10 Non-Toy Gift Ideas for Kids

A few years ago my husband and I decided to limit the amount of gifts we gave to our kids. It’s important to us that our kids appreciate what they have, and also that we put a lot of thought into the gifts we give them. In years past we have bought so many presents because they were a good price, not because our kids would actually like or use them! We decided to limit the number of gifts from us, and Santa, to (5) total – (1) big gift and (4) small gifts.  We also didn’t want to buy a bunch of toys, their Grandparents love to shop for those! So we made a list of some ideas for non-toy gifts and today I’m sharing them with you. This list can be used not only for Christmas, but for birthdays, Easter, or any occasion.

10 Non-Toy Gift Ideas for Kids

Games – Growing up my Dad’s cousin would give us a board game every Christmas. It was fun to play together as a family, we still have some of these games today! One of our favorites was Scattergories. You can also get card games such as Go Fish, Crazy Eights, or Old Maid. Most of these card games are made with characters from popular movies too.

Memberships – Here in Southern California we have so many awesome places to take the kids – museums, amusement parks, zoos, aquariums. Most of these offer discounts on annual memberships to local residents. This would be a great gift for the whole family to enjoy together during the year. Using an app such as Groupon can help with finding new and interesting places to try at a discounted price.

Movie Tickets – We like to buy a bunch of these each time we’re at Costco. You can get a discount on the tickets and then give them to your kids as gifts, or for good behavior rewards.

Activities or Classes – Mini golf, bowling, skating rink. These are so much fun, and a big part of the fun is going together.  You can also give class passes for music, dance, art, sports. These are all great ways to encourage children to stay active and discover new areas of interest.

A basket of cooking or baking supplies – Get out one of your old family recipes and collect the dry ingredients to put in a basket for your kid. Then you can plan a day to make the recipe together. Or, you can make a basket full of their own measuring cups, rolling pin, spoons, bowls, etc so they can help you on a regular basis.

Arts and Crafts supplies – You can make each kid their own craft box and fill it with supplies they can use in their projects. Crayons, colored paper, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, even paint and paintbrushes are a few good ideas.

Restaurant gift card – Dinner, ice cream, hot cocoa, cupcakes. Give them the option to use their gift cards for an outing with the person of their choice – mom or dad, a grandparent, aunt, or friends. Anyone that they would like to spend more time with.

Dress-Up Clothes – You can easily find fun and playful clothing at your local thrift store. Don’t forget hats, bags, costume jewelry, or even some formal wear just for fun!

Books – This is a great time to start your child on a series of stories. I find that my kids are more engaged with reading when they are following along with familiar characters. My daughter is reading the Magic Tree House series and loves to read about the kid’s new adventures!

Outdoor Supplies – If you and your family love the great outdoors you can give your kids a fishing tackle box, their own hiking backpack, or even a gardening bucket to use in the backyard.

Do you have a great idea for a non-toy gift? Comment below!