BellaOnline Forums Family Attachment Parenting Ideas for kids gifts?

Anyone have any good gift ideas for children? I'm thinking those that are kind of AP'ish, if that makes any sense. I'd really like to avoid all the plastic, noisy stuff.

-Anything by Melissa and Doug, I especially like their wooden food items and their wooden puzzles.

-Games by Gamewright Games. They're great compact little games made out of real materials that actually involve some thought. Barnes and Noble always has a nice selection of them.

-Games by Blue Orange Games, for slightly older kids. Again, all wooden pieces (sometimes in wooden boxes) with wooden game boards. Thought and learning... wonderful!

One way I like to save money is to go to a dollar store and head for their kitchen section. The stuff is usually too cruddy to be used in a real kitchen, but kids like having their own wire whisks, measuring cups, wooden spoons, etc. to play kitchen with. Boys and girls like to play kitchen! It's also nice for when Mommy or Daddy (or Aunt Megan) is trying to cook dinner, the kids can pretend they're cooking their own meal, so they're not underfoot.

The dollar store kitchen stuff is a great idea-- ds loves to help me in the kitchen.

I haven't heard of Melissa and Doug, I'll have to look them up. The wooden food and puzzles sound just right.

I am a great believer of no toys. They are a new invention in history and are mostly good for the money makers. Children get dependent and addicted to material goods as a source of happiness. I stick to a few basic things like blocks, dolls, paint, balls, rope, things that the child have to decide what to do with with her own imagination.
I recently read an article that support my thinking in a great magazine called Life Learning. The current issue has an advice column on how to deal with a defiant child. Last issue there was one on the damage of over stimulating toys and gadgets.