So what do I buy my almost 20M old daughter for Christmas?

[Auraji]

I  can't figure out  what to  get my daughter. We don't have much  money and are only getting the kids presents, so I don't  know if I  should get her ONE big present or a couple cool things?  I don't know what that big present would be either. She likes to draw and likes books and likes to copy me and loves her "babies". The only ideas I've  had so  far is to get her a toy broom to finally end the battles  when I'm cleaning and/or a chalkboard. Would you share what you're getting  your kids? Any ideas would be very appreciatted!  

[AFWife]

We're honestly not getting DS anything this year (he's 20mo) We're moving at the end of the month so technically he's getting a big backyard! LOL

How long does your daughter enjoy toys? DS loves a toy for a few weeks and then moves on...so we won't buy him anything too terribly expensive.

I will say that MIL bought him one of those climb and slide activity things (it has sports stuff too) and he loves to slide.

[Auraji]

We moved and lost our backyard! We had to downsize, there are some things she has loved for a long time, others her love for them comes and goes.

We got rid of a lot of her and dss' toys during moving time. Here are some of the things I've been looking at, but I'm so indecisive.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00168CPQM/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0033ZQ2HE/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A2Y7JET69Q6TGZ

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RNII58/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

(If we get that, it'd be just that and maybe one more thing)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GL1DTA/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=A1CNJ1H1GH9KFC

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VO3GME/ref=ord_cart_shr?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

[AFWife]

The monkey is my favorite. It has a lot of potential for learning: dressing, colors, care, shapes, etc...

[Auraji]

Originally Posted by AFWife 

The monkey is my favorite. It has a lot of potential for learning: dressing, colors, care, shapes, etc...

I think so too and she loves to try and dress herself and loves taking care of dolls, so I think she would really like it. I still want to get her one or two other things, because I rarely ever buy her toys. I think she would really like everything in that lists so I'll ask DP when he comes home what he likes. Although he usually ends up wanting everything

[citymagnolia]

My daughters are 6 and almost 4. I recently went through their toys and got rid of everything except the few things that I think honestly add to their creativity and that they play with regularly. Maybe you'll get some ideas!

Wooden Blocks--Best toy ever and the only toy that I actually like to play with them :P

Legos--I'd skip the table and spend more on a bigger set of Legos if I were you. My kids never used the table and it ended up being another thing to store. My brother passed his on to us for the same reason.

Play kitchen!!--Priceless! You should put it on the top of your list if you don't have one!

2 baby dolls each, one stroller and one shopping cart to push them in

Fisher Price Circus Train from my childhood--every kid that comes over loooves this train

My Little Ponies from my childhood

A treehouse/dollhouse with some wood and wool fairies and a little boat

Marbleworks

Matchbox  cars, wooden set of road tracks

Wooden train and track set

Dress-up clothes

For Christmas I got them a little wooden dollhouse with a bunch of wooden peg people and a horse & buggy and a boat to go with it. I got it all from etsy.com and I'm really impressed with the quality.

Good luck!  Happy holidays! :)

I think those are all of their toys. Each set fits neatly into one of those canvas boxes

[Auraji]

Originally Posted by citymagnolia 

Wooden Blocks--Best toy ever and the only toy that I actually like to play with them :P

Legos--I'd skip the table and spend more on a bigger set of Legos if I were you. My kids never used the table and it ended up being another thing to store. My brother passed his on to us for the same reason.

Play kitchen!!--Priceless! You should put it on the top of your list if you don't have one!

2 baby dolls each, one stroller and one shopping cart to push them in

Fisher Price Circus Train from my childhood--every kid that comes over loooves this train

My Little Ponies from my childhood

A treehouse/dollhouse with some wood and wool fairies and a little boat

Marbleworks

Matchbox  cars, wooden set of road tracks

Wooden train and track set

Dress-up clothes

Thanks for the tips! Specially on the legos, I thought she'd like the table, but I do hate having bulky things around. I love blocks too and was thinking of getting some from Haba. I'll look into the play kitchen, but I'm scared of the investment. I know it'd be great to get dss and her to play together, instead of fighting over a toy lol

[mamamolly1]

My boys are 20-months-old and we're getting them a play kitchen (to put in the real kitchen, to help  occupy them while I cook dinner), 2 little chairs, and a small thomas train starter set (which we got a great deal on). 

We did get them a broom/mop set earlier in the year, to help dissaude them from always taking mine, and it's been a BIG hit.

[citymagnolia]

 I'll look into the play kitchen, but I'm scared of the investment. I know it'd be great to get dss and her to play together, instead of fighting over a toy lol

Take them to the store and let them play with a kitchen there. They have tabletop ones that are less pricey, and I see them at  Goodwill and Habitat Restore all the time here. Their dad and I got an awesome one for his house last winter for like $15 at Restore.  Our play kitchen has probably gotten more use than any other toy here, and when they go to a friends' house where they have one, my girls make a beeline to it. I got them small metal pans, wooden bowls and utensils at restore for next to nothing.

