Thrashing around for birthday present ideas...

[bjarvis]

My nephew, Daniel, will be turning 4 on Sept. 20 so I have to order something very soon, but I'm still stumbling around to think of what.

There are some basic criteria:
1. cost less than $50 CDN;
2. ideally, be somewhat educational/constructive;
3. they live in a city without vast yard space so it can't be destructive to the neighbours' property or require open space;
4. Daniel's younger sister isn't a year old yet so it should be something he can use/play with by himself; and,
5. best of all, drive his parents insane with either noise messes or other general annoyances.

(5) is pretty important personally. I diapered, bathed & bottle-fed Daniel's mother so I figure I'm owed some sibling revenge via her kids. What are kindly childless gay uncles for if not to spoil the nieces & nephews rotten, then return to them to their parents to wreak havoc?

Suggestions are more than welcome. Note that I'm saving the bagpipes, accordion and drum set for xmas and/or future birthdays.

Comments

[rsc.livejournal.com]

3. they live in a city without vast yard space so it can't be destructive to the neighbours' property

and

drive his parents insane with either noise messes or other general annoyances.

...combined, compel me to point out that excessive noise may also annoy those presumably innocent neighbors.

I've lived next door to children who have been given obviously inappropriate gifts. I don't recommend it.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

It shouldn't be too bad... the neighbourhood is composed of fully-detached single-family homes so there's no shared walls to conduct sound. As well, winter is coming on: the kiddies will be spending more time indoors.

Last year's plastic bowling ball set was a big hit. The ball & pins made a delightful sound on their hardwood floors, not to mention rolling down the stairs. The cats were even less pleased than my sister & her husband.

Well, if not noisy, then we can still go for messy. :-)

[paigemom.livejournal.com]

can't get much messier than play-doh, at least I couldn't.

And they have all those lovely molds and accessories for mum and dad to step on...