Christmas for kids when they don't want anything

[brand new stash]

I have three kids, 6. 6 and 4.  We celebrate Christmas.

So far, every year Santa gets the kids one nice gift...usually the one thing that they really wanted, then they get a bunch of gifts from relatives.  The gift from Santa has sometimes been expensive (bikes) and sometimes not (the year my then 2 year olds begged Santa that they really really wanted a big candy cane for Christmas, and talked for months about how great it was that they got an extra big candy cane).  But expensive or not I try to get them one special gift that they will be excited to receive from Santa. 

This year, I'm stumped on the 4 year old.  He tells me that he has all the toys he wants and he can't think of anything he wants.  And I can't either.  He just had his birthday in October, and he honestly has every thing I can think of to get him.   He has legos, toy cars, bike, scooter, board games, nerf football, stomp rocket, super hero figurines, art supplies, playdough, science kit, plenty of clothes, and lots lots more.   I really like that he doesn't want anything, but at the same point I feel like Santa should give you a gift on Christmas, and I worry that he will think that he was on the naughty list if he doesn't get something from Santa. 

I feel like it is the height of consumerism and unnecessary spending to buy something when you don't need or want it, but that is warring with my sense that there should be something from Santa under the tree.    What advice do you have fellow Mustachian parents?

[CommonCents]

A gift certificate for an experience?

[jat9449]

You could always make a charitable gift in your child's name.

http://www.wwf.org.au/

The above helps endangered species and I believe your child would receive a stuffed animal for your contribution.

Or you could donate through Heifer International:

http://www.heifer.org/

I'm sure your son would get a kick out of that. Especially when you explain to him how important these items are to others. 

[Le0]

A sword and shield. Big Heavy ones, not ones you can really 'play with'. and make sure you read him The Lion, Witch and the wardrobe by CS lewis before christmas.

Best Christmas Ever

[galaxie]

I like both those ideas.  You could ask him if he wants to donate to a charity, and maybe show him some options.  Or take him to an aquarium, museum, that kind of thing.

[Mrs MM]

That's a good problem to have!!

Our son doesn't want anything either. We are going to give him a board game for the whole family to play (we're thinking Ticket to Ride). Maybe think more about family gifts. We give used books as well (ones we can't find at the library).

I also want him to choose a charity to donate to. He's old enough now (he's almost 8) to understand what this means and we will be looking at different options and then giving him the choice of which one to donate to.

We're also going to offset our emissions for the year and he will be involved in that as well.

Otherwise, we're going to have a no-computer family day, cook, hang out, and have fun!

Kids love coupons too. We usually make a coupon book for things like: ice cream before dinner, extra hour before bedtime, movie night out, Yes Day (meaning we say yes to everything they want to do that day, with limits of course), unlimited hugs, etc... stuff you think your kids will like.  My son actually forgets to use the coupons, but he loves looking through all of them and we laugh about the silly ones. You can make them look all official on the computer or just hand draw them (my son prefers hand drawn things as he feels they are more personal).

Homemade pop up cards are also a hit!

One thing I would love to give my son are mother and son drawing classes - where we go learn together. Unfortunately I haven't found anything like that available here, but maybe your child would enjoy something like that...

[Mrs MM]

By the way, kids might like picking a project from Donors Choose: http://www.donorschoose.org/. You get to see the project and get feedback on your donation as well. I'm sure there are plenty of others too. I've recently found this one: http://www.kidsdonations.org/ for kids in distressed situations.

[TLV]

How about stock in a company they know about (e.g. Disney), as in this example?

[Frugalteacher]

Off topic, but I wanted to give Mrs. MM a huge thanks for the donors choose shout out. I teach at an inner city school and you can't even imagine how awesome that website is and how many opportunities it gives to my students they wouldnt get otherwise. I just recently got funding for a microscope through donors choose and all of my students absolutely love it. It's been a big hit, and I plan on using it all year as we study biology. As far as your son, I recommend an experience as a present. Maybe a trip to a museum, basketball game, or concert with just you and him.

[Mrs MM]

Off topic, but I wanted to give Mrs. MM a huge thanks for the donors choose shout out. I teach at an inner city school and you can't even imagine how awesome that website is and how many opportunities it gives to my students they wouldnt get otherwise. I just recently got funding for a microscope through donors choose and all of my students absolutely love it. It's been a big hit, and I plan on using it all year as we study biology. As far as your son, I recommend an experience as a present. Maybe a trip to a museum, basketball game, or concert with just you and him.

