Christmas shopping - quality / fun / educational for kids

[mjmjr25]

Greetings,

Each year we have grandiose plans to buy fewer items - but higher quality; things that will last awhile.

Each year...we fail. We end up seeing "deals" or settling for the (3) $30 items instead of the one good $100 item.

So, starting this thread, looking for some ideas of nice items that meet the following criteria:

- Quality
- Educational
- Fun
- Part of a hobby / room to grow within the hobby
- >$300

And is not:
- a video game
- a board game
- equipped with a monitor
- motorized (unless the motor is built as part of the hobby)

Some examples we've come up with on our own:
- Guitar
- Telescope
- Archery
- Snowshoes

Any other ideas for us?!? (my children are 10 / 8 / 6 / 3)

[dunpeal2064]

You could get a pretty decent keyboard for under $100. Most of them have drum loops built in, so it pairs well with every instrument, and works well on its own. Lots of room for creativity with all the different effects they could play around with, and heck, 2 could even sit down and play it together.

[Hobie-wan]

Some tools of their own to build things? A book with plans for building things to go with them?

[aaron]

find room for an old piano. scour craigslist and i'm sure you could find one for next to nothing (if not "free; you haul."). get it tuned up and find a music teacher.

if you can play piano, you've already got a strong musical foundation that translates well into literally any other instrument (drums included).

edit: i just glanced at the free section of the minneapolis (not sure if that's near you) CL and searched for "piano" and i came up with a LOT of hits.

[mjmjr25]

Yeah, we do have a piano...and we have a teacher (my wife). All the kids (save the 3yo) play pretty well. We've been thinking about branching out musically. My wife has a couple guitars already though, so thinking maybe bongos or something? A legit drum set we just don't have room for.

[aaron]

Yeah, we do have a piano...and we have a teacher (my wife). All the kids (save the 3yo) play pretty well. We've been thinking about branching out musically. My wife has a couple guitars already though, so thinking maybe bongos or something? A legit drum set we just don't have room for.

ahh, well then. sounds like i am preaching to the choir.

are your current guitars acoustic/electric? are any of the kids familiar with guitar as it is?

[mjmjr25]

My wife has (2) acoustic Martin's. She has said she'll let them play when they're older...hasn't happened yet though. My dad plays congas and bongos as well as "traditional" drums, so my boys have always wanted those, and they are an option, but also want to just make sure there isn't something we're missing. I think snowshoes are going to be a sure thing this year and should be a hit, looking for one or two more for each and then call it good.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Time for a bass guitar!

[Gooseberrysoda]

telescope sounds like a good idea, but probably wouldn't get a whole lot of use- that's the kid in me talking

[flex wood]

A bench, power cage, olympic bar, 255 pound weight plate set and a copy of Starting Strength by Mark Ripptoe.