Gift ideas for large families...or any size family

It is getting to be time to start thinking about Christmas gifts. I ran across the article below on a website called Lotsofkids.com and thought it had some good gift ideas for families, no matter how many children they have. Our families always send us wonderful Christmas gifts but as our family grows larger we do not want them to spend a lot of money buying individual gifts for each child so some of these ideas could be great ways to save money this year. Because we live in the country, we have to pay a yearly fee to use our public library so last year my dear mother in law sent us money to pay for a years fee to use the library. That is such a big deal to us since we use the library constantly. We exceed the book limit every time we go in and ALWAYS have overdue fines. I think the librarians see us as profit everytime we walk in. Anyway, hope this can be of some help to each of you as you start to think about what to do for your families this year. We are trying something new with our children this year...we drew names(which isn't new) and have asked the children to try to have the gift they are giving be something homemade. That can be a bit challenging but they know they can always come to mom if they are stumped for ideas.


Gift Ideas for Large Families


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Family Pass(es) - A yearly pass to a zoo, museum, or other similar place can be a great gift. Sometimes passes are limited to a certain number of people (say 2 adults and 4 children), so this could entail purchasing two passes for a large family. This is a gift that continues to give through the year, as the family who might be limited in outings because of lack of money, can enjoy it regularly. This is also a particularly good gift for families that homeschool and could implement visits to these places as part of their education.

Gift Certificates - If you don't know what you want now, chances are you will in a couple or weeks or months. Asking for gift certificates might not be a lot of fun for the gift-giver, but it will be a practical gift for the LOK parent. Some suggestions are book stores, local discount stores (like Walmart or Target), grocery store (not glamorous, but greatly appreciated when you are short on cash and need to get milk), beauty salon/spa, video store.

Quilts, Blankets, and Other Useables - Quilts, bed sets, and throws can be too expensive to justify buying on impulse, but they make great options for gifts. Even better, if your relative sews or crochets, ask for a handmade items that will have heirloom value, as well as being functional.

Gourmet Gift Sets - This is probably one of my all-time favorite gifts to get. I enjoy coffee, but on our family budget cannot really afford Starbucks on a regular basis. I love to get gift sets with flavored coffees. A gift set with different jellies, jams, and prepackaged mixes for scones and cakes are enjoyed by a family, but are consumed and don't take up a lot of space for an extended period of time. As a child, I always remembered the big gift set of meat and cheese a relative would send. We'd enjoy snacking on the contents for weeks!

Other Consumables - Pre-packages or homemade "recipe" gift sets. One mom made gift sets for special treats, such as cookie mixes. She tied nice bags with different kitchen utensils that would be needed for the recipe (such as measuring cup, measuring spoons, mixing spoon, whisk, rubber scraper, cookie turner, etc.). Parents and kids enjoyed making the confections together. If you don't have a recipe to share, there are many websites listing recipes specifically for this purpose.

Also in the "consumable" category are scented candles, which can be enjoyed for a time, but eventually are used up and discarded. Scented soaps, lotions, and other luxury/pampering items will be appreciated, but don't take up a lot of space and are eventually gone and discarded.

Board Games - They aren't just for kids! Asking for a game that you can play with other adult relatives and friends on special occasions can be a great choice. There are also many games that are created that both adults and kids can play together (having two sets of cards with varying difficulty). Perhaps there is a vintage game from your childhood you'd like to find again. Or you would really like that designer version of your favorite game, say the Star Wars version of Monopoly.

Household Items

Cooking Appliances - After years of catering to "average" size families, manufacturers are now making items for power cooking, cutting preparation times. Large size appliances are available that allow families to cook more food in less time. A 7-quart crockpot can cook a meal for a large group. Large deep fryers (like T-Fal's Maxifry) are enclosed for safer cooking, and can make large batches of french fries and other food items. A large electric or stove top griddle can be a great choice. One mom said her electric version allowed her to cook at one time, 6 pieces of french toast, 8 pancakes, or 10 hamburgers.

Large appliances can also be gift options. A new bagless vacuum with a filter might be a much-appreciated gift. The EuroShark (or equivalent) is great for families, allowing you to pick up everything from dust to wet food like spaghetti, and it works on rugs or bare floors.

Conventional appliances can be great gifts. Sometimes replacing an older item would be helpful but is not a top priority on a family's list. A new blender, food processor, microwave, or other item may be a great gift option. With many of the new features on appliances, these conventional items are often more efficient than their older counterparts. Personally, one of my favorite gifts was an under-the-cabinet coffee maker, which freed up much needed space, and since I make coffee regularly, is one of the most-used appliances in my kitchen!

Utensils - My family thought I was crazy when I asked for cookie sheets and muffin pans. However, these can be great gift options. Ask for cooking utensils that were well-made and would stand up to the heavy use of a large family. While a cooking pan might not be glamourous, I was using it all the time, and really appreciated it long after the holidays had gone. Also consider dishware, cutlery. One mother was estatic to receive a 100 piece tupperware-type set.

Furniture - This is a big-ticket item. Many large families find themselves with used or older furniture that could use replacing. If you want an item that is costly, have family members pitch in, or ask for gift certificates to a certain store where you would like to get a particular piece. If you need a new dining room set, perhaps you can swing getting the table. Ask that each relative to buy a chair.

While working on this article, I found an incredible website that sells inexpensive, assemble-it-yourself furniture. This might be a great gift-giving option since the items can be shipped and offer additional storage, something large families usually need.

Organizers - This can include something as simple as a large calendar to keep track of dates, a PDA-type device to help you get rid of all those pieces of paper, to wicker baskets and other household organizer-type products that will help tame the clutter. Many of those items can be pricey, but are certainly well worth the money and can be invaluable gifts.
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Article by: Michelle Lehmann
2004 - Lotsofkids.com


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