Yes, it's that time of year again.
Because it's so wonderful, I'm re-posting a comment that Squib left a year ago. It contains a bunch of gift ideas for spoiled little shits who don't need any more toys. It was a great help last year and I suspect it will be this year as well. Presumably most of it is still relevant.
Cheers again Squib
"Makey Makey is great but may be a bit pricey. A bat detector, do you have them in shops there? Also, John Adams Hot Wires Electronics Kit. Also, Kids National Geographic magazine. Also, things like den kit, sleeping bag, binoculars, bird and shell and constellation spotting books (suitable for Australia). Amazon sell Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck hardcover comic collections. I love Uncle Scrooge. Gaming mouse with fancy lights. Bike spoke lights. Hula hoop. Chronicle Books do various titles like 642 things to draw and 642 things to write about. Stop animation stuff like modelling clay, clay board and tools, book called Animation Studio, DVD called A Town Like Panic or some other stop animation, children's book Below by Meg McKinlay (LittleSquib is 11 and read this book twice), The World's Smallest Post Service DIY Activity Kit, totem tennis, bunch of stuff from Smiggle or Typo, Djeco do a great range of art stuff, Smart about the Arts do a range of kids books on various artists (for about 9-10 year old), Hot Wheels do a Mars Rover Curiosity... or you could just get them a surf shop voucher. Or really upset them and give them a charitable goat
Best educational apps? Starwalk and The Elements
But it's true. We are all drowning in crap and Christmas is a pain in the arse"
6 comments :
Me and the boy have started playing chess. He won the first game, the second was a draw. I won the last game. We have been playing one game, most days recently - well, three over the last 5 or 6.
I'M LOVING IT
I learned as a kid, was never very good but as is my way, I got obsessed with it, like with everything else: tennis at one stage, totem tennis too, table tennis, skateboards, horses, high-jump, slinkies, knuckles, skippy, elastics, DAS clay, a thing you could make 'stained glass' designs out of, cards, board games - Monopoly and Cluedo the most - books: Enid Blyton, pony books. Horse riding, lessons. Roller skates. Blowing bubbles. Colouring in. Drawing. Painting. Etch-a-sketch (except we didn't have the good ones, do you remember the card board with a plastic 'pen' and a sheet of plastic over the top? SPIROGRAPH. Playdough. Plasticine. Clackers. Magic tricks. Card tricks. Walky talkies. Science kit.
Talk about nostalgia.
Thanks Melbs; I know that wasn't a list of suggestions, but there's quite a few good ideas there anyway. Not that I'll be buying anybody a horse for Chrissy.
Don't think I remember the crappy etch-a-sketches, though maybe if I saw one …
Happy to hear you're having fun playing chess with the boy. These days, I find games like chess/draughts/backgammon/etc tedious, but I know people get reeeaally into it.
Deadly.
I've left EVERYTHING too late. I didn't even get the advent calendars, I haven't done the letters or the cards or the xmas shopping and I have to make two trips out of town next week arghhhhhhhhhh
They were called Magic Slates - had to google:
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=early+etch+a+sketch+with+plastic+cover&espv=2&biw=1531&bih=729&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjf-MLui8zJAhVGFpQKHdJmAygQ_AUIBigB#imgdii=Yi3gIcSrzjKJlM%3A%3BYi3gIcSrzjKJlM%3A%3B0yOLCZek7eUjaM%3A&imgrc=Yi3gIcSrzjKJlM%3A
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squib
oh no
two trips out of town next week? why???
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i won chess today - him 1, me 2, draw 1.
Go Melba. We'll have to keep a running tally.
I read the rules to chess once, but it was a long time ago and I don't remember it all very clearly. Do you play with all the weird essoteric rules, like how the king and the rook can swap places once per game (or some shit)?
Do you write all the cards by hand Squib? I imagine that's quite a time killer. Anyway, best of luck with getting everything done. keep us posted on how you manage, eh?
Also, no, I don't think I've seen magic slates before. They seem pretty neat though.
There's a lot of cultural fads and stuff I missed while living out in the wilderness. For instance, I've never lived in a house with an electric dishwasher. All things considered, I'm probably lucky I know how light switches work.
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