Spending a $200 gift on the family

January 23, 2009 5:05 AM

I'm looking for a fun and unique way to spend a $200 gift on our family.

Mum, Dad, girl 7, boy 5. Dad put $200 in my checking account and I'd like to buy or do something fun with it that the kids will remember. We've thought about tickets to a musical. We'd like some other interesting suggestions. We're in the UK where this amounts to about £140 today.

posted by sagwalla to shopping (4 comments total)

videogame system and a couple of age-appropriate games would ideally result in a number of fun evenings.

also, a copy of "apples to apples"
posted by rmd1023 at 5:56 AM on January 23

I would look into donating a portion of it to a landmark, if possible, where a plaque would be put in your name. For example, our local zoo allows you to "buy bricks" of a walkway for $50. It's a lasting memory that will represent your family, and something you can seek out on future visits to that site. A portion of it also goes to support a good cause.

Doesn't have to be a zoo, that's just an example from my area. Something personal that is a little more tangible than an "event" but that creates a memory for the rest of your time and that can be revisited.

FWIW, we gave our niece and nephew tickets to The Lion King a few years ago as their first experience with musical theater. They loved it, especially since the staging includes a lot of "breaking the fourth wall." I'm all about encouraging the young to appreciate culture.
posted by librarianamy at 7:28 AM on January 23

I was gonna suggest a video game too - our family has some amazingly fun memories tied to Singstar for the PS2. (My daughter knew the words to Twisted Sister's "We're not gonna take it" at age two - one of my proudest achievements)

You can get everything you need in one bundle, and have about $50 left over for pizza.
posted by jbickers at 8:46 AM on January 23

Perhaps that money would pay for a day trip to somewhere fairly near by that you've always meant to check out.
posted by orange swan at 9:46 AM on January 23