Gift Ideas for Kiddos 5-7 years old....

                         V-Smile pocket or  Game Boy.....
The like the concept of the V-Smile pocket it's a portable game system, and ALL the games are totally educational at the same time....imagine that coming from me who would've guessed...smile.... My older boys both had one....we could use the same games in the home system and the pocket version....BONUS! I do want to give you a heads up that I think there I would do some more homework on the quality of these products. We have issues with the home system just randomly not working and also the same issues with the pocket version. We did have good luck with the customer service department and they sent us completely NEW products with NO CHARGES to us at all. It had also been a couple of years ago...maybe even 3 years since we purchased these....so they may have newer versions with those bugs all worked out now. Our boys started on the V-Smiles are 4 years old and played them up until this year...so they played them for about 3 years. They are 6 and 8 now and were ready to move on to something else...."not all educational games, Mom." I think was the direct quote I got from them......
So we went online and bought 2 Game Boy Advance systems for about $15 each off Ebay. They actually don't make new games for these systems any more but you can buy used games at "used games stores" all over the place and online of course. I don't mind that they have them I don't refuse to spend an arm and a leg on getting them the newest and most available thing.....
With all video gaming and computer time I think it is important to enforce a time limit. We often use these products as a reward for completing school work or chores in a timely manner....I also have let them "earn time" for doing extra things around the house...just to enforce the idea that these products are a luxury not a need.

Pets
I think this is a great age to introduce the responsibility of taking care of a pet. They are old enough to take care of a cat or dog themselves each day with food, water, grooming, and spending time teaching and loving them. I would highly recommend doing your own research before getting any pet. Know the costs that will come along with regular and irregular maintenance. All of our pets are outside only pets....so you will need to also decide that before deciding what to get.....and remember "There is NO such thing as a FREE pet." I always love it when I see a sign that says "FREE kittens" or "FREE puppies"........don't fall for it.....know what your getting yourself into..smile.....


Lincoln Logs
My boys play with there Lincoln Logs quite a bit......I think they go through spurts though.....sometimes they will play them for days in a row and other times they go weeks without dumping them all out!! I like them for their durability...even when they become swords instead of "logs"....not that something like that would happen at my house.....just saying.......
Legos
It seems like even more often that the Lincoln Logs.....my boys are always pouring out the LEGOS!!! We have this 5 gallon bucket we keep them in....ya we have that many....smile.....and they boys claim they can't really see what they have to work with if they don't pour them all out on the floor. Okay so they have a point....as long as they are the ones to clean them up....smile....LOVE LEGOS....I love all the creations they build with I love the "sets" of legos you can buy that give you step by step instructions on how to build amazing things!!! Legos range in all prices. You can buy the really small sets that build a little car for under $10 and then the sky is the limit!

With my three oldest being boys I am sorry that I don't have any girl ideas to give you.....Hope this helps to "fuel the fire" on ideas to shop for......and again I am not being paid or compensated in any way from any of these companies. These are just my honest opinions on different products that we have bought or loved ones have gifted to us over the years. Thanks for stopping in!!!

DANIELLE