The Best Inexpensive Toys for Your Kids This Holiday Season

The holidays are coming up, and parents are starting to feel the pressure of finding that "perfect gift" for their little ones. Children of course are drawn to the biggest, brightest, and loudest commercials and displays. Unfortunately, these toys, gadgets, and gizmos are often the most expensive presents. I find that expensive, complicated toys may seem exciting, but they are often abandoned or forgotten after just a few days of play. Inexpensive and simple gifts are often some of the most exciting, loved, and remembered toys. For example, I clearly remember being one of those parents who waited in line to buy a Nintendo Wii on release day a few years ago. Not only did I get the Wii, but I gave it to my son for Christmas. That same year, my daughter bought him a hockey stick. Right now, three years later, he is in the living room watching a hockey game while playing with his stick and the Wii was traded in this summer because it was no longer "fun".

This same scenario has been played out time and time again over the years. My daughter has neglected her CD player, but still uses her dress-up clothes, and my son still flocks to a football rather than a remote control car. Granted, some inexpensive gifts are just cheap trinkets. The trick is to find the gem that will outlast all of the electronic gizmos. My mom learned that lesson years ago, which is why both of my children have played with my Winnie the Pooh doll that I have 30 years after I received it for Christmas.

The Secret to Inexpensive Gifts for Children

Hands down I find that my children and the children I teach are desperate for relationship, time, and words of affirmation. The secret to giving an inexpensive toy or gift is to package it an experience or wrap it with relationship. Last Christmas, after learning from the Nintendo Wii fiasco, I purchased my children a date. These are two examples of the perfect inexpensive toy and gift for your children:

For my daughter, I purchased a jar of nail polish, a $10 gift card to a McDonalds, and a promise to be together for a whole afternoon. I did her nails (it meant more coming from dad), and then we dined. She still talks about that day months later.

My son received a similar experience. He has been intrigued by Frisbee golf, and so I purchased him a $10 Frisbee and gave him a certificate for four Saturday lessons. He had me for the whole time just to himself. Those are gifts that will last a lifetime.

The value of the gift is often times many times more than its cost. Giving of your time or from your heart honestly make an inexpensive toy or gift invaluable.

Top Inexpensive Toy Ideas for Children

Dress Up - My daughter, since the age of two, has loved playing "dress up." The best way to do an inexpensive dress up is to go to the local thrift store and buy a collection of unique and stylish clothes. You can often pick up prom dresses, wedding dresses, and other dress clothes for cheap. Finding the right size and style for your child is easy because the perfect dress up clothes are often the ones left behind by more sensible and business minded shoppers.

To make dress up an experience, create invitations to a fashion show, and buy a disposable camera to go in the box with the clothing. Leave the date and time on the invitations blank, but make it obvious that you are going to spend the time one afternoon to watch your daughter strut her stuff on her imaginary catwalk. Take the photos and get them developed. Make sure to post pictures of your star all over the refrigerator so that the world can know about your fashion diva.

The Sport Lesson - Pick a sport that your son or daughter has been interested on television and purchase the primary piece of equipment for that sport. Often times, this will be a soccer ball, baseball and bat, or football. Wrap the ball and include a certificate for lessons and that sport. Be specific about the length of time, location, and date. Most importantly, make a promise and keep it. This gift works best if you are not an expert in the sport. The last thing your child needs is an actual stressful lesson. The goal is to have fun and enjoy the 4 - 5 days of lessons with your kiddo.

Movie Night - Get a gift card for your local video store. Yes, you might shop online, but choose a local place. The goal here is to be intentional about setting time aside with your child. Give the gift card to your child with a box candy, some popcorn, and an invitation. Make sure your kid knows that you are going to take them to the video store and let them choose any movie they like. Then, you are going to sit down with with them one evening and enjoy the candy, popcorn, and movie together. Again, the secret is to make a promise and keep it. The movie becomes a toy that they can keep and you can re-watch time an time again.

Blocks - wooden blocks can often be bought relatively cheap. I purchased wooden blocks for my daughter when she was three, and she still plays with them at ten; the play has just changed a bit. The best set of wooden blocks is a plain, unpainted set of 2 x 4 style pine blocks. If you can not afford them (often $25-$40), go to your local home improvement store, purchase a 10 foot long 2 x 4 or two, have the associate cut them into standard sizes (6 inch, 12, inch, and 2 inch) and then spend a few weeks sanding them.

Blocks turn into an experience when you stress that you are going to build things together, and then destroy them together. Include in the gift a disposable camera so that you can take photos of the towers and the destruction left behind. My kids love to build a tower that is higher than me, and then smashing it with a basketball. There is something special about the gift of time that turn a few pieces of lumber into hours of parent and child fun.