That's awesome!! It's so nice to hear from someone that has used donors choose from the other side. I love the way the web site is set up and is so personal - you feel like you're really helping kids in the classroom directly. I think our son would love choosing a project from here.

[Zaga]

I love the experience idea.  Tickets to a touring show?  A trip to the zoo when a baby animal that he loves was just born?  A day at an indoor water park for everyone?  We did that last one once for my nieces and nephews, it was way awesome!

[Dee18]

Membership in a science museum or zoo?

[smalllife]

I was that kid that never wanted anything for Christmas (still don't, so I request practical items that are down on my priority list).   What I really wanted was time, so I second the idea for an experience - a solo outing with a parent, whether that's to a show or a museum or a restaurant. 

Edit: another good idea would be a coupon for a day or two of playing hooky from school. 

[MrsPete]

A museum membership (or zoo membership) was a favorite-favorite-favorite in my family as a child.  It's 'specially good if it comes with a monthly magazine. 

[brand new stash]

A museum membership (or zoo membership) was a favorite-favorite-favorite in my family as a child.  It's 'specially good if it comes with a monthly magazine.

We are lucky to live close to DC where the zoo and most museums are free.

[Argyle]

Books!  They're a thing that you can have endless amounts of without any duplications.  I'm assuming he can't read yet, and so a book you can read together gets the experience/relationship aspect in as well.  They are a ton of wonderful, wonderful children's books.  And the gift of loving books will be as good a gift as any you could ever get him.

[Gray Matter]

I'm very impressed that a four-year-old wants nothing...no matter how many toys mine already had, they always wanted something more at that age (probably heavily influenced by the commercials they saw on TV--that's one regret I have--letting them watch too much TV). 

Anyway, my parents are giving my kids a trip to family camp this year, but understand that it's also fun for kids to open something tangible, so they're each getting a small present that is related (daughter getting a small stuffed fox because it's grandma's favorite woodland animal and we saw one last time we went, middle son getting a pocket bird book because both he and grandma like birds, and oldest son getting a book for young writers because he wants to be one, and grandma was a syndicated columnist).

We've done these "experience" gifts before, with a small related component to open on the day, and it works really, really well.

[lifejoy]

I don't have kids, so maybe this is a crazy idea, but what if you set up a winter wonderland of fun stations? Bear with me. Picture this:

-bubble station
-"snow station" (make your own tiny bits of paper and then throw it over you heads - yay!
-balloon room (fill a room with balloons... as long as people would find that fun and not claustrophobic)
-gingerbread man decorating station
-build a fort area (put every blanket and every pillow for your house into one area)

So... maybe this is a crazy idea, or maybe it is awesome! You could get really creative, and your child would have some wonderful lasting memories. Haha but like I said, I don't have kids, so maybe this is silly! I'd love feedback, good or bad :)

[nubbs180]

This is late, but in case someone else comes looking for ideas here's my 2¢ for an excellent gift idea, maybe for older than 4 though.  They're "Box Rivets" for building giant fortresses, trains, spaceships, etc out of cardboard.  I can personally vouch that they work so much better than duct tape or any other cardboard attaching device I've worked with before, and they are reusable.

https://mrmcgroovys.com/

Another idea is if your kids are into making stuff to give them time, materials and space to make a mess and whatever else the project of the day may be. 

[brand new stash]

Just to update:

A week before Christmas, he saw Santa Claus, and Santa asked him what he wanted, and he told Santa "I'm sure you'll figure out something".
 
A friend recommended a board game, and we got that for him.

Then the day before Christmas, he announced "I've got it!  I've figured out what I want!"  And proceeded to tell us that he wanted "all the candy in the world".  (so much for a kid who doesn't want anything).

When I asked what about all the other kids, he said "I'll share".  So we explained that he wouldn't get all the candy in the world, and he thought about that for awhile, and asked if I would write a note to Santa for him.  He asked for a lot of candy, especially a blue candy cane.  Christmas morning had a blue candy cane in his stocking, and he was thrilled.  He has also loved the board  game.  So Christmas was a hit.