Cheap Gift Ideas for Children

When my husband and I were first married, we couldn't afford to spend much on Christmas gifts for the kids, and often made our own. Naturally, we felt terribly guilty and even a bit sorry for the kids during the holiday season. While their friends were scoring electronic hand held games and expensive Lego space systems, our children were getting handmade wooden toys and knitted beanies as gifts, plus "free premiums" that I was able to order by saving cereal UPC codes.

It wasn't until the kids were older that I discovered we really had nothing to feel guilty about. Apparently, my sons' friends were telling them, "Gosh, I wish my parents would do something cool like that!"

So what kind of gifts are available for families on a budget?

Hand made wooden blocks

All of us probably have scrap lumber left over from some home improvement project. We used to cut scrap 2 x 4s into an assortment of wooden building blocks. Once the wood had been cut, the corners were lightly sanded with sandpaper, and covered with a clear coat of polyurethane. I used to paint a few of the blocks red, yellow, and blue to make them look a little more interesting.

For toddlers, try making the blocks from sections of 4 x 4s cut into equally sized squares.

Send off for premiums

If you have ever read the back of cereal boxes, Kid Cuisine meals, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese boxes and more, you might be surprised to discover that many of these companies offer free gifts in exchange for a certain amount of proofs of purchase seals.

I'd save up box tops and UPC codes all year long, and send away for free CDs, Matchbox Cars, piggy banks, place mats, stickers, character silverware, cups, and more to use as small Christmas gifts. These gifts were always a surprise since they can't be found in stores!

Race car or train track

My boys used to have a wooden train set that gave them hours of fun on the dining room table. To give them a "village" to travel through, I painted up a sheet of 4 x 6 plywood with acrylic paints to resemble tracks, grassy knolls, and lakes. Houses were made out of wooden blocks painted with doors and windows.

Beanies and scarves

For those parents who know how to crochet, a handmade beanie and scarf in custom colors is a wonderful winter gift for children who love to play outdoors. This is one of those practical gifts that oddly enough, children love to brag about.

Novelty floor pillows

For kids who love to lounge around on pillows, a huge floor pillow makes a wonderful gift. Purchase novelty fabric from a favorite fabric store (don't forget to use those store coupons!) and sew it into a huge 3 x 3 pillow. For stuffing, use feathers salvaged from down pillows purchased from a thrift store or poly fiber fill batting.

Rod puppets

Rod puppets are so easy to make, and can provide hours of entertainment for kids of all ages. The easiest rod puppets are made from wooden spoons, scrap fabric and yarn.

To make the puppet, paint or draw a face on the "bowl" of the spoon. Glue some yarn for hair, and add a hat made from construction paper. For clothes, sew the scrap fabric into a cape to wrap around the handle.

Make cassette recordings of favorite bedtime stories

Record several favorite stories or songs onto a cassette or CD for your children to enjoy. I used to record chapter books for the kids to listen to on car trips or for late at night when they had trouble settling down.

Door buster gifts

On Black Friday, every store in the city is open at 4 or 5 in the mornings, and will try to lure customers into the store with some sort of free gift to the first 1000 customers. Scope the newspaper circulars for the best door buster prizes, and hit those stores for the freebies. I used to find plush animals, craft kits, ornaments, coloring books and more.

Make a book

Children love books about the "olden times" when their parents were small. Write or type childhood stories on sheets of white computer paper, and insert some hand drawn pictures or photographs. I like to bind the book by punching holes along the left side which is then stitched together with string. The book should be glued inside a book cover made of folded cardboard.

Make coupons

What children really want more than anything else, is undivided time with their parents. Coupons for an hour or two of kite flying, reading, playing a board game, snow man building, window shopping, and trips to the park are some of the things you can include in your child's coupon book. For the coupon to really be a meaningful gift, the parent must be prepared to stop whatever they are doing when a coupon gets redeemed.

As you can see, finding Christmas gifts for your children doesn't need to be expensive at all. Some scrap materials, a little imagination, and some time is all it really takes to make a truly memorable gift.