I don't think your idea is "cheesy" at all. Could you call the mom & ask her for suggestions? Tell her your idea - with 4 kids, even Blockbuster rentals might stretch their budget & would be a gift they could all enjoy.

I think that's a good idea. Along those same lines if your dh is wanting a more visual gift for the childen, you could buy $50 worth of kiddie videos and that popcorn tin. Depending upon what you buy, that would be a video for each child.

Everything is probably 'cheesy' to someone. You could ask your husband if there is any modification to the gift certificate and/or shared accessories idea that he thinks would make it less 'cheesy'-- or which would even make into something he sees as a good or better idea.

It's problematic getting gifts that can be shared for a group of people of different ages and stages of development-- 10 months, through 7 years? That's a huge range of even basic abilities, as well as capacity to share and in how they would/could view the world generally.

Blockbuster gift certificates are probably the sort of thing that could, even possibly manage to cover everyone's individual (and shared) interests. If they have musical interests, music store gift certificates might work as well.

maybe some books (ask their parents what kinds of topics they like and what their various abilities are, and for the youngest try mostly for 'indestructable' and interesting)? or bookstore gift certificates too, or instead

If you're planning on spending $50, go ahead and spend a tad more, and get them small gifts.

I go to lots of (too many) toddler birthday parties, and limit my gifts to $15 per child. Target has wonderful toys and I always stay under budget.

Recent girl example:
singalong microphone (tunes into FM stereo)
Barbie makeup travel case
Play jewelry

Recent boy example:
Two eggs of silly putty
Toy hot rod car that lights up underneath (way kewl)
Set of Scooby matchbox cars (there were 6 vehicles)

Another boy example:
Spiderman doll, like a foot tall, that was poseable.
National Geographic binoculars

Great ideas under $5:
Videos (target has some for $5 and some for $6 that are good selections)

Don't know what they are called, but there are these sets of peel-and-stick restickable stickers, that you can make all kinds of scenes with. They have bob the builder, Dora the explorer, sponge bob, etc. They make great travel toys for DD and her friends because they're quiet.

Lots of games are right at $5, like CandyLand, Memory Games, and others.

Again, books are usually under $5.

Just some ideas. So you could easily put together a little gift bag for each of the 4 kids, and stick to a $60 budget.

I also think you should avoid a group gift if you can. Kids that young don't understand "shared" gifts. They won't understand unless they get to unwrap it. The 10 mo. old is too young to understand at all, but the older kids do understand the idea of "mine". I like TREKaren's idea - get $1 - $2 toys and make up gift bags for each kid. One trip to Target or KB Toys should do it, with minimal shopping.

Micheil - I stole your idea! My nephews are getting microwave popcorn (a box for each of them to unwrap) and gift certificate to Blockbuster so they can have family movie night at home! Thanks!

I was thinking that maybe even say a gift certificate to a place like Chuck E. Cheese or something? That would be a place all the kids could find something to do at and have fun. I'm sure it's not something they would do too much with 4 kids...it could get pricey.

~Leslie~

A group gift is a good concept--probably better than trying to figure out which videos they do/do not have.

On the other hand, it's true that the kids may not understand a gift they don't open. I would suggest wrapping up a (non-breakable) Christmas ornament for each child, and let the parents explain the gift certificate later.

Then again, by Christmas Day the kids may have been overwhelmed by Christmas presents already! In that case, a "family gift" of four $10 Toys R Us gift certificates would have been well within in your budget and could have been given to the mother in a card. She could buy diapers for the baby and let the other kids choose something they wanted after the Christmas "rush" was over and the winter blues set in.

I saw a cute "family" gift at a craft show. A big tupperware bowl, several packages of microwave popcorn and a book of Blockbuster certificates. I thought it was great and made up my own version.