diy! Wrote:
I want to avoid video games at all costs...
you have already decided to dissappoint them, I would go the extra yard and humilate them by getting them yu gi oh action figures and The Cheetah Girls cds.
how old are the kiddos? 12 and up for boys and you're pretty much doomed to video games of some sort (the wii is the most active video game system btw) and dance dance revolution is loved by most teenage girls that I know of (if you're asian-american boys love it too).
9 and below for boys and you can sweat by on Batman and Spiderman junk/ hot wheels cars.
Possibly transformers or power ranger junk. What shows do they like?
Girls, i don't know. makeup. Concert tickets to one of their favorite bands? A credit card/ cell phone/ camera?
the thing is if your kid is five and up they are actively telling you what they want... they're not the best at subtlety. And while getting them involved in things outside of their current materialistic universe may seem proactive, the truth is they'll forget about whatever you got them unless it pertains to their interests.
from personal experience the more stuff there was the better I felt. there can never be enough presents under the christmas tree. 20 individually wrapped hot wheels cars is so much more awesome than one giant race track for the ones I already have.
