Recommend a birthday gift for 2-year-old twins, ships internationally and costs under $50... uh, please?

July 1, 2007 11:13 AM

Recommend a birthday gift for 2-year-old twins, ships internationally and costs under $50... uh, please?

The twins are a boy and a girl, really REALLY into Elmo and cats. I'm in UK, they're in the States. I've not met them in person, but I talk with them and their mom like everyday phone-wise due to work and now mutual friendship. Never fear, I'm also getting a gift for their mother too, cause hey, these are 2-year-old twins we're talking about.

The problem is what to get the little ones? I haven't been around kids in years, so I feel really clueless. I can knit and crochet but it's too hot where they are [ML] to send like a crocheted afghan/knitted jumpers that are the mainstay of what I usually make for kids. A [free] plush animal knit/crochet pattern that doesnt wreck my head is hard to come by.

Handmade or bought, I don't care - I just have to be able to ship it internationally, so nothing too bulky either. Please help me find a decent gift! Or do social norms require a gift for each twin?

posted by Chorus to shopping (21 comments total)

I like this little sheep:

HABA Hugging sheep - "hugging" because you hug it (it's little "arms" are open). It's for sale on several web sites.

HABA makes a lot of small, nice-quality, wooden, delightful little things.
posted by amtho at 11:26 AM on July 1, 2007

Wrong its/it's. Sorry.
posted by amtho at 11:26 AM on July 1, 2007

Definitely need to get them something, and preferably both the SAME. I don't know if you've ever seen kids fight over "who gets the green one and who gets the blue one", but whichever one the other wants is the one that child wants too. The same factor is VERY important until they're about 7.

So yes... unless it's ABSOLUTELY something they can all use together (game or video or something), they need two of the same.

If you're up for making something, I highly recommend the craftster.org forums. Browse around (especially posts/sections marked 'tutorial') and you can easily find something for your crafting level. If nothing else, this may provide a creative spark.
posted by rhoticity at 11:30 AM on July 1, 2007

Or do social norms require a gift for each twin?

Oh most definitely. They are two individual people and they each need a separate gift (even if the gifts are identical, which is your best bet so that one doesn't feel the other one got something "better").
posted by amyms at 11:30 AM on July 1, 2007

Anything by Melissa & Doug - they make awesome wooden toys. You could probably get two different-but-similar things from them, and the kids could interchange parts.
posted by jbickers at 11:31 AM on July 1, 2007

Don't ship internationally, buy from a US website like Amazon. Your credit/debit card will handle the currency conversion (which is definitely in your favor!), and you'll save a small fortune in shipping.
posted by happyturtle at 11:42 AM on July 1, 2007

Why not some of your favorite childhood books? Easily shipped overseas, meaningful, easy.
posted by dpx.mfx at 11:42 AM on July 1, 2007

I am a twin. While an ideal gift would be something that could facilitate play between the two, I have to agree with amyms: twins hate things they have to share.

Both boys and girls like stuffed animals at this age.
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 11:43 AM on July 1, 2007

Kids will find Incredibly. Important. Differences. between any two random objects, so I'd definitely suggest 2 identical (whatever)s.
posted by dagnyscott at 11:54 AM on July 1, 2007

Also, you might consider ordering from someplace in the states instead of shipping internationally - e.g. Amazon.com. I've ordered toys and books for my friends in the UK from amazon.co.uk. It's simple, the shipping is less and quicker.
posted by nightwood at 12:05 PM on July 1, 2007

Twin here. Whatever you get them, get two of them that are so identical there is no way to fight over whose is whose. I remember very distinctly that this was a big problem when we were little.

Exceptions being books and games that can only be played by 2+ people.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 12:28 PM on July 1, 2007

misplaced modifier there. sorry. games that can be played by 2+ people, and books. There we go.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 12:29 PM on July 1, 2007

Definitely ship from within US. Most stores can giftwrap too.

I've used to buy online in the UK (from abroad) for my nephews. I can't find the best received gifts on-line (it was a while ago) but they were were a jungle playmat and an activity table.

I was guided to both of those by using an online top ten toys list. There's quite a few out there.
posted by NailsTheCat at 12:37 PM on July 1, 2007

Matching twin-themed tshirts? Could throw in a matching shirt for the mom and stay under $50. Ships international.
posted by Manjusri at 1:05 PM on July 1, 2007

Books! Ladybird books have such nice pictures and they have a different flavor from American kids' books. Most kids today have too many stuffed animals - I have twins and am always so happy for new reading material.
posted by MiffyCLB at 1:18 PM on July 1, 2007

Forget clothing. Get lots of Baby Einstein DVDs.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 3:45 PM on July 1, 2007

Twin to Twin by Margaret O'Hair

Two is for Twins by Wendy Cheyette Lewison
posted by anastasiav at 4:41 PM on July 1, 2007

My daughter just turned two and someone gave her this Crayola "No-Mess" fingerpaint thing: it has a tray of clear stuff like Vaseline, and the colouring book that came with it is made of paper with a special coating so when you smear the clear stuff on with your fingers, it turns into a colour. We've been using it all morning! And seriously, no mess. I love it.

For twins, get one each but maybe a different themed colouring book -- they can swap at whim. Also cheap and ship easily.
posted by tracicle at 4:42 PM on July 1, 2007

Even if they don't like it, you should get them one of these. Games like this build character and are fun and lead to smarter kids.
posted by Deathalicious at 2:05 AM on July 2, 2007

If u get them something soft, u can use a vacuum sealed bag (like those space bags) to ship them so they wil not take up much space -
will shrink them down to most nothin
posted by electric_bonzai at 7:03 AM on July 2, 2007

There are these great cuddly cat stuffed animals that I've seen and they come in all sorts of colors. You could get them each one, but different colors.

Here's a link to the black cat one, and if you look further down the page, you'll see the other color combinations. This company ships in the US and is very reputable. You'll want to buy from a US company if you're going to ship here, as I know a lot of people that have had issues with international shipping.
posted by kathk at 4:05 PM on September 10, 2007