Hits and Misses 2011 for 3-5 year olds

[twowhat?]

3 years and 4 months.

Hits:
Step2 grocery carts
Costco dollhouse
Books
New markers
M&D stamps with washable ink (stocking stuffer)
M&D paint your own puzzles ($6 for 10 min of entertainment and then tossed in trash because they were basically ruined)
Their own chapstick (stocking stuffer). Applied multiple times daily!
Red bunnies (striped jellicat) from Santa!! The LOVE them!! Still have no idea where they got the idea to ask Santa for a red bunny...

Misses:
Strider balance bikes (but I expected this - our girls are SLOW when it comes to athletics and of the 2 of them, DD2 JUST in the past several days figured out her tricycle and DD1 still hasn't - we expect to have to hold onto the Striders for a solid year before they even attempt to use it in the intended fashion).
Games (Candyland, matching game, alphabet cards, etc)
Clothes

[Jai]

DS 2 years, 10 months

Hits:
* Fisher Price Stand & Play Rampway
* Diecast Cars (I was surprised that he preferred "regular" HW over the Disney Cars ones)
* Little Tikes Grill
* Duplo Play with Letters
* Play tunnel
* Electronic keyboard with stand and stool
* Word World Word Roll Game
* WonderWorld Tool Bench
* Alphabet book (Van Fleet)

The jury is still out on:
*Melissa and Doug 24 and 48 piece tray puzzles, Magnetic Mighty Mind and the Crocodile Creek Alphabet floor puzzle (he hasn't even unwrapped the latter!). I think he will like these also, we just haven't had the chance to enjoy them. The other items are more exciting.

[eno0609]

DD is 5
Hits:
-Melissa & Doug Decorate Your Own Wooden Heart Box
-Lego Duplo (she asked for 'big Lego', because she "likes it better than small Lego" and was impressed with the large base plate
-Fisher Price Cars 2 Wheelies Racing Rivalry Track (this was for DS- 2 years 9months old- but it was a big hit with both)
-more cars from Cars 2
-purple sparkly owl lined notebook with matching pen from Children's Place

Misses:
- Trouble board game (wasn't impressed since she's "already played it at daycare")
- V-Tech 'Nitro Ice Notebook'- thankfully we received a gift receipt with this one...
-clothes

Not sure yet:
Thomas stuff (for DD & DS) - Roundhouse, Quarry Mine Tunnel, a few more trains, more tracks) these were pretty much ignored, but there was just too much stuff...they will probably eventually be enjoyed though.

[elephantmeg]

DD (4 in March)
huge hit-costco barbie sized doll house and barbies for it.
Matching PJ's for her and her bitty baby
glitter lip gloss
new dresses from grandmas

OK-bitty baby diaper bag

Meh-cabbage patch kid-but hope she warms up to it!

[goldenpig]

DD wrote a letter to Santa by herself for the first time this year and asked for candy, gum, paint, stickers, balls, and books so I wanted to get her everything on her list. At least she didn't ask for a Wii or something! DH thought I went overboard on the gifts because there were a lot. I don't know, maybe so, but I didn't get her nearly as much as I did last year (no Amazon toy shopping this year) and haven't bought her any toys other than her birthday presents. And no big gifts this Christmas either, mostly just books. So I think we're doing pretty well! (Although, we haven't met with my side of the family yet so there will be more coming...)

4 yo DD:
Hits:
(Sleeper hit--DS's Melissa and Doug Car Carrier. They were both fighting over it all day. Fortunately it comes with 4 cars!)
Disney Storybook Collection--she was reading this all day--her favorite book that she got today
DK First Encyclopedia and First Human Body Encyclopedia
Children's Amazing Places Encyclopedia
Adventures of Stuart Little--she is reading now so this is just the right level for her.
Amelia Bedelia
Crayola Paint set
Disney princess sticker book
Set of 3 Little Tikes foam balls (soccer, basketball & football)
Playdoh set (to replace the dried out Playdoh set from last year)
Pack of gummy candies
A giant poster-tube sized Yard of Bubble Gum gumballs from her nanny--big hit for DD! Santa did not bring any extra gum for her after that gift, LOL....
Playforever red airplane--DH's pick. Very cool large (10 inch) red plastic airplane--retro style and very sturdy. Good job DH!


