Help - my twins are turning 4

And I have no idea what to get them for their presents! I have to buy from DH and I, my mum, and my sister. We are throwing them a party so I'm not looking to spend heaps of money, just something fun for them to open when they wake up, maybe $20-$40 each. The problem is that they need literally nothing. We have far too many toys, in fact we need a big clear out to make space for everything they got for Christmas. We have hundreds of books. So many dress up costumes. Heaps of outdoor toys. They could do with some new craft materials (paper, card, etc) so that is one gift but I still have to get 2 each. Ideas please? I am so loath to buy something that will not get used just for the sake of it.

Buy them a trip to the zoo? So that way they have something tanglible with the craft stuff and something to look forward to? (are 4 yr olds that patient?)

How about an arts and craft table from Target, have a look at this one taht Zavara butterfly told us about. It is absolutely soo useful and DD loves it!

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...crafts-155947/

Ok the pics dont work anymore but I can PM you a pic if you are intersted

Kitfarie - I love the idea but I'm really looking for something that can be unwrapped for that "wow" moment iyswim.
Mum2onesweetbun - I have absolutely no space for a arts and craft table but I like the idea of all the little bits and bobs for art, thanks :D

Any more ideas?

ummm how about put the money together to get a nintendo DS each? (you can get one from Hongkong for about 100 bucks with 99 games or so.

I think they are too young for a DS, although I did consider that for a while.

Playdough sets are a huge hit with my 4 yo. She recently had some spending money at Toys R Us and selected this mega-playdough set with a billion different food-shaped moulds and she's played with it for at least an hour every single day since. :D

I can't see on my phone. Are your twins girls, boys or one of each?

What about a hand bag and some hair accesories for your DD

Kids cooking stuff
Play doh
Craft kits (Riot art and craft have some great kits for varying age groups, i bought for a friends 6, 4 and 3 yr old for chrissy and all loved)
Wall decorations

I have one boy and one girl

I'm liking the idea of playdough, and Feeb I think a cooking set each is a definite maybe. They love helping me with cooking and so far don't have an apron so that would work well. Their walls are pretty much decorated so I don't need anything for that though.

Thanks for all the ideas so far - any more?

You mean you don't want them to have a DS - 4-year-olds are able to use them and play games like Peppa Pig or Thomas with no problems! (And I understand and respect 100% your decision, just questioning your wording.)

How about a plate/cup to decorate. Handprints aren't just for babies! Or some cooking things, I know my son loves cookery presents. I'm a firm believer in there never being too many books, so even if you have hundreds, there are hundreds more you can get!

No I think they would break a DS. They could use one, they are fine with the wii, but they are too young to be personally responsible for something so expensive. Plus their older siblings don't have one yet and I suspect the world might end for them if their little siblings got one first :lol:

I like the idea of a plate they could decorate and keep. Or actually, they enjoy having an occasional cup of tea so maybe a mug they could decorate and have as their own. That would work!

Musical instruments, picture books, mini suitcases to store goodies in (these were a real hit with my 4yo dd a few weeks age), 'out of the box' craft supplies like clay or even air dry clay, lacing cards, new bed sheet sets...

Brilliant ideas, thanks everyone. I have bought a "paint your own mug" craft kit (with 2 mugs) from my sister, I will be getting aprons and cooking stuff from us, and will get paper and various craft items from me. Job done :D

i;m a bit late, but thought of this last night when i couldn't sleep- you could get new backpacks, lunchboxes or pencil cases for kinder or school.

Thanks HotI, I did consider new backpacks but TBH they have ones that are just fine. Next birthday/Christmas I will get them new things for school though because they don't start until 2013. Thanks for the suggestion though :)

I know you have already bought presents, but maybe for next year... I buy my kids a canvas and oil or acrylic paints with some cheap brushes. I put them out on the grass on an old painting drop sheet and let them create an artwork. When they are done and the paint is dry, the artwork is hung in my study ('the Gallery'!). The kids LOVE doing the painting and I love the result! You could always hang the painting in their bedrooms if they wanted to. It entertains them for hours... I buy all the bits and pieces, including the canvas) from the $2 shops and it works out pretty cheap, maybe $30 for 2 x canvas, paints, brushes and a palette.

Just make sure you wait for a nice day and get them painting in an old pair of knickers because the paint won't wash out of clothing! (But a water soluble paint doesn't work as well).

I haven't bought them yet, that'll be Tuesday, so I have added the canvas idea to the craft kit I will be getting from my mum. Brilliant idea, thanks!

I haven't read all of the replies yet, but my DS is 4 and he likes mechano sets. The ones for that age are flexible and though they need a bit of help they are great for them to learn reading instructions and putting things together and looking at a 2D picture and thinking about it in 3D. DS is pretty good now with it. I think I underestimated that kind of thing for his age.

I love mecanno, but because the twins are the youngest kids we already have so much meccano, lego, etc that we don't really need any more. One of the problems having 4 kids :lol: