With the festive season rapidly approaching, my list making has increased faster than the man in red himself can shimmy down a chimney. I have one kid who never really knows what he wants, and another who circles everything in the Smyths catalogue and then requests the Argos book. But whilst they are busy thinking of what they want, I’m thinking of what I don’t want them to have. The ‘what not to buy’ list.
Check out this guide to the worst gifts for kids…
Giant Teddy Bears
You know the ones; bigger than your actual child, needs it’s own bed to sleep in, should be paying rent, eyes follow you across the room, gives you nightmares that it is going to murder you in your sleep.
Noisy Toys
The ones with decibel ratings that require ear plugs and paracetamol. They usually sing a really irritating song that you later find yourself humming at the Sainsburys checkout.
Messy Toys
Slime, glitter, moon sand. Anything that requires me to get the hoover out, or have to bathe my child after use, is not welcome. My kids need no assistance in getting dirty or making my house a mess. They mastered this skill years ago.
I reached out to my readers and fellow bloggers to see what their experiences of the worst gifts for kids were. They didn’t disappoint…
What Not To Buy
- Dyson cordless vacuum toys. Turns out my boys are totally feral and can make a weapon out of absolutely ANYTHING!
- When I was 12 my mum gave me a bag of wool for my birthday. 10 years later she gave me the same wool for my 22nd birthday … now as a jumper. The jumper was so itchy I cannot wear it!
- My husband always buys age inappropriate gifts for our son! He bought him a drone which was suitable for age 14 + when he was two.
- A single blank VHS tape (it was the 90s).
- A pooping turtle. It sang a stupid song “ugh oh got to go ugh oh got to go” then made straining noises then poops in a toilet.
- A Christmas sweater…two sizes too small…on Dec 26th
- A present with the givers name as the receiver on the tag (gift tag left on item from previous year).
- Dairy chocolate when he has a dairy allergy.
- A happy 3rd birthday T-shirt- on her 5th birthday!
- A didgeridoo.
- A horse rider without the horse! It was part of a much larger set and couldn’t be played with as a stand alone gift.
- A duvet cover. Boring!
- Musical instruments.
- F***ing Furbies.
- Slime. What an absolute b*stard.
Exceptions To The ‘What Not To Buy’ Rules
Of course there are always exceptions to the rules. Those who don’t have to comply with the ‘what not to buy’:
- Grandparents: There are no rules.
- Couples without kids: Don’t understand the rules.
- Couples with older kids: Break the rules to get you back for the gifts you bought when you were a couple without kids.
What Should You Buy?
Wicked Uncle has a fantastic range of toys for kids of all ages that would be a welcome addition under the tree or in the stockings. Whether you are buying for a baby or a big kid, they have great gifts to suit every budget. I’ve had lots of inspiration from their range of gifts over the years, and I love that you can find things that are a bit different from other toy stores. Check Wicked Uncle out for yourself, unless you actually are a Wicked Uncle who is going to give a giant teddy bear with a lifetime supply of glitter slime.
A Little Inspiration From Wicked Uncle
Product details from left to right:
The Upside Down Challenge – £23.95 – We love a family game. This fun game for all the family, guaranteed to get some giggles.
Smart Ball – 21.99 – For the football mad kids, this counts your keepy uppies!
Dragon Book Mark – £7.95 – I love putting little hampers together. I would put this book mark with a book or book token, a sachet of hot chocolate and a packet of biscuits for a cosy gift. They also do a unicorn version of the bookmark.
Hogwarts 3D Castle Puzzle – £29.95 – Great for the Harry Potter fans and a whole lot more affordable than Lego.
Magic Pens £15.95 – Budding artists can create 3D art and write invisible messages with these pens.
Unicorn Arm Warmers – £7.95 – I love these as a stocking filler. In fact, I want a pair myself!
What worst gifts for kids would you add to the what not to buy list?
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Contributors:
Twins, Tantrums & Cold Coffee, Jolly Festive, Life Loving, Unicorns, Dinosaurs & Me, That Midlife Mama, The Sound of Motherhood, Whinge, Whinge, Wine, Women Who Win At Life, Counting To Ten, Travel With The Hallorans, and lots of my lovely readers. Thank-you.
This post is sponsored by Wicked Uncle. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and the contributors.
Present buying can be a bit of a minefield but I do love that wicked Uncle allows you to search by age making it so much easier to narrow gift ideas down.