So-so:
Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center--she said she didn't like it, but I'm not sure why. I'm mainly concerned because DS keeps wanting to use it and I'm worried that the dry erase markers aren't washable.

To be determined:
Magic Treehouse boxed set
Animal Planet Ocean Wonders set of sea animals
Big bin of Lego (the smaller kind--we've only had Duplo)
Busytown Airport game from our nanny

[elliput]

Hits for 3 yo DS-

Bruder Fire Engine and Snowplow
Tool bench
Expansion tracks for wooden train

Jury's still out-
Kickboard Mini (haven't had a chance to try it out yet)
Star Wars Freeco Bike and Land Speeder pull back vehicles (don't work on carpet, will probably get more play on the tile floor in the basement)

Duds-
Book from my sister
Hairbrush from Santa (not a big surprise here LOL)

[artvandalay]

Hits for (almost 5 year old) DS:

Leapster Explorer camera attachment (he has not put his Leapster down since yesterday)
Hexbugs
Clone Trooper talking helmet
Lazer Stunt Chaser
Beyblades
Wii games

Misses:

None really. He's kind of just "meh" on the Lego stuff, tho

ETA:

Just remembered a HUGE miss:

I found these cute fake moustache sets in the checkout of Old Navy. They came with 6 different styles of fake moustaches. I put them in both boys' stockings, thought they would love them. DS especially loves Mario, so I thought they would pretend they were Mario & Luigi.

I forgot DS still has some sensory issues. He hated the feeling of the stickyness of the adhesive and the prickly feeling of it on his face. He ripped it right off and threw it on the ground. So, yeah, this was a "miss" of epic proportions, lol

[wimama]

5 1/2 yo DS

Hits:

-Star Wars Ship Set, Landspeeder, Action Figures & Playmat/storage bag
(The action figures are the one thing he consistently asked for Christmas & these have received the most playtime)

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/55309895

-Star Wars Operation - Loves This Game
-LeapFrog Explorer Camera - He maxed out the cameras memory at a least 250 pics within the first two days.
-Playmobil Firetrucks
-Lego Star Wars Books
-uDraw for PS3
-LeapFrog Explorer Cars 2 Game
-I Spy Book from his Godfather
-Star Wars themed sleeping pants, slipper socks, underwear and Darth Vader winter hat

Beyblades
Nat the Great Book - Reading now & he likes it
Magic Treehouse Books 1-4 - Reading now and he likes it
Cars 2 DVD
Veggie Tales DVD
Lego Star Wars DVD - He loves this movie
Star Wars Underwear
Star Wars Ewok Lego Set - He put the minifigures together then let his cousins put the set together. (I am glad Santa opted for a Hasboro Ship set instead of a big Star Wars Lego set.)
Costco Organic Pajamas

Misses-None according to my DS. He said he likes all his presents. Even the boring Costco PJs. He said the pajamas were nice and warm. He seems appreciative of everything. I am concerned about the play time that his Playmobil Firetrucks. He interest in Playmobil goes in spurts.

[wendibird22]

DD1 who is 4.5yo:

Hits: pillow pet pee wee and purple sparkle shoes (the only 2 things on her Santa list) and Playdough ice cream shoppe.

Semi hit: Tag Reader...I think she's still learning how to use it.

Misses: set of 7 princess barbies. She kept saying she wanted Barbies and yet she really hasn't played with them yet. I'm not sure she knows what to do with them as of yet. Hopefully she'll grow into them.

[kijip]

F, who will be 3 tomorrow.

Hits:

Huge plastic Buddy dinosaur from Dinosaur train that tells you dinosaur fact when you put in a plastic ticket. Grandma hit that one out of the park. He is IN TOY LOVE with Buddy.
Thomas Roundhouse from Santa ($42 thanks to B&N coupon)
Leapster Explorer- mainly proudly sitting next to T while he uses his iPod.
Dinosaur Egg from my brother
Dinosaur Train coloring sheets from my brother
pillow pet dog and something called bendaroos from my other brother
Books, any book he got from anyone.
Dinosaur shirt and hoodie
Dinosaur bedding
Cars Duplos

Misses:

FP Little People Car Ramp---got it together, sent the cars down a couple of times and wandered off. Later pulled it apart. Yet another LP starts to die here.

He is scared of this battery spin toothbrush.