Waldorf gifts for older kids...

[Kindermama]

I would love some suggestions. We are trying to think of gifts for our 7 year old boy and 10 year old girl. It seems like you can get all these beautiful toys/gifts for younger kids but then it shifts.... the older kid items in catalogs are all electronic/plastic/video games. The waldorf catalogs don't have much aside from arts and craft stuff. Our kids have a lot already but it's Christmas and we want to gift them something....and something special.

Help!

[Hannahsmummy]

Well, I guess it depends on your own child's interests but...
Sorry in advance about my UK links but I am sure there are similar thing sin the US!

My daughter is 6 and a half (and not interested in toys really!) and she has asked for a marble run and a djembe (african drum). I can imagine that a marble run would be great for a 7 year old boy as you can get some that are quite elaborate.

For other boy toys, how about a building kit? You can get kits to make houses or castles out of small real bricks. Some kits allow you to even make your own bricks. Like this one.

Or a real tool kit. These are lovely and my daughter has her eye on it as well!

My computer battery is about to die so I'll post this then be back with some other ideas!

[KJoslyn78]

i am just teaching my daughter to knit - so i'm getting her some GOOD needles and wool for christmas. I've also been eyeing a loom for her as well. And she STILL loves her waldorf doll i just gaver her last year... So i'm going to make a new outfit for her dool. BTW - my dd will be 11 at the end of this month.

[Hannahsmummy]

Originally Posted by KJoslyn78

i am just teaching my daughter to knit - so i'm getting her some GOOD needles and wool for christmas. I've also been eyeing a loom for her as well.

These are great ideas too. I was going to say that class one is when they start knitting so definitely some gorgeous wool and good needles!
Also, any other sort of handwork stuff-felting kit either wet or needle would be nice too.

How about stilts if you have a child who likes physical play?

Diablos got really popular with the kids at our school recently.

If you have a child who's artsy, how about a wooden easel and some real art supplies or canvases?

[KJoslyn78]

Oh - my dd (the soon-to-be 11 yr old) LOVES puzzles... so i'm looking for a wooden labrynith, the bent metal ones you have to twist/turn to get apart, etc... she loves those - maybe your dd does too?

[aiyasmama]

Kapla blocks

games to play together

[earthmama4]

I have the same issue. I have 8 and 11 yr old boys. Here are some ideas I came up with for activities at home that will help guide our holiday/birthday purchases:

Musical Instruments (guitar, violin, recorder, flute, drums)

Woodworking w/ real tools

Art (painting, sketching, sculpture, beeswax crayons, modeling beeswax)

Crafting (needle felting, knitting, looms, candle and soap making, sewing)

Books (fantasy, adventure, mythology)

Storytelling CD's (like Jim Weiss)

Building toys, blocks, puzzles

Dress-up, adventure play (costumes, silks, swords, shields, lyra face paints)

Sports equipment (soccer goals, baseball mitt ball and bases, football, basketball hoop and ball, yard games such as croquet)

Gardening tools - quality youth size leaf rake, shovel, hoe

Board games (cooperative games are a plus!)

Warm clothing for outdoor adventures (wool hats, gloves, good boots, long johns)

[The Hidden Life]

Sometimes when they get to the older child ages they are ready to put aside toys and enjoy gifts of clothing or tools appropriate to whatever interests they have.

My 12yo dd likes art and music; she has taken an interest in her clothing and accessories as well. My 10yo dd is very crafty and likes to work with her hands, either drawing or making things. My 6yo is not much into toys at all; she would rather run and jump and sometimes settle down and read. My 3yo just enjoys all the little wooden animals and people that once belonged to his sisters--as well as a good pile of toy cars and airplanes.

I loved the stage where I could give them all those beautiful Waldorf toys, but I am finding those days nearly gone. I did get one Waldorf style dollhouse doll for each of the kids (the ones from Blueberry whatsit). They like to play with these together on long car trips and previously we only had princesses and mermaids and they were wanting some regular folk. They like to have them play with the little wooden dogs and snap pictures of them on our trips, etc. Even my 12yo can be persuaded to play with toys occasionally! But really the purpose of toys is to foster imagination and to role play and prepare the child for adult pursuits. Sometimes that is fulfilled earlier in some kids than others.

Good gifts for an older child are usually those that encourage independence in activity and mind--books, bikes/skateboards (means of transportation without mom & dad), tools or craft supplies, lessons in new activities (karate, swimming, other things that encourage physical activity and inner growth).