[major_mama11]

DS is 19 mos, and LOVES his broom. He also loves big sister's play kitchen (ours was 10 bucks at a yard sale a few years back), and his toy shopping cart (bought from Melissa and Doug for his first bday).

His big present is a set of play food and play dishes that I bought from Rainbow Resource Center. Grandparents always go way overboard in this family, so I tend to go the opposite direction with both kids.

[justKate]

Oooh this is a fun thread!

IMO, the blocks and the monkey doll look like the most fun with the most room to grow.  I'd skip the table and just get lots of blocks, or do a resale type table that can also be used for art, eating whatever.  DD received a version of the soft bowling set a while ago, and it doesn't really hold her attention.  Definitely not something she can play by herself.

We're getting DD a plain wood table with two chairs, more blocks, a big puzzle, and a magna doodle (I think they're called a doodle pro now?).  We also do stockings, so there will be little things in there--a book, a "big girl" brush, training panties.  I ordered wooden eggs on etsy to give to her, but since she's not really "in to" playing food or kitchen I think I'll save them for her birthday in feb.

[newbiemama09]

Originally Posted by Auraji 

I  can't figure out  what to  get my daughter. We don't have much  money and are only getting the kids presents, so I don't  know if I  should get her ONE big present or a couple cool things?  I don't know what that big present would be either. She likes to draw and likes books and likes to copy me and loves her "babies". The only ideas I've  had so  far is to get her a toy broom to finally end the battles  when I'm cleaning and/or a chalkboard. Would you share what you're getting  your kids? Any ideas would be very appreciatted!  

this is exactly what my daugher is into, too. and she's 20 mo! we're getting/making her everything doll related, because she's so obsessed with babies. DH is making her a rag doll out of socks, i'm making doll clothes, blankets, and a ring sling. we also (for her stocking) bought her play-doh, color crayons and a coloring book, and a little wooden puzzle. honestly you don't have to spend much at all for a kid. everything that we're not making i bought used (yay Once Upon a Child and Goodwill!). play-doh you can buy a 12-pack for $5! kids are so easy to please! my DD would be happy with a box full of tissue paper!

[mamadelbosque]

DS2 is 16 months and is getting 3 sets of Pop-on-Pals from us for xmas (plane, construction/trash vehicle, farmer/worker), along with several stuffies. I think at that age DS1 got a ride on toy from my dad (but we still have it, so no need for another :p)

[mamamolly1]

One other idea, since your daughter is really into her babies, is a little doll stroller.  We don't have one, but whenever we go to friends houses my boys always love to use one-- and not just kids who are into babies either, it also works for pushing around dinosaurs and trucks.  But it seems especially a nice fit for a baby doll lover. (If you use a stroller that is!) (though even if not, kids just like to push thing around I think).  I've seen them on amazon around $15-- and that was when I was looking for the very narrow selection of non-pink strollers (for my boys)-- there are probably wider options in the pink world. :-)

(not that I'm against the boys having pink things, I just don't want to reinforce the message to them that somehow dolls and cooking and things like that which they love are necessarily girl activities-- and I know eventually they'll learn about our societal color coding!)

[justKate]

My 20 mo. old DD has this one: stroller  I really like that it doesn't fold, so there are no pinch points.  It's smaller than the Graco ones, and sturdy enough for my 28 lb. girl to sit in it.  We don't use a stroller very often, and DD would probably like a shopping cart just as much, but this is what Grandma got, so we're happy.

She also has this doll carseat that I attached to the seat next to hers in the car.  My only hang up with that is I can only get the doll in forward facing!  The joovy doll carseats are neat, but for the price, well....  But they do come in blues.

[cyclamen]

We got her a puppet, some blocks, and some little schliech animals because she loves those.  And we got a book.

Right now she's obsessed with her babies, her little "guys" (the schleich animals), and this tiny fold out dollhouse I found in a thrift store.  She plays with the animals in the doll house every single day.  I also got her a doll stroller from the thrift store because she was really into things like that whenever we go out... but she's not that into it at home.  She also plays with her twelve duplos in a box every single day.

I did get her a little hand broom but she's not into it.  I think I need to just get her a real mini broom.

We were going to make a tape for her tape player where we read aloud to her, but we ran out of time so we'll do it after xmas.  She LOVES her tape player and LOVES listening to a tape of us singing and playing with her.

Anyhow I gotta go off and wrap those presents!

[OkiMom]

My youngest is 25 months right now, she got:

a dress up trunk (to share with her older sister)

some felt food and bean bags

a large stuffed animal and blanket

In her stocking she got: a book, stuffed animal (she LOVES stuffed animals), a couple small toys, puzzles, art supplies and playdough. Im sure theres a couple of more things but I don't remember.