In my family we tend to go a bit overboard for Christmas.
My kids don’t get gifts throughout the year, and my oldest knows better than to ask when we are out shopping. On their birthday’s their biggest “present” from us is their birthday party and normally a fun outing they’ve been begging to do. So Christmas morning is the ONE time they get to go hog wild opening presents.
Over the years we’ve learned that sometimes the most expensive presents (like gaming systems) don’t illicit the eye-popping childhood glee we happily delight in. It makes sense, after all those “fancy” gifts get opened and set aside until we have time to plug it in and play.
So if you want some real palpable Childhood joy Christmas morning, these are the best gifts guranteed to get your kids excited!
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Ridiculously Big Ball
I won’t lie I thought my father had lost his mind when two inconspicuous Amazon packages delivered to my door step turned out to be 2 gigantic, inflatable balls. However after we blew them up Christmas evening (hint: you ARE going to want an air pump), they hands down stole the show Christmas morning.
My son climbed right in and honestly getting him out over the next week proved to be our biggest challenge!
Pirate Ship
This one was one of my mother’s contributions to my son’s Christmas morning haul. He was 2 when we received it and it proudly stood in his play area until he was 4. This is a large gift but honestly we fit it in our apartment living room without a hassle and it was extremely easy to put together.
Not only was there no competing with it Christmas morning but it was loved on for a LONG time to come!
Pop Up Tent Tunnel with Ball Pit
You remember the excitement of going to Chuck E. Cheese’s as a kid?
Well imagine the excitement of waking up Christmas morning to find that Santa’s elves made you your very own personal playground in your living room! Be warned you do need a fairly big living room/ playroom to make this gift a viable option.
Trampoline
Let’s not kid ourselves we wanted an indoor trampoline as a child long before we ever saw Tom Hanks live out our dreams in Big. Well this list would NOT be complete without a trampoline that is small enough for indoor use without sacrificing any of the fun! If you have a toddler definitely look into this smaller play trampoline as well (my son loved his).
Play House
Every princess needs a castle, and while I LOVE the look of the Step 2 Charming Cottage it is a bit too expensive even for Christmas Crazed me! However all is not lost because this Princess Castle Play Tent is sure to impress just as much (for a fraction of the cost). Be sure to pick up a big fuzzy pink rug and a Princess-worthy throne to complete the Christmas morning AWE factor.
It may not be the main Christmas message (and yes we do teach that too), but I love using Christmas morning as a way to add some magic to my children’s lives. Plus all of the above gifts are not only guaranteed to get them excited on Christmas eyes, but are also way more likely to get them moving in a world already chalk-full of electronics.