[dogretro]

This is such a great age range for gift giving! I have had about a million ideas, but this has been my first chance to sit down and reply, so I am sure that some are repeats of what others have said, sorry. Some of my suggestions are plastic/electronic, BUT with an open-ended or exploration intention.

Microscope that can be removed from the base to take outside or around the house

Giant magnifying glass

Those lovely glossy books w/ color photos and illustrations that cover all sorts of topics like mammals, dinosaurs, natural disasters, different cultures, oceans, etc.

Binoculars

Telescope

Walkie-talkies

Real adult tools

Rock tumbler

Wood burning kit

Pottery wheel

Balls for different sports

Raquetballs (much better for bouncing than tennis balls!)

Baseball/softball equipment

Pogo stick

Pogo ball

Skateboard, roller blades, or scooter

New bikes

Bike accessories (basket, light, flag, chain lock)

Chemistry set

Build your own radio kit

Board games

Novelty playing cards

Magic tricks & practical joke items

Spy kit (Magnifying glass, small notebook, little flashlight, fingerprint kit, tweezers, etc. Toy stores sometimes sell "spy kids" type of toys.) Include the book "Harriet the Spy" or a kids' manual on how to spy/sneak around

Supplies for playing office, school, circus, etc. Basically, raid the local Office Max for stuff like Post-It notes, paper clips, envelopes, date stamper, other business stamps, raffle tickets, teacher supplies, receipt books, etc.

Crutches, Ace bandages, and an arm sling (My friends and I used to LOOOOVE getting to play "the injured one" when playing house. The crutches were the most popular accessory and you can get them at thrift stores.)

Electric toothbrushes

Fancy or silly candies that you don't normally buy

Ant farm or grow a frog kit

Butterfly nets

Tent

Sleeping bags (Good for slumber parties!)

[racheleuphoria]

Wow, you've gotten LOTS of great suggestions. I would recommend that you jump over to www.imaginechildhood.com. They have lots of quality exploratory and art supplies that I look forward to buying for my children someday.

[txartist]

Not art supplies

I gave art supplies to my nephew. They are in a closet now. Even though his parents knew what I was purchasing, markers and pads, they didn't have the balls to tell me "no markers allowed" only beeswax crappola and 3 colors of watercolor paints are allowed. Be careful what you purchase, the Waldorf child probably isn't allowed to use it.

Originally Posted by Hannahsmummy

These are great ideas too. I was going to say that class one is when they start knitting so definitely some gorgeous wool and good needles!
Also, any other sort of handwork stuff-felting kit either wet or needle would be nice too.

How about stilts if you have a child who likes physical play?

Diablos got really popular with the kids at our school recently.

If you have a child who's artsy, how about a wooden easel and some real art supplies or canvases?

[kittywitty]

Originally Posted by txartist

I gave art supplies to my nephew. They are in a closet now. Even though his parents knew what I was purchasing, markers and pads, they didn't have the balls to tell me "no markers allowed" only beeswax crappola and 3 colors of watercolor paints are allowed. Be careful what you purchase, the Waldorf child probably isn't allowed to use it.

?

Most Waldorf families I know are not that purist. Ask if you are concerned about what is and is not allowed, but I don't know any who would ban markers for Waldorf reasons. I usually have markers put up in my house but only because my 2 yo inevitably finds it and destroys something!

My 9.5 year old wants more blocks this year-the HABA ones that you can make different architecture with, like Greek, Gothic, etc.

[Melaniee]

txartist

Family relationships can be tricky. There are some family members who we tell them straight out our children are only allowed certain things, others we don't wish to hurt their feelings as it's more trouble than it's worth. And still others it's only going to bring on an disagreement, so why bother, we've told them before, they choose not to listen. That is their choice. Straight to the donate box their things go.

I certainly couldn't speculate on what your family thinks of you, but it seems to me if you have a problem with what they do with the gifts you've given, you might want to just ask them straight-out "If I buy XYZ, are they going to be allowed to play with them because I'd really like it if my gifts can be useful?" Also, plain white paper is a huge hit in our home.

We have markers and they are kept away 99%. I would rather my children use their LOVELY beeswax crayons and water colors.

Of course what they really do is hunt out my plain blue or black ball point pens to use. LOL. Figures.