Which to focus on?

[lhafer]

I know I'm early, but I'm thinking about Christmas already. I have a 5 year old and 20 mo old (at Christmas). The 5 year old won't be too hard. It's the almost 2 year old I'm having trouble with (she is completely different that DD1).

I had planned on getting her/them a play kitchen for Christmas with M&D play food (love those!!). I really like the Ikea one, and love that it's height adjustable, so it can *grow* with her, and it won't break the bank.

Took her to a toy store today that has lots of M&D out to be played with, had a couple of M&D play kitchens set up, the grocery market set up, and other stuff. DD2 totally ignored the play kitchens (but they didn't have pots/pans out or anything) and focused on the baby dolls/crib/high chair/stroller and the grocery market/shopping cart (we have the shopping cart at home already) - they did have lots of play food out in the grocery market.

DD1 was never into baby dolls, and never really played with her plastic play kitchen either (but she was alone, no one to play with). DD2 LOVES baby dolls, but I am not sure about the play kitchen - she's never been exposed to one really before.

Should I focus on getting the Ikea kitchen and play food, or should I hang that hat up and focus on the baby doll stuff?? I actually plan on building a bake shoppe w/cash register for the 5 year old and thought the play kitchen would come in handy for that. If I focus on the baby doll stuff - I would probably build that too instead of buying it.

BTW, they both have birthdays in Feb and March, so get even more stuff right after Christmas - so more play food or more doll stuff for DD2.

Here she is at the toy store playing with the kitchen stuff (didn't get pics of her playing with the doll stuff). The only time she paid attention to the play kitchen was to put her baby to bed!!

[lhafer]

DD1 will be getting a new bike for Christmas, and I also got them a 100 piece magna-tiles set to share. I don't have a "big" item for DD2....one of the above items would be her big item(s).

[Simon]

I voted baby doll items, but I should have voted, don't decide yet! I think its too soon to tell, for a 2 yo, what they might be into at Christmas time. I know, it defeats that whole plan ahead thing but, my 20mo has changed *so much* in the past 3 months (Dec is 3 months away) and I'm sure he will again. So, I would take her to the store closer to Thanksgiving and see if she is still drawn to the same things.

My Ds1 and Ds2 also have very different toys tastes and I find shopping a real challenge since I can't count on handing down as many things. FWIW, in our house Ds1 ignored the kitchen itself, but loved all the play food. So, I don't think it would be a total loss even if the kitchen doesn't get much love.

[AnnieW625]

I would do something that both kids could play with.

DD1 is getting pink Fuggs from Costco from Santa, a Zhu Zhu Pet in her stocking, maybe some doll clothes, and maybe the Little House book set because I loved having my mom read those when I was her age and then a few years later being able to read them on my own. Other maybe stuff would be the Cars 2 cooking stuff from Williams Sonoma but it has to go on sale first.

DD2 is getting an activity cube like this one (http://www.amazon.com/Deluxe-Mini-Play-Cube-Anatex/dp/B00009IMDI/ref=sr_1_46?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1316547584&sr=1-46), but the one I got is from Costco and it has farm animals, and it was $49. DD1 has talked about getting her a baby doll so she'll get either a Bitty Baby or a Corolle Calin. I think I might also get her a mini Pillow Pet because a lot of the kids at her daycare have the larger ones. In her stocking I'll probably just do food related stuff.

[ellies mom]

Why don't you get a little of both? I would get a baby doll and a few things for the baby doll and a "mini-kitchen (http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Wooden-Cook-Top-Playstove/dp/B00004U3FZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316547557&sr=8-1) with a few accessories. Then you can get more of whatever she likes the most for her birthday.

You could probably make something too. A while back we bought a M&D "tray stove" that is just what it sounds like a tray with two burners and knobs. It came with some dishes and food. They don't seem to make it anymore which is too bad. I love the Green Toy dishes. They are well made and last forever.

[baileygirl]

What about the market in the picture/cash register and food? Would DD1 enjoy using the cash register and DD2 could be the shopper?

[mjs64]

What about the market in the picture/cash register and food? Would DD1 enjoy using the cash register and DD2 could be the shopper?

:yeahthat:

You could get some of the play food and use it if later you decided to get a play kitchen. Get some stackable bins and multiples of the food items so you'd have bins for fruit (or just apples) etc. That way it would work with the Bake Shoppe idea, too. Maybe that way you could also buy a baby doll and stroller.

[lhafer]

What about the market in the picture/cash register and food? Would DD1 enjoy using the cash register and DD2 could be the shopper?


:yeahthat:

You could get some of the play food and use it if later you decided to get a play kitchen. Get some stackable bins and multiples of the food items so you'd have bins for fruit (or just apples) etc. That way it would work with the Bake Shoppe idea, too. Maybe that way you could also buy a baby doll and stroller.

Yeah, I had already planned on getting a cash register a while back. That's staying the same.

I'm thinking about building a bake shoppe that can be either a bake shoppe or a grocery market, depending on how they want to play. It's a really simple design.

I'm thinking of leaning towards the kitchen/bake shoppe as a main gift, and getting a stroller, and possibly making a crib or highchair for DD2. Like the play kitchen/bake shoppe would be the BIG gift for both, then DD1 would have a bike as her big gift, and DD2 would have baby doll stuff as her big gift. Plus Grandparents can easily get in on the action of either gift.