Name: Thrive! NCHE Homeschool Conference
Start: 2025-05-22T00:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-05-24T23:59:59-05:00
Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Tagged: gifts, organizing, toys

This topic has 17 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 5 months ago by chocodog.

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November 14, 2009 at 3:21 am
Betty Dickerson
Participant
Hi There,
I have a daughter who has a birthday (6 yrs old) in December and Christmas. We are low on space. She already has 2 baby dolls with stroller and a nice wooden kitchen with accessories. I don’t know what to get her.
I was thinking about a furnished dollhouse but they are so expensive!!! I really like the Victorian Dollhouse by Melissa & Doug, but to get that with the furniture would be over $200! We usually spend less than $50/child.
She does like Calico Critters and I think she would like a dollhouse. But I don’t want to add to the clutter in our home with things that she’ll tire of and lose or make a mess with. Are all 6 yod like that?
So, I’m at a loss. Any ideas?
November 14, 2009 at 3:28 am
missceegee
Participant
My dc love play silks – they use them for everything from dressing up, wrapping up dolls, making forts, reins for horses, etc. It is one play thing I wouldn’t want to be without. They take up very little space, too – just a small basket will do. The best prices I have found are at A Toy Garden – http://www.atoygarden.com/ and while they aren’t cheap, they last forever. I’ve had ours for 7 years and only a couple have been damaged (from teeth trying to get too tight knots out.) A set of wood play clips (same website) makes house or fort building that much more fun.
Does she like crafts – my daughter loves to make things with Sculpey clay or perler beads, also gel pens and black paper are a big hit for her.
HTH,
Christie
November 14, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Crystal Wagner
Participant
Once they have the basics for pretend play (and it sounds like you have plenty, especially if you are low on space), I try to aim for other creative options than toys. From my experience, they do just want a lot and they don’t want to part with it. It has been a process to help her learn to weed through and get rid of things. (It’s also tough for me because I have two girls so I also think, “Do we need to keep this for the younger to play with?”)
They inevitably get toys (dolls, barbies, etc) from family without us asking. But this year we are renting a fully furnished house with only a fraction of our “stuff” here. It is a smaller house and we are a long distance from family. We just the girls’ (5 & 2) birthday party and specifically asked for small, creative, and consumable gifts. We got some great surprises – Ed Emberley’s Thumb Print book (this would be a great gift along with some washable stamp pads) and some other craft projects.
One thing I am considering for the girls’ Christmas is Magna-Tiles. They rock. There were some in the house we are renting and the girls have used them for everything from pretend pizza to a car garage. http://www.magnatiles.com/  If I don’t get them this year, I will next year when we move back to our stuff.
Some other great ideas that are on the girls’ Christmas list from family include: easel size art pad, alphabet stamp set, beauty set (nail polish, nail file), playfoam, and of course books.

Christie – I am intrigued by the play silks (and they would pack so small when we move ). What size are they and how many would you recomend as a starter set?
November 14, 2009 at 2:19 pm
missceegee
Participant
Even 5 or 6 would be a great starter set. They are way better than other cloth. I can’t quite describe why they are so great, they just are. They feel heavenly and float about and make the best capes.
The play silks are about 36″ square and we have about 20 (collected over the years) and I can fit them all in a gallon ziploc if need be.
November 14, 2009 at 2:24 pm
RobynN
Member
The play silks are wonderful but are expensive so I plan on dyeing my own silks to cut the expense. Should also be a fun experience and probably a school lesson. LOL

