular digital camera on e-bay. It ran me about $25 and when he left it outside and the dog ate it, I wasn’t upset.
It seems like my BoyChild was born with Hot Wheels cars and Legos in his hands. Does Edward like those.
My fav. is the name painting. I used to have one in my room and I treasured it forever.
I think the name painting is a great idea. Do it! Though of course then you couldn’t post it here. Right?
Art supplies? A date with Mama?
I saw the leap frog thing in the store today. It explained and displayed with little lights how to do it but i wasn’t able to play with the stylus. The draw and write is too finicky for little kids though, but has other redeeming qualities. My 4yo plays with that stacking sorter. I got it for him when he was 2 and I thought it was too young for him then, but he still likes it. But the name thing is my favorite!
Wow, this may sound dumb, but it never occurred to me that the names in your blog aren’t your childrens’ real names!
Anyway, thanks for all the great gift ideas, you helped me a lot this year with my 3 year old. Some of the things I got him are the Leapster Scribble and Write, the water flutes, and the digital camera.
Damn you Swistle and your ability to make me buy children’s games at Amazon!
Ordered the Doug and Melissa cookie thing for my 4-year-old back when you posted that and now I want the ThinkFun Chocolate Fix.
I thought I was done shopping, however I do need one more gift for two of my kids. This one would probably work for my 6-year-old although at Amazon it said it was for ages 8 and up. But you were talking about your 4.5-year-old, right?
So if I got this for my 6-year-old what other game could I get for my 9-year-old? Just to even things out so each of my kids gets a Swistle-approved Christmas gift.
And yes, I am thinking about those handmade name plates, but technically that’s not a game and I can’t get just one because the other two are going to want a name plate.
I just bought a v-tech kids camera for my six year old(on sale at Target for $40), but a four year old could totally use it. Also, I picked up a couple of pairs of cheap binoculars that I think are going to be a big hit.
I’m not buying my kids the things on their lists. I’m getting them things they don’t know they want, but when they see the gifts, it will be just what they always wanted.
The only problem I foresee with the name painting is this: If you get it with his real name, will you even show it to us? Those things are so cute, we want to see them too!
That stacking toy reminded me of Wedgits… seriously the best toy that has ever entered our home. Everyone loves to play with it, from toddlers to grown-ups.
I love those name paintings. And I really like knowing that Edward responded so positively to it. Hmmm…
All three of my kids LOVE Mr. Pencil. We had to buy a new one as the old one we had for our Leapster did not work on the Izzy’s new Leapster 2 (for whatever reason…?).
And the older two are quite enamored with Sonic, also.
Oh yes! My five-year old is very keen on getting a digital camera….
LoriD- I’ve never seen those Wedgits before! They look GREAT! I’m adding them to my list!
The LeapFrog Scribble and Write was a huge hit on a recent 12 hour road trip with my 6, 5 and 2 year olds! Also, Automoblox cars are huge here, as well as the interlocking wooden blocks from Nova Natural (especially awesome if you pony up for some of the Fagus construction vehicles with which to transport them).
Oh and the Matchbox Mega Rig sets have been the best purchase we’ve made in the last year. You can make so many different configurations and there are space sets, construction, deep sea, etc. We’re gifting the pirate ship one, this year!
Ooh, ooh, and what about Playmobil? Dinosaur sets, Egyptians (the pyramid is SO COOL), knights, and on and on.
I actually just want to eat that chocolate game.
You must have said this somewhere, but do you have a certain number of gifts that you give each kid?
I know I try to make the piles look “even” with my 2 kids – seems like you’d have to be pretty deliberate on numbers with 5.
el-e-e– I do try to make it come out pretty even, especially with the older two who are competitive and argumentative with each other. I have a page in a notepad on my desk (buried halfway through the notepad, with innocent-looking Baby Name Blog notes on the top few pages) where I make a note each time I buy a child a gift. This gives me a good idea of which lists need a little more.
I was trying to find one more thing for my 3-year-old, and that scribble and write thing was perfect. We LOVE LeapFrog stuff around here! BUT from the time I looked at it on Amazon yesterday morning to when I looked at it again last night, it went from $21-something to $32.59. I found and ended up getting it at WalMart for $19.97. The reviews I read online were great, and I think she’ll love it. Thanks for the idea!
Cardiogirl- I’d recommend any of the other ThinkFun games for the 9-year-old. Rush Hour was the most popular one with my eldest when he was 9, but I think that’s because it was the only ThinkFun game my mom had at the time. I haven’t tried Hoppers, but it looks fun to me, and it’s less expensive than Rush Hour. OR you could get River Crossing Jr. (recommended ages 6-8) for the 6-year-old and then get the chocolate one for the 9-year-old. (I’d recommend Rush Hour Jr for the 6-year-old but Amazon doesn’t seem to have it with free shipping and I am very keen on free shipping.) Ooo, or Ducks in a Row is 5-7 years, and so is Hoppers Jr.
I’m not sure which child of yours might like this most, or if they would like it at all, but have you heard of Rody? I think we will be getting one of these for my almost-3-year-old. My neice, who is 2 1/2, has one and LOVES it.
Knex makes some sets for the little ones. Kid Knex I think is what they call them.
I love having these to look back on when I need a gift idea. I went with the Wedgits for my 5 year old nephew. Keep posting these anytime you can :)