Don't let filling Christmas stockings cost a fortune
The role of Father Christmas can be pretty pricey at times, especially if you're a family who gives gifts under the tree as well. We have devised a list of the perfect gifts to pop in Santa sacks and stockings for an affordable cost!
Water pistols - always a hit, especially seeing as we have HOT Aussie Christmases. Head to Big W, Kmart or The Reject Shop for the cheapest ones available. As kids, we used to wake up to them all the time on Christmas morning and then went on to have a massive water fight with the whole family after a big Christmas lunch. Sometimes they got so intense that poor Nanna even ended up with a bucket of water tipped over head!
Beach towels - sticking with the summer theme, beach towels are always a good idea and can take up a bit of room in the Santa sacks as well. If you're a family who has a pool, or spends a lot of time at the river or beach, I'm sure you find your towels ALWAYS go missing!
Book - instead of filling those stockings up with toys, throw in a good book to encourage your child to read. We always got at least one book every year from Father Christmas (much to my brother's dismay - he wasn't a fan of reading!). Its a way to keep the children entertained and distracted in the school holidays as well, considering they need things to do for 7 weeks!
Chocolate stocking - I know there's a lot of parents who will disagree with this one, but lets be honest, the best part about Christmas is the food and the kids are allowed to be spoilt once in a while! The classic Christmas stockings are available almost everywhere these days - but pop by your local Woolworths or Coles to grab one in a hurry!
Pencil cases/textas - these generally need restocking before school goes back in January anyway, so why not kill two birds with one stone and knock them off the list by popping them in a Santa sack.
Colouring book - extremely affordable and available from various places, this is a great way to entertain the kids for the summer holidays and keep them busy. The best thing - IT DOESN'T NEED BATTERIES!!
Bean bags - We absolutely loved this pressie as kids! Head to your local Kmart for cheap kids designs or even hop on to Catch of The Day to order them (arrival available before Christmas). Make sure you get one for each of the kids though so no one is left out! Plus don't forget the beans.
No more than 2-3 toys - Whilst its all well and good to get your children toys, obviously this will be high on their lists, unfortunately they are generally played with for about a day and then they get shoved to the back of the shelf. Star wars is all the rage at the moment, with dinosaurs also coming up close behind. Queen Elsa still seems to be dominating as well so you'll find a lot of merchandise around these things! Try to get toys that don't require batteries if you want to avoid additional costs and its something that is going to stimulate them for a while (i.e. craft things, lego, outside toys)
Puzzle - Children can spend hours on puzzles and they are suited to every age! Generally no more than $10, pop them in the Santa sacks for all the kids. Do them together Christmas afternoon as a great way to bond or just get some quality down time after the chaos that is Christmas!! Thankfully its only one day a year!
These are just a few of some great ideas. At this time of year, places like Kmart and Big W are your best friend. They have everything you need for the kids as well your Christmas decorations, presents for friends, older cousins, partners and grandparents. From all of us here at The Nanny Diary, we wish you the best of luck getting through this festive period! Remember to enjoy the wonderful time with family and friends as well.
xx
** image belongs to toovia.com
