The most memorable childhood Christmas gift you have ever received

[echo4747]

What was the most memorable gift you remember getting? For me :

I remember getting a Radio Shack 150 in 1 Electronic Project kit ,, i'm guessing back in the mid 1970's. It was basically a wooden box with electronic components switches,relays,resistors transistors, etc. mounted on a cardboard insert . You made various electronic circuits /projects using jumper wires between spring loaded connections

 

[Captante]

Not sure exactly how old I was but really little lol ... my grandparents brought this one Christmas:

 

[skyking]

I'm pretty sure it was the year dad found the pump action ping pong ball guns.
It also may have been the year that our cat and my sister's cat had a total of 11 kittens at the same time. 11 8 week old kittens tearing it up, with our help.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Hard to pick a specific Christmas or moment, but I just miss Christmas as a kid overall. There was just something so magical about it from the early anticipation leading up to it, and the day itself. We had our traditions such as going to Christmas eve service, and going home to wait until midnight to open stockings. I also remember my grandpa recording us open our gifts with the VHS camcorder. I also remember the church Christmas pageant, as much as I was not that crazy about the whole thing of having to memorize my lines and stuff, looking back it was still a fun thing to get us in the spirit as kids. I remember they used to give us a big candy basket at the end, and it was always a fun feeling knowing the performance was done. Overall the memories of Christmas as a kid are memorable and simply can't be recreated.

That is perhaps my only regret of not having children, is not being able to recreate those types of memories and passing them on.

Not to say Christmas as an adult is not great anymore, it's just that it's not the same. I find it also comes and goes so fast now. I still always look forward to it though, it's great to spend time with all the family like my grandparents, and now that my nephews are older they're not all in town anymore so it's great to have them all together as well. Just having all the family together is great. I also started a new tradition where I have a gathering at my house on Boxing Day too, so it's kind of like an extension of Christmas day. Sometimes old traditions just end, but just need to start new ones.

I look forward to a point that my off grid cabin is done, as it would be awesome to do Christmas there. My grandparents are getting older and I really hope I can have something there before they're gone or simply too old to want to go there in winter. They are the ones that introduced me to camping and the outdoors when I was a little kid so it would be cool for them to see my place at least semi completed and livable. I may potentially do something like Christmas in July there though, as getting to it in winter is a bit sketchy and is very dependent on the amount of snow on the ground. But actually being there in winter would be so magical.

 

[echo4747]

would just like to add:
by memorable... doesnt necessarily have to be a fond memory

 

[pmv]

Probably The Beatles (Compilation) "Red Album".

Certainly it's the only such childhood present I still have (though I can't say I ever play the original vinyl any more, I have it somewhere and I very occasionally listen to the digiital form).

On a similar note to the OP, I think I had one of those kits, and also remember getting a "build a Short-wave transistor radio" kit, I think, as well. I think I was better at soldering then than I am now (better eyesight, for one thing).

 

[deadlyapp]

My mom did a great job building anticipation most years. I think the big highlights were the first computer we got (old apple classic), an N64, and the couple of years we got new desktop computers (I think first PC was a Gateway with a Pentium 2 and then later another Gateway with the first Intel processor that had hyperthreading).

 

[dullard]

I was born in a family close to the poverty line. By the time I was in high school we were upper middle class. But my parents still had the poverty mindset. I would never get any gift that I asked for (and often didn't even remotely want). And I think the amount spent for gifts per child was $5 on some years, $20 on better years*. For example, if I wanted Play-Doh, my mom would make homemade dough that would work for an afternoon but be a salty rock the next day impossible to use. One of the better gifts was when I asked for Legos and got Tyco blocks instead. The Tyco blocks were at least somewhat compatible and got some use--although the different block heights made it harder to mix and match. Often I would get something that was not age appropriate (such as an alligator stuffed toy or coloring books when I was a teen).

My most memorable gift was after years of begging for cash instead, one time I received that cash. I got just enough to walk into a store and buy whatever I wanted. I found a game called Mystery Mansion. I loved that game. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2342/mystery-mansion



* I shouldn't complain too much, at least I had a roof over myself and got some toys.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Obligatory "Official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!"

