Kids wanting real animals for Christmas

[melodys_angel]

I would also agree witht he adoption idea.  Call around and see if you can make a few connections?^^

[ZennaBug]

I love the "adopt a monkey" idea.  They will still have their real monkey, but a stuffed one too.  You can either donate at the $50 level for WWF or do the less expensive option and then buy a stuffed monkey at the store.

[Galactica]

I also like the adoption idea-


I remember my grandparents "adopted" a whale for me once when I was about 5-  I even had a photo of the whale (might have been a post card) -  for many many years, I thought that that whale out in the ocean was MY whale....

[xeevee]

Monkey picture book? How old? Stuffed monkey. OR...adopt a monkey?

http://www.worldanimalfoundation.net/catalog/item/8198532/8893408.htm

Your WAF Adopt A Monkey Kit comes in a Deluxe WAF Folder and includes:
Glossy Photo of Your Adopted Monkey
Adopt A Monkey Adoption Certificate
Fact Sheet About Your Adopted Monkey
Help Animals Info Cards Packed With Information On Animal Issues & How You Can Help Animals And The Environment

Or you can go with World Wildlife

http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Chimpanzee?sc=AWY1100WCGP1&mpch=ads

One of theirs comes with a stuffed monkey!

this totally, they aren't cheap, but they'd be getting a real monkey, plus a toy monkey.  But a behind the scenes tour of a zoo might be cool, some zoos have summer camp programs for a day where you can be a keeper, something like that would be nice, but its hard to buy without talking to the parents of the kids.

[tikibirds]

What about one of those programs where you can adopt a wild animal? Several years ago my sister did it for some kind of whale and my mother did it for a wolf.

http://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions.aspx?sc=AWY1200WCGA1&mpch=ads

[nessa16]

The adoption idea sounds like a very good idea.  Don't forget sock monkeys!  Those are always fun.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

If your local zoo has monkeys, you can likely make a donation to the zoo for their care and you get a certificate and such.    You can assemble a themed gift basket easily after that!  Kind of like adopting a monkey but you're paying for the keep and maintainance of an existing animal already in captivity rather than providing a foundation with monetary resources to attempt to protect the monkeys and their habitat. 

[ButtercreamDream]

for a low hourly fee, i will go to their houses and pick insects out of their hair. i do it in the spirit of christmas.

I liked the adoption idea, but I dunno.  Now I'm torn =P