Melissa & Doug makes a wood dollhouse, fully furnished including people for around $40. I bought it last year for my 2 yr old and her sisters (ages 7, 9, 11) even play with it. That might be a cheaper alternative. I preferred it for it’s simplicity and it folds up with everything kept safely inside. It turned out to be a favorite toy around here.
November 14, 2009 at 3:21 pm
missceegee
Participant
Most places charge about $10 per play silk, but the site I mentioned above they are ~ $5 per silk – a BIG savings. Again, mine have lasted for years making them a worthwhile investment.
If you want to try dying your own, I’ve know people who have used kool-aid successfully, but they still paid close to $5 per plain silk and had to do the work.
November 16, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Cindie2dds
Member
I second the playsilks! My dd will be 6 in January and absolutely loves them. We also got her some beeswax modeling sticks (I am so tired of playdoh drying out on us). I am going to get her some more beeswax and probably another couple of silks and that’s it!
November 18, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Crystal Wagner
Participant
Where do you get beeswax modeling sticks?
Has anyone tried these dancing silks? http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=22892&category=644
November 25, 2009 at 7:36 am
redlily
Member
hi,
why not try give her something she could enjoy watching too. like child movies, disney cartoons, or animal videos. my niece has this puppies and kittens dvd which she really enjoyed bragging about and let us watch and i always find her funny doing that. i discovered it’s actually in youtube. maybe you can check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF6mmaawyws
marie
November 28, 2009 at 4:18 am
Cindie2dds
Member
Sorry, cjwagner77, I didn’t see this post. I get mine here. They also carry the playsilks and high quality watercolors and crayons. Good luck!
November 29, 2009 at 7:18 pm
galpinlo
Member
For Christmas: a wooden play navity set. by Ostheimer. This site has a good selection: http://www.waldorf-toys.com/english.php. I’m sure there are other waldorf toy site that also offer Ostheimer toys as well.
November 30, 2009 at 1:27 am
Betty Dickerson
Participant
Thank you so much for your ideas. I ended up going with a discontinued log cabin kit from Duracraft and then the pioneer dolls from Magic Cabin. I’m looking for a place to get unfinished dollhouse furniture now. I think I found somewhere online with free shipping.
I’d like to make next year our Year of Little House and maybe use the Prairie Primer with her. I’ve never read these books (believe it or not) and I think, along with alot of other LIttle House go along books I have, it should be a fun learning experience. I thought the dollhouse/cabin would help her incorporate alot of her learning into her play.
I’m going to be taking all money that she gets for birthday (next Thurs) and Christmas and put it towards these purchases to soften the financial blow.
What’s been an unexpected blessing is how the other siblings are trying to contribute to the dollhouse. One daughter purchased the doll baby for the dollhouse and my other son wants to make sculpey “food” and accessories for the house–including decorating it for Christmas.
Here a question: Considering the money that has gone into the present and the small pieces involved, how should I handle when other kids come to play? I have a neice who often walks away with our toys and maybe others who would not treat it as carefully as I think. How do you all handle “special toys”?
November 30, 2009 at 3:47 am
Crystal Wagner
Participant
My daughter is 5 and we are reading through the Little House books this year for Kindergarten and LOVE it.
Regarding special toys – Anything that we don’t want to share is kept in their bedrooms. When friends come to play, we play in the living room. If she wants to share something, she brings it into the living room. Depending on how your house is set up, you could also create a special little nook for this dollhouse that is out of sight and friends wouldn’t be asking to play there. I think it is totally your right to reserve special toys for your kids enjoyment only. However, I think they should be put away where others visiting cannot see them and be tempted by them.
That’s awesome that the other kids have joined in on the fun.
November 30, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Betty Dickerson
Participant
Oh good. That’s what I had in mind, just wasn’t sure if other people did that or not. I think I’m more excited about the log cabin than she will be. Each of my older children keeps asking me to show them a picture of it. We still have not received it. I’m hoping it will be built and ready by Christmas!
November 12, 2011 at 4:21 pm
pangit
Participant
anabetica – I am trying to think of ideas, but gleaning ideas, too. I am in the same boat as you. My DD will be 6 on Dec 28. When is your DD b-day? It is very hard to come up with birthday and christmas at the same time!! And, I have a DD that is 2 years older, so my younger DD gets everything from her older sister.
I haven’t read everything on here yet, so forgive me if I am repeating something. I am planning to get my DD a sewing box this year. JoAnn’s sells some that come with a basic sewing kit in them (pins, sizzors, measuring tape, etc). Two years ago I got one for my older DD at the Black Friday sale and they were 1/2 off. I got one of the smaller ones, but it is perfect for now. And when they need more space, they can use something larger for most of their things and the smaller one for frequently used or current project items.