There were too many to narrow it down to one gift or one year. Skateboard, surfboard, air hockey, BMX bike, Ping Pong. I get warm feels thinking about any of them. Because I spent so much time using them, often with my friends.

 

[echo4747]

My most memorable gift was after years of begging for cash instead, one time I received that cash. I got just enough to walk into a store and buy whatever I wanted. I found a game called Mystery Mansion. I loved that game. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2342/mystery-mansion

I dont remember that board game.. Do you recall roughly what time period it is from? Judging from the artwork on the boxcover , it looks like something I might have picked as a kid too

 

[dullard]

I dont remember that board game.. Do you recall roughly what time period it is from? Judging from the artwork on the boxcover , it looks like something I might have picked as a kid too

It was probably late 1980s when I got it. The link says it was released in 1984.

 

[MtnMan]

I remember the effort my parents made.

I went to bed on the 24th, no tree, no nothing. Woke up Christmas morning, full size decorated live tree, and stockings on the mantel, etc., and wrapped presents. One year I got an electric train, and it was set up and running around the base of the tree. I wonder if they even went to bed at all.

I had one year I stayed up most of the night assembling a gift for my daughter, maybe got 2 hours sleep, and struggled to get through the day. The only consolation is I could see my neighbor also up at 4 in the morning assembling something for his kids. The old misery loves company thing...

 

[WilliamM2]

New downhill ski equipment was always my favorite gift. And Chrismas vacation always meant skiing everyday for about 10 days.

 

[Homerboy]

would just like to add:
by memorable... doesnt necessarily have to be a fond memory

Yeap - for me it was Nerf soccer ball. My parents had a huge pile of presents in the corner of their bedroom (youngest of 5 and large extended family). I made note of this one present that was wrapped "cool" - it was a sphere and the paper just cinched at the two ends and tied with ribbon - sort of like a old-school hard candy. I just remember thinking "neat, never saw something wrapped like that"

Then on Christmas morning, on my pile of presents from Santa, sat the very same, noteworthily wrapped sphere. Santa was ruined. Eff that Nerf soccer ball.

 

[Homerboy]

My most memorable gift was after years of begging for cash instead, one time I received that cash. I got just enough to walk into a store and buy whatever I wanted. I found a game called Mystery Mansion. I loved that game. https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2342/mystery-mansion

OMG - memory UNLOCKED!!!!

 

[sportage]

This guy. Wish I owned a dozen of them. Still in the box.

 

[sdifox]

I had a Beast King GoLion that actually transform into five lions.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beast_King_GoLion

<----- spoilt brat.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I was a nut for Transformers growing up, so this is my favorite thing I ever got for Christmas.

Now that my nephew is nuts for Transformers I picked this Starscream up for him for Christmas (leaving Optimus for his pops to get him)

 

[nisryus]

For me it was a Tamiya German Panzer tank kit for me, and a formula one kit for my brother, back in 1977.

 

[Scarpozzi]

This one was memorable just because the track design was pretty cool. Tyco had designed the cars to be thin plastic with almost no weight and there were magnets on the bottoms of the cars that held it on the track.

 

[sandorski]

While shopping I found this Vic20 bundle of a Vic20, a Datasette, and 3 Game cartridges. Didn't have the $120, so I talked my younger bro/sis to go in with me. It was the heist of the century.

 

[SKORPI0]

Had this as a 9/10 year old kid, 1967. I remember the chocolate drink inside (Milo/Ovaltine) and some sandwiches (peanut butter, strawberry jam).
Lid on the sides rusted, not sure what happened to it. Hard to beleive that these vintage lunch boxes are being sold at eBay for a nice price.

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[SteveGrabowski]

would just like to add:
by memorable... doesnt necessarily have to be a fond memory

Haha I remember getting a lint remover one year from my aunt and uncle but it was in the shape of a dinosaur so I guess that was supposed to make it fun?

 

[IronWing]

Haha I remember getting a lint remover one year from my aunt and uncle but it was in the shape of a dinosaur so I guess that was supposed to make it fun?

I thought the used and broken Godzilla model kit I got one year was bad but you've got me beat.

 

[PClark99]

For me it was the first milennium falcon.
The one that was sized for the action figures. Ahh good memories.