Secret Santa gifts for kids you know nothing about

EE-BO · #1 12-02-2006, 03:05 PM

At the company where I am currently doing project work, they do a Secret Santa program where employees buy gifts for underprivileged children.

I drew a 2nd grader and a 4th grader, both boys, and when I went to get them stuff this morning I found it was a lot harder than I thought- and I really want to be sure I get them stuff they might want.

Trouble is- I just have a name and what grade they are in. No clue what they might actually want.

For the 2nd grader I got a small lego set, a dinosaur card game and some Hotwheels cars.

For the 4th grader I got a bit more complex lego set, a gyroscope, a whiffle ball and a science kit where you can make a clock using a potato or piece of fruit.

We have a strict budget limit so that the gifts are fairly even among the kids, but going on that and so little info, did I do okay?

I know some of you have kids, and any thoughts are appreciated. These were not terribly expensive items, so if anyone has better suggestions I could do that and then just use these for something else. Dollar limit is $30 per kid.

Picking stuff was harder than I thought!

Texas Beta · #2 12-02-2006, 03:18 PM

Sneak em a Wii

I'm going to try and get one tomorrow, this PS3 looks like a PS1 without a high def TV.

When I was a little kid, Lego's were my favorite. Also those K'nex things. I think you can find a pretty complex K'nex set for around $30. I need to go home sometime and round up all my old toys for Orange Santa.

cutie_cat_4ever · #3 12-02-2006, 04:40 PM

You could never go wrong with a lego set

Though to be more pratical, you could get them a cool stationary set or a new backpack since they might not have the luxury of buying nice things for school

epchick · #4 12-02-2006, 08:09 PM

And its better to get them something without batteries.

Back home, my church does this with an orphanage in mexico. People pick names, and the only requirement for toys is that it cannot be something that needs batteries..makes sense too!

Texas Beta · #5 12-02-2006, 10:45 PM

I think you did fine. I remember as a kid playing with Lego’s, hot wheels, and I had a chem set.

The bag pack idea was a really good suggestion though, but there’s no way to know what one to get (I always see little children with "cartoon" bags).

winnieb · #6 12-02-2006, 11:41 PM

My boys are 8 and 5-- they would be happy with the things you purchased.

EE-BO · #7 12-03-2006, 02:20 AM

Cool. Thanks all. I will wrap these up with confidence. And I added in some school supplies too- that was a good call and helped me get the boxes full.

epchick- I agree on the battery thing. I never go that route for these kinds of things. I have done this before in college and high school- a few times actually helping deliver presents where I got to talk with those good people on the front lines who actually devote all their time to working with families in crisis.

Batteries are often taken away from the kids and used for more vital things, and even if not- replacing them can be $3-4 when the ones you provide run out. Does not sound like much, but that is 2 days food for many families.

Nice electronics are risky too. I have been told more than once that many times when kids get really nice items that are easily resold- the parents do just that and use the cash for more urgent needs. Hard to fault them for that- but it is a reminder that being too extravagant with these kinds of gifts can often have the opposite effect than the giver's intention.