Avoid One-Use Wonders This Holiday Season!

Since early October, I’ve been hit by an onslaught of gift suggestions for the holidays. It seems like every single media outlet has targeted my kids and I as ideal consumers. Why wouldn’t they?

We’ve bought many toys and gadgets in the past, and we enjoy using the modern marvels of the wired world. Sure, we like toys, but we have also learned to avoid one-use wonders!

My daughter learned this lesson the Christmas she begged for Make Up Mindy. Brainwashed by TV commercials, she looked forward to hours of fun putting makeup on her new best friend. However, after she tore open her playmate’s wrappings on Christmas morning; she discovered that applying makeup on a plastic doll gets old quickly. You do it once, and then you’re done. Make Up Mindy was the one hit wonder of the toy world.

2007 One-Use Wonders

There are a lot of toys like that. Take a good look at Yahoo Kids! Top 10 Toys and you will find several One-Use Wonders on a list of Gifts that promise hours of fun and entertainment. Some obvious One-Use Wonders from this list:

• Uncle Milton Moon in My Room - How many times is your child going to look at the lunar phases, and why can’t they look out the window? This might be a lovely decorative item, but not an engaging toy.
• Leapster Reading & Math Learning Games - “Learning games” is pretty much the kiss of death for toys. Kids love to learn, and they love to learn through play, but don’t tell them that they are playing “learning games.”
• Eyeclops - This toy lets you use your TV to view an item magnified 200 times its actual size. Wow! I can see how a kid might enjoy looking at magnified snot, but how many times are they going to want to do that? And how many times is an adult going to want to help them plug this tool to the TV?
• High School Musical DVD Game - There is, at best, a 2 month window when your child might think that High School Musical is cool. I learned this the hard way last year when I ended up with an unpopular DVD and musical soundtrack before I had even presented my daughter with the gift.
• Hasbro Interactive I-Dog - My daughter has this very cool gadget, and she has used it to play tunes from her Ipod at least 3 times in the 1.5 years that she has owned it.
• Wow Wee RS Media Robosapien V2 - This is the one my 8-year-old son really, really wants this Christmas. I presume the Wow Wee would occupy a place of honor on the shelf next to Roboraptor, the other robotic dust-catcher from a Christmas past.

Living By Learning List of Most Used Gifts

This year consider avoiding the hot toys of 2007, and pick up gifts that your family will still be using next year. I’ve even included a couple of crossovers:

1. Video Game Console- These get a lot of use in our home. My husband, kids, and visitors often enjoy playing a video game on weekends or play dates. We have a GameCube and XBox, but the Nintendo Wii is the most popular at this time. Our favorite Wii Games: Tennis ( Wii Sports); Heetseeker - Aerial warfare that is rated T (teens.) Visit Metracritic.com for Wii game reviews.
2. Hand-held Game - My son has the white Nintendo DS, my daughter the pink. Both are invaluable when we travel. The kids play cooperatively for hours, and it often helps initiate friendships on the road. They both love the Pokemon and Mario Brothers games. My daughter also enjoys Animal Crossings, while my son prefers Spectrobes. You can find DS game reviews at Metracritic.com.
3. Digital Photo - Extend the use of a digital camera with Adobe Photo Elements which allows you to organize and edit your photos, and use these to create photo books, scrapbook pages, slide shows, and more. Older kids, and adults, love taking pictures and playing around with the results using Photo Elements.
4. Makeup Kit - My daughter, like many girls, loves makeup. Pick up an inexpensive cosmetic case at Target or Wal-Mart, put in some lip gloss, and include a gift certificate. Or, give a girl a manicure set. You can even find makeup for preschoolers who love to play dress up. For more tween makeup suggestions visit Elferkid Makeup Lessons.
5. Pretend Play Collection - Our dress up collection has been in constant use since my daughter was a toddler. Over the years, we have added costume jewelry, exotic fabrics, garage sale hats, and various costumes. Consider starting out with a pre-assembled collection such as the “Let’s Pretend” Dress-Up Trunk and Accessories from Lilly’s Kids. Then, add items of special interest such as a tea set or doctor’s kit. This collection can be a great resource for Halloween costumes, theatrical productions, or elaborate pretend games.
6. Easel - We have been using my daughter’s Community Playthings easel for over 10 years. At first, she just used it for art projects, but its dry erase boards have been used for announcements, project planning, and continuous displays.
7. Art Supplies - You can pick up art materials at Michael’s, Aaron Brothers, Pearl Paint or a local artist supply store such as Arlene’s Artist Materials. I like to put together a how-to book with the supplies necessary to create that craft. Here are some of our favorite art books: The Usborne Pocket Artist; Art Smart Painting; Polymer Clay for the Fun of it!; and The Jumbo Book of Art.
8. Crafts - Be careful purchasing craft supplies; we have started many craft projects that sit uncompleted for years. My suggestion is to purchase craft supplies that can be used for a variety of projects. For example, avoid the Bejeweler Pro but do get beads that can be used for jewelry, scrapbooking, and a multitude of decorative arts. Other multi-use craft items: sewing supplies; not too hot glue gun; yarn; felt; fabric; lanyard cord; fabric paint; ribbon.
9. Office Supplies - The gift my son has used the most has been a collection of office supplies. I picked up markers, crayons, scissors, a stapler, staples, brads, and a tape dispenser at Staples. Then I added items purchased in bulk at Sam’s Club: tape, glue sticks, and best of all, a huge box of letter-sized white paper. This supply has been used to create flags, pop-up birthday cards, boats, and most recently, accessories for a rock star polar bear.
10. Ball Collection - One year my kids received a set of huge exercise balls that have become a treasured addition to a collection that includes marbles and balls for ping pong, golf, tennis, soccer, racquetball, basketball , and volley ball. Not only are these balls used for their intended purpose, but they come in handy for all kinds of games and experiments.
11. Blocks - Perhaps the most used toy in our home has been the set of wooden blocks that I picked up at Costco when my daughter was one year old. They have been used to build castles, forts, ramps, tallest structure competitions, Pokemon homes, race tracks, and lots of edifices that are beyond the comprehension of mere adults.
12. Books - Books might seem like one-use wonders, but they open a priceless world. Although I believe that all books are worthy gifts, there are a few treasured books that we return to often. These include: The Complete Tales & Poems of Winnie-the Pooh; The Classic Tales of Beatrix Potter; Mother Goose; Aesop’s Fables; and Greek Myths.

Have you found gifts that withstand the test of time, or have you been slammed by one-use wonders? Please share your story or suggestion.