Seeking toy recommendations for nephew, niece

[politicat]

Yeah, I know, we said we weren't doing holidays this year, but one BIL got a couple weeks extended leave and the other has a week off, and they got a decent rate on a flight out here, so we're having a mini-family reunion before the boys go back to Vietnam ^H^H^H^H^H Iraq.

So... I know what to get the boys for the holidays (we're atheist, agnostic and pagan; we don't do Christmas); they're getting iTunes store gift cards and Audible.com gift cards. I know what to get my sisters; one's getting a Yoga set and the other is getting a Pilates set (they both requested.).

So what do I get my goddess-daughter niece and my goddess-son nephew? My niece is 9 months old and will probably prefer the wrapping paper to the toy initially, but I'd prefer a toy that's good for her mind and spatial reasoning, and not pastel.

My nephew is 3 and a half, all boy, and very active. He's got a lot of DVDs and books and promo toys. I'd like something to help counteract the fact that he's lived in a military environment consistently since he was born and even though his dad is a pretty good egg, he's still Army.

Any suggestions for this clueless non-parent?

Pcat

[MissMarple]

1. Books are good. Winnie the Pooh ones are popular, you can get

the characters as stuffed animals to go along with them. And they create a parent child activity. :D

on edit, I see you are from Boulder. My daughter is in Fort Collins and we were both at Flat Iron Crossing Monday and Tuesday. Small world. :hi:

[politicat]

7. We do lots of books - those are Happy Nothing's Day presents.

I'm a huge reader, so I send the kidlets books that I find interesting with cds of me reading them, and we read every Saturday afternoon over the phone for 45 minutes.

We've done lots of books!

:Hi:, back! Yep, small world it is.

Pcat

[SheilaT]

2. Consider getting the niece

some really good picture books that can be read to her already. There are so many wonderful ones out there that I hesitate to make specific suggestions.

Depending on how much money you have, and whether or not you have to ship (which is expensive) I'm tempted to suggested the Brio wooden train sets. I got my oldest one of those for his third birthday and it was one of the best investments in a kid's toy I ever made. Over the years I bought more, and we played and played with them. His younger brother also loved them. Now all the pieces sit in a laundry basket and haven't been touched in about seven years. Sigh. They do grow up.

[LisaM]

3. For a baby, a sturdy book or a doll

they like dolls at that age - just a PLAIN doll, smallish size baby doll, with no chokeable parts. Or, a big ball she can roll around on. If you get a book, make sure she can't tear it apart.

For the boy, a puzzle. I would say either a map or some kind of dinosaur.

[AllegroRondo]

4. Nephew ideas

at 3 1/2, all the classics are still good.

Play dough
Legos (big ones)
Twister
Tonka trucks

[trotsky]

5. By 3-1/2 my son was SERIOUSLY into:

Dinosaurs
Thomas the Train
HotWheels cars
Lincoln Logs

[qanda]

6. K'Nex

You cannot go wrong with K'Nex for the boy. And just about anything LeapFrog would be great for the baby girl. jmho

[Astrochimp]

8. nephew-6 foot tall blow up godzilla! or drums!

Those were gifts I got my nephew, when he was young. (he is all of 19 now- gets cash)

The 'zilla was his favorite gift- he is still a fan, and is working in animation, FX, stuff- worked a couple of summers and still part time(AFAIK), with a well known "grafic artist"

[politicat]

9. Drums are for his 7th birthday.

This is a long standing family tradition and I won't break it. My niece will also get drums, though I've already bought her 1/4 scale violin and set up her music lessons fund. (My adopted brother is doing so for my nephew.)

The godzilla is a great idea... Hm... may have to go do comic shop this weekend.

Pcat

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. www.discovery.com

[SheilaT]

11. I know a recipe for home made

Playdough. It lasts pretty much forever if kept sealed in a ziploc bag and kept in the refrigerator when not being used.


1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tbl oil
food coloring.

Mix the dry ingredients in a non-stick frying pan (an iron skillet actually works just as well). Mix together water, oil and a few drops of food coloring. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture forms a ball. This should take around five minutes.

It's fast, it's easy, it doesn't pill and stay in the carpet forever like the commercial stuff. When my boys were young and friends came over, I'd often ask the friend what his favorite color was, go into the kitchen, and make the playdough. It was a lot of fun.

[politicat]

13. Thanks - that's useful for while they're here!

DC (my nephew) has never seen snow of any real duration, so we're taking him up to Rocky Mountain National for at least a day, but Swee'pea (my niece) is a little too young for snow. But they're going to be here for several days. Swee is getting home made zwieback, so DC can have custom modeling material!

Thanks again!

Pcat

[proud patriot]

12. Get your nephew the picture book "Ferdinand" it's a tale from spain

about a bull who would rather sit and smell flowers
than bullfight .

third book at this link:
http://www.ticklebugs.com/pages/bookreviews2.htm

for your neice something on wheels that she push
around while walking. It will help her gain balance .
which is important at her stage of development , I
also reccomend the book Mr Brown Can Moo for her ..

on edit I'm big on giving kids books , because
loving reading early on is soooooooooo important .

[politicat]

14. We read Ferdinand and have it on CD.

Doing the voices on that one taxed my talents! I LOVE Ferdinand. That was our book in June. We do tons of books, believe me. Swee'pea is already very fascinated with stories and books because we've been reading aloud to her from her first week, and her mommy has listened to audiobooks for a couple of years now. (My sister is mildly dyslexic, so audio is far superior for her comprehension and allows her to focus her paper reading on her university studies.) Swee has heard audiobooks from the moment her brain and ears were developed enough to hear.

Swee has several different walker type things. (Assuming her daddy can ever put her down, she actually stands and walks with some assistance rather too well for her mom's happiness... this prospect of being a single mom courtesy of the Shrubbery's Oedipal complex is not real pleasing.)

Thanks for the suggestions. (The problem with the babies is that they're both spoiled rotten by their grandparents, aunties and unks.) I do need to pick up a copy of Ferdinand, though. We used the library's copy in June.

Pcat

[n2mark]

15. Books or puzzles.

or anything else they use for hand eye coordination. Maybe a box of dress up clothes where they can pretend and be creative. I am one who delights in the creativity of children. How about paints, paper, no coloring books, just paints, paper, crayons, pencils. Things that make them problem solve.

[LisaM]

16. If they use tempera paints, you can mix in a little dish soap

then it washes right out of their hair, clothes, etc.