Every year, there are financial troubles around the holidays and this year will be no different. Christmastime can be hard for families, especially with young children, if funds are tight. Here are some ideas submitted by our ThriftyFun community. If you have any tips, please post them here.
If you have some flannel, felt or even an old sweatshirt (stained old jammies, maybe?) you can make a flannel board. Cover a piece of cardboard with the flannel and get out one of their favorite books. Cut shapes that help them to tell the story with flannel pictures. They can apply the shapes to the board over and over again to tell themselves the story.
Do a search on the net to see how you can make a "Boo boo bunny" from an old washcloth or towel scrap. If you have any old socks maybe you can create some fun puppets for them to play with.
If you have any wire (hangers?), bend them into fun shaped bubble wands and make them some bubbles from what you have in the house. If you have the ingredients, find a playdough recipe and make them some play dough or "goo".
By Dawn
This site has flash cards you can print: http://flashcardexchange.com/index.php
http://www.recipegoldmine.com has some ideas for homemade gifts, too.
By DL1052MCD
Editor's Note: A great resource for coloring pages and other printable are the cartoon network websites. PBS Kids, Nick Jr. and Disney all have some materials that are printable. This way you can print your kids favorite character.
By Jess
By Molly
By Timmie
By Jeannie
By Renee
By Lisa Trudeau
By Carol
If you have any more ideas, please post them below!
If a person is having financial probs, they may be on assistance from their state. The FIA agency here in MI has a gift giving big deal for the kids, but I think you need to be letting them know like maybe in Oct. or Nov---check with your local social services,welfare etc office and see. There is always a way to get things for the kids. Call local churches too and see if they have anything going on for disadvantaged kids at christmas time and if you know someone who is in this situation, call for them and get the info--alot of times a person can be so "loaded down" depression-wise, they just can't handle the searching aspect of this to help their kids. Hope this helps. Annie
Depending on how old your children are, since you have
access to web, look in local craigslist/similar for small
animal cage and sterilize it with bleach, boiling water,
dishwasher, any way you can...You can collect grass and
let it dry for nesting straw, if you have access to a "bin"
type store, get seeds of all kinds and store in coffee cans,
use clean tuna or pet food can for feeders, and buy
a little mouse, or hamster, or better yet look on line
for freebies or post wanted.. A tiny pet gives children
something to love, and look at, and make play equipment out of toilet paper rolls, etc..During the
summer you can take your children out to collect wild
grass seeds for the pet and teach them about gathering seed. All the children can share that present, so it's one down and because you are using home made presents For the little creature, it takes on a
different meaning; the children are expressing the love they have and you aren't so overwhelmed by feeling
their neediness. This kind of present works up to
about 12 (depending on children).
Art- search out free art supplies on line and ask for
them...If you can find a copy from the library of
Drawing with Children, you will find your children can
take a great leap in drawing in a matter of hours..
Then they will draw for hours ever after. Trust me on
this one. A ream of paper can be found for about
$3.50 at most discount stores, that's 500 pages of
joy...The trick to drawing is in that book and once
you get it, you can draw. Anyone, everyone, I have
taught lots of children.
While looking for art stuff on web, try to track down
glue, and glitter and simple scissors. Let them cut
out Christmas pictures that come in the mail, and
glitter them up..It was the shine, sparkle and bright
colors that did it for me. Or add glitter to a full sheet
of Christmas advertisement and use it for wrapping
paper. You can find bright circulars in all stores also
right by the doors.
Dollar stores...? Or find a little body grooming package
with several items and give one to each child, age
appropriate of course.
i get email from dover publications every friday. well last year i made all the kids coloring books from dover. they were great. i had printed off many pictures and then categorized them
Thrift stores have terrific deals on used, but perfectly wonderful toys. And their clothes are great too, if you search for quality, "low mileage" items.
How about home made food? A loaf of fresh bread, maybe some jelly or some homemade flavored bread. Alot of people don't have time to make "homemade" food and would appreciate it. A plate of cookies or candy would be wonderful!
I am involved in a local Mom's Club and we have decided to do a "toy swap". Everyone will bring toys that their children have grown out of that are still clean/in good working order. Then everyone is free to choose other toys they want for their children. It helps to get the toyrooms cleaned out, and you get new free toys!
I can identify. Seems like the closer to Christmas it gets--the broker we get! It's amazing,though, how far a $2.00 aquarium from a garage sale and some 30 cent goldfish from Walmart can go. Very cool for kids--especially if you leave the aquarium light on for a nightlight!
Something else of interest. If you or anyone in your family has any building experience--or just interest and the willingness to try:
Go to a new housing development. Find the Project Manager and explain that you would love to come up with some otherwise unused supplies (2x4 lumber, siding, shingles, plywood) that the builders are about to throw away, to build your children a playhouse for Christmas. Make sure you throw that part in! And by the way--be prepared to climb into a dumpster to retrieve it. Nails are cheap. Many folks have a hammer. And either the library, the internet, or your own imagination are great sources of inspiration.
A simple little playhouse is easy to build, can be done practically free if you don't mind hunting down your supplies and buying mistint paint for it. The kids will think you're brilliant!
Shop at Dollar Tree once a month and put the small gifts away until Christmas.
There's a lot of people struggling, I am also. Give lots of hugs and let them know how much you love them. I think that's more than money can buy.
