Ideas for Christmas gifts for childern

[Joe Hillmann]

Every year I like to give my kids and nieces and nephews a hand made gift. They age from 1 year to 11 years old. Last year I made each of them a toboggan. This year I am thinking of making them each a small toybox. Does anyone care to make a suggestion of a somewhat easy to make, not expensive gift I could make this year?

[Jim Rimmer]

A small keepsake box.

[Garth Almgren]

When I was a kid, my grandpa made a wooden semi trucks with an open-top box trailer for his grandchildren. It was probably about 4 feet long overall, with the trailer being roughly 3'L x 16"H 12"W. We all loved them - you can play with the truck itself, and then when it's time to clean up you dump toys in the back and drive it away to its parking spot.

[Joe Hillmann]

Garth, I like that idea for the boys. Jim, Grandpa is planing to make that for them.

[Lee Schierer]

Take a look at: "The Great All American Wooden Toy Book (http://www.amazon.com/All-American-Wooden-Toybook-Readers-Woodworking/dp/0762101725)". Lots of good toys. My grandkids aged 3-14 have quite a few of them and have played with them for many hours. Here are a few:276409276410276411276412

[Tom Ewell]

My uncle used to make boxes that served as a stool (for sitting and stepping), had a cut out side door with latch for stashing all manner of goodies inside along with a cut out hand grab on top for easy transport.

Sorry, no pictures but they were variants of simple 12"-16"(ish) cube type construction.

Could design same model in various sizes and colors for each age group and gender.

[Greg Portland]

Every year I like to give my kids and nieces and nephews a hand made gift. They age from 1 year to 11 years old. Last year I made each of them a toboggan. This year I am thinking of making them each a small toybox. Does anyone care to make a suggestion of a somewhat easy to make, not expensive gift I could make this year?
I'm building a train table for my 4yr old son. It's a large table with storage underneath & ~1" lip around the top to keep his track from sliding off the table. This is for the wooden track. You can see examples of this kind of table in toy catalogs.

Another idea is a small step stool with their name in the top (either puzzle pieces or inlay). This is popular in the bathroom (potty training, getting up to the sink, etc.).

[Dave Lehnert]

I have built this train. Make the engine, then, on Birthdays or ???? make a train car to attach to the engine.

http://www.shopsmithhandson.com/archives/sept_oct_02/html/major_project.htm

[William Adams]

For a while, I was making wooden Wii Zappers / gun shells to give to co-workers along w/ used copies of Link's Crossbow Training. Triggers were glued up from popsicle sticks, sides were cut from wooden blinds, body was carved from a 1x2, grip was a cut-off from a 1x2 w/ some dowels. I used toothpicks as hinges for the triggers.

[Harlan Barnhart]

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Ukulele-Kit/H3125

Ukulele kit, $23. Assembly required.

[Joe Hillmann]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I figured out an easy way to make marionettes so I think I will pop out a dozen or so of them for gifts this year.