5 Cheap and Easy Holiday Gift Ideas for Kids

If you are like my family, every year there are more gifts to buy, more family birthdays, holidays, etc. It seems there are far more gifts needed than the money available to buy them with. If you are looking for cheap and easy holiday gift ideas for your kids then look no further than your local dollar store. Every city has them but the best I have found is the The Dollar Tree. If you spend just a few minutes looking around your local Dollar Tree you will find some of the greatest simple holiday gifts for your kids.

1. Flashlights. Depending on how old your child is I have found kids always love their own flashlights. There is nothing better than having control of the dark spaces in the house. During a power outage kids pull them out immediately to show they are in control and able to help. Under the covers it lets them read their favorite book when they are supposed to be sleeping. At night in the back yard it lets them seek out the cool hopping toads, creepy crawlers, and other interesting scientific discoveries.

2. Yo-Yo's. Every child and adult alike seem to get involved the moment a yo-yo is presented. Why is it so important to be able to get this little toy to come back up the string? Do you remember trying to 'walk the dog' or go 'around the world' ? When you actually got it to work correctly you felt as if you were some amazing architect that just suspended gravity. Yo-yo's present hours of fun for everyone and are cheap and easy items for anyone no matter what age to learn quickly.

3. Coloring Books. The Dollar Tree and most other local dollar stores have coloring books galore. Everything from Disney movies to religious themes. Your local dollar store will have a massive collection of cheap coloring books. Our family likes to get coloring books for each member adults included so that we may spend several hours being creative together. For one more dollar you can get a box of 64 crayons as most boxes at home have already lost several crayons throughout the year. Some kids like markers and they have a wide selection of great markers and colored pencils for those more picky kids.

4. Writing Journals or Scrapbook kits. Every time I have been to a Dollar Tree or local dollar store there are many stylish blank writing journals for your kids to enjoy keeping their memories or secrets in. Their scrapbook kits rival the most expensive you find at specialty stores like Hallmark or major department stores such as Target. It is such a great experience putting together pictures, clippings, and writings with your kids that capture the good memories of your life with your kids. It is a great way not just to buy a cheap and easy gift for the kids but to create more lasting memories putting them together because it takes creativity and thoughtfulness and you get to spend more time together. The holidays are about creating lasting memories of being together and there is no better way than to scrapbook together.

5. Picture Puzzles. If you haven't ever spent time piecing together a 500 or 1000 piece puzzle than you are missing out. This is a great way for the kids to use their critical thinking skills and it gives a real sense of accomplishment when you actually finish the project. Every local dollar store has them in Disney themes, Strawberry Shortcake, Holiday Themes, cute animal themes, Nascar, amazing ocean paintings of dolphins, etc. In this day and age of video games and instant gratification it is important to teach your children patience and commitment to finishing difficult and time consuming tasks. It gives you one more way to spend time with your kids and it is a cheap and easy way to get holiday gifts.

Our family loves the dollar store because it provides not just the items discussed but thousands of other interesting items that can be given as cheap and easy holiday gift ideas. In this difficult economy with fluctuating high gas prices, an uncertain job market, and a wavering feeling of economic security, the dollar store provides an outlet to achieve many holiday gifts on a budget.

Cheap and easy gift ideas for your kids or family are right down the street at your local dollar store. Happy gift hunting.