Christmas shopping - quality / fun / educational for kids

[mjmjr25]

lulz, have all of those except for one.

[Jagosaurus]

I loved my telescope as a kid. My dad would look up meteor showers & we'd stay up (or he'd wake me up at 3a lol!). Also looked at Mars, Venus, lunar eclipses.

I second that idea.

What about a basketball goal if they don't have one & your HOA allows?

[mjmjr25]

We have:

tetherball court
archery
basketball hoop
swimming pool (seasonally, 3' high)

putting in a horseshoe court next year.

I am open to any other things like this though.

We have a rugby ball and boomerang too, but I know there are other niche sporting games that we're missing and might be a lot of fun.

[J T]

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

The 3 year old will love it.

[aaron]

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.

oof, yeah if i had two Martins i wouldn't be letting any kids play them until they were fully aware of what they were (read: how much they cost). get 'em a decent electric and a nice little combo amp and a scale book. that's my input

[flex wood]

lulz, have all of those except for one.

There's a joke about gold medals and the Chinese but I'm to lazy to make it.

[Luke]

I have plenty of suggestions, but not for a three year old.

[fastbilly1]

Books are always a good gift, but a Microscope might work. Or a crystal radio kit. If they were older I would say to do what my parents did for me and my brothers and start buying them tools. I was the only kid in my highschool with more than a toolbox of tools and I knew how to use them all.

[Luke]

Since a smart board is out of budget, how about a Lite Brite for the lil' ones?

A membership to Boy or Girl Scouts complete with handbook and uniform would be a treat as well.

As a kid (okay, also as a college student) I loved working with plaster of Paris and clay wheels. Making coffee mugs for my Mother was always fun.

Equipment for making your own candy was also a blast.

My advice is to think of a goal first, and work back to what you would need to achieve to accomplish that goal. That, and glow in the dark pajamas will always be awesome.

[Frag Mortuus]

Skateboards and season passes for a nearby skatepark. Skating kept me out of a lot of trouble as a kid.

To combine what Hobie-wan and I said, buy plans to build a half pipe and the materials needed. This can escalate the price very quickly though. Also, you would need a yard big enough to hold it and an HOA that would allow it (provided you would want this in your yard to begin with). This may not be good for a 3 year old.

Trampoline.

Ummm....that's all I got.