The infamous steamboat has barely arrived in the country before the st nicholas excitement starts all over again. Children get their shoes ready and toy catalogs are thoroughly searched with a highlighter. But let's be honest: putting together that wishlist can sometimes be quite a challenge. Because how do you ensure that the living room doesn't explode with toys later, and that aunt emily doesn't buy the exact same thing as you?
No panic, we are here to help. With this handy step-by-step guide, making the st nicholas wishlist will be a cozy moment this year instead of a stressful undertaking.
Step 1: dreaming and browsing together
Start on time with the anticipation. Grab those thick toy catalogs or sit together behind the tablet. This is the moment to dream. Ask your children what they really think is fantastic. You will notice that their taste has changed considerably since last year. Write down or highlight everything that isn't nailed down. In this phase you don't need to select or pay attention to the price yet. It's purely about the fun of desiring and fantasizing about gift evening.
Step 2: choosing priorities and filtering
After that enthusiastic browsing, the list is probably overflowing. Time for some spring cleaning! Go through the selection again and choose the real top picks together. A handy rule is to focus on variety: choose something to build with, something for creativity, a book and maybe one bigger gift that the whole family can enjoy.
- Quality over quantity: better one toy that is played with endlessly, than ten knick-knacks that end up in the corner after a week.
- Practical matters: st nicholas also likes to bring useful stuff that they secretly get happy about, like new markers or a cool lunchbox.
- The wishlist limit: agree on a maximum number of wishes with older children to prevent choice stress.
Step 3: drawing and cutting for toddlers
For the youngest ones who can't write yet, making the wishlist is a crafting party in itself. Give them scissors, some glue and a large sheet of paper. Let them cut out and stick pictures of what they would like to find in their shoe. Extra fun: let them make a nice drawing for the saint themselves and stick it on the list. This turns it into a work of art in itself that can proudly hang on the fridge before it goes into the shoe.
Step 4: the online version for the family
Once the list is ready, the next challenge begins: distributing it among grandparents, aunts, uncles and godparents. Avoid a whatsapp group full of confusion and duplicate gifts. Nowadays you make this a lot smarter with Sinterklaaslijst.be, where you easily manage all your wishlists. You share one central link with the whole family, so everyone sees exactly what is still on the list.
No more duplicate gifts by cleverly checking off
We all know it: three of the same dolls, twice the same puzzle or four children's books that are already on the shelf. A waste of money and disappointing for the giver. By working with an online list where gifts can be reserved or checked off, you solve this in one go.
When grandma decides to buy that long-awaited knight's castle, she simply checks it off the list. Other family members immediately see that this gift has already been claimed and automatically choose something else. This way it remains a real surprise for the children on gift evening, and you don't have to exchange things in busy stores afterwards.
With good planning, some creativity and handy digital help, making the st nicholas wishlist becomes a piece of cake. Have fun with the preparations and a happy gift evening in advance!