Showing posts with label Inexpensive. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inexpensive. Show all posts

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Classic and inexpensive Christmas gifts for children

Each year we are bombarded with advertisements, articles and news hottest Christmas gifts for children. These gifts are usually expensive, electronic and related to because of high demand. This has to wonder what happened to the classic economic Christmas gifts for children. You know what I mean. The gifts that we all have when we were young, we enjoyed the gifts on Christmas Day and throughout the year and in many cases still enjoy today. Unlike some of the gifts that havereally wanted one year and disappear as soon as the new year rolls around. Great gifts are evergreen classics, loved, and loved by generations.

Most were present for these games and toys that takes your mind and your need for some interaction with others. The memory of these great gifts classic came to mind last week while on Thanksgiving. I was visiting my nephew. He was playing with this electronic dinosaurs. This plastic creation is about a foot tall and looks like a 'T'Rex. With four "AA" batteries of the creature turns its head, shuffle his feet and roars. My nephew, who had ten are in the back of her closet. One of last year are the Christmas presents, had just spent the first year of collecting dust. I think it cost twenty or thirty dollars. I asked my nephew did not want to play with him, and he said: "It 's fun for a while' so boring here is the problem, this toy, like many others do not mind you can still intervene.really interact with her. Clear for a while 'is funny to watch his antics, but soon tired of sniffing, trailing fake dinosaurs.

After dinner, the dinosaurs long ago forgotten, we are all sitting around the kitchen table and played a game of Halma. The point is that some of these investments, more toys worth it, not many, and if your family is like mine, it's over, toys and games to talk to us all. But what are theseClassic economic gifts? To find out, I interviewed my grandchildren, all four of them, the more my children and asked my memory. I admit that it is not very scientific, but, curiously, all of us came up with many of the same games and toys.


Lego: My son and nephew are Lego fanatics. Now you can spend some serious money for Lego, but even smaller amounts for less than ten dollars. Here's a suggestion of my wife. For two dollars to buy my wife a big boxsell various Lego bricks in a day. These pieces have kept my nephew and his friends busy for hours.
Chess Set: War is the ultimate strategy game of chess. Chess Long War Hammer and all these games before it did.
Lady: It may be easier for a game of checkers. Cheap, fun and always exciting. Do not forget, Chinese checkers, and the way in which all the other games.
A card game: We always put in a card gameOur grandchildren socks, sometimes it's just a regular deck or in one of the new card games.
Jojo A: What child does not like Jojo? Duncan from a simple, sound and flashing lights. Remember, when using the Duncan yoyo man to demonstrate to travel from city to city yoyo tricks? No, I do.
A Dragon: Now here is a toy that each side to reach the yard or park. Kite can be a great hobby, as there are many very expensive kites. But to start withthe simple "bat" style. You can usually find these for less than ten dollars.
A large group of Crayola crayons: For the young kit, a set of crayons and some poster papers a great gift. Think of all those drawings you need to depend on the refrigerator.
A series of watercolors: Is there an artist in every child. A nice set of watercolors and shrubs bring hours of creative fun.
A number of blocks of wood for a younger child, a beautiful set of hardwood blocks are a perfect gift. Small buildingTowers and buildings is fun and creative and then you can kill them!
A set of fishing for beginners: Another good way to get outdoors, fishing, most municipalities have to have a small pond or you are probably closer than you think of a river or a lake. Both my sons and my daughters love fish.

Obviously, the list goes on. The ideas above these have stood the test of time, so that three generations of my family hours of fun and family solidarity. So before you drive yourselfcrazy trying to find the latest hot Christmas gifts, consider these classic and inexpensive gifts for Christmas for your children. Then I saw that you really need to get the number of toys for Christmas 2010 by all means. But also take a card game or crayons and a kit of paper. I can almost guarantee your children or grandchildren, with more time with these gifts with the excitement, lower the heat expensive toy. Merry Christmas!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Inexpensive Birthday Party Games For Dads on a Budget

You don't have to hire a magician or a pony to make a child's birthday party a success. The only real expense you might have to endure is birthday cake and ice cream. Otherwise, kids just need some easy-to-create fun activities. You can go fly a kite or take a trip together to the local playground.

If you want to be more industrious, here are some easy-to-make attractions that will keep a group of kids (4-10) busy for a few hours:

Fishing game

What it is: Plywood 3-sided structure about 5 feet tall and 8 feet long, painted front to look like water. Fishing poles made from bamboo poles about 3' long with string attached and clippie clothes pin tied on the other side.

Materials needed: 2 4x8' sheets of plywood, 4 bamboo poles (6' long and cut to 3' each) string cut to 4' long, spring clothes pins to clip on fishing prizes. VOLUNTEER to cut the plywood and assemble the exhibit, and paint the front. Small prizes to be "fished" for.

How to play: Volunteers sit behind exhibit. Kids come up and throw the fishing line over the "water". Volunteers clip on prizes, small toys, stickers or candies.

Pirate Ship Walk the Plank

What it is: A balance beam with a large cut-out graphic of a pirate ship attached at one end. It sits on a blue tarp trimmed to look like water. (The school may have balance beams we can borrow)

Materials needed: A balance beam. A large board, about 5'x6' cut out and painted to look like a pirate ship (maybe with a shark). A blue painter's tarp with the edges rounded to look like a pool of water. Pirate dress-up of some sort: a pirate hat, hooked hand, eye patch and vest. Plastic gold coins.

How to play: Dress up like a pirate and try to walk the plank without falling off. Winners retrieve a plastic coin from the ship at the end.

Buried Treasure

What it is: Extra large plastic treasure chests filled with bird seed to conceal the prizes inside. Lids of the chests are secure in a slightly open position.

Materials needed: 2 or 3 large plastic treasure chests ($14.25 dollars each at Rhode Island Novelty) size about 20"x14x14, though larger would be better. Large bags of bird seed. Plastic coins or small wrapped candy to dig for. Bandanas for blindfolds. Something to secure the lid partially opened.

How to play: Feel through the birdseed in search of a buried prize!

Tattoos and Face Painting Booths

What it is: Parent volunteers apply press on tattoos on the kids. Tattoos are soaked for a few seconds in warm water against a sponge then applied. Other parent volunteers do face painting with glitter.

Materials needed: Plastic storage containers, kitchen sponges, warm water, tattoos, face paints, superfine glitter, guide book of face painting, paper towels, fine paint brushes, hand mirrors.

Fortune Telling Booth

What it is: Volunteer dresses as a Gypsy Fortune Teller.

Materials needed: A VOLUNTEER! Perhaps some kind of magical looking ball, a small tent, chair, table, tarot cards, flowing curtains and scarves!!!

Ring a Lolli Pop

What it is: Traditional ring toss with lolli pops as pegs.

Materials needed: A wooden board with holes drilled into it (or pegboard), and a way to angle it. Table to set it up on. Rings and lots of lollipops. This could be a mobile game that is worn as a harness and strolled through the crowd?!?