The following are a few alternatives to traditional holiday presents that are inexpensive and promote family fun:

• Put together a basket of favorite ingredients and cook together. Think cookies, pancake breakfasts or pizza.
• Consider a board game. For about $10 you can buy a classic like Clue, Sorry or Scrabble.
• Create a budding artist’s dream with crayons, markers, paints, papers, glitter, stickers and glue. Drugstores, dollar stores and discount stores often run sales on such items.
• Children love playing dress-up. Visit a local thrift store and search for outrageous ties, nightgowns, dresses, shirts, jewelry and shoes.
• Sock puppets easily can be made with a few buttons, some plastic eyeballs and glue. Find an old cardboard box and you’ve got a theater too.
• Give children coupons for special outings such as ice skating, one-on-one breakfast with a parent or a movie night.
• Retro looks are hot with teens. Check out thrift stores or vintage shops for deals on well-worn jeans, funky tops and classic athletic shirts.
• Many independently-owned record stores sell used compact discs. For the price of one new CD you may be able to buy two or three CDs.