Give Children Gifts That Are Not Toys Because There Are Already Too Many of Them.
When children happily open their birthday or holiday gifts, parents prepare for the consequences: The house is full of toys that no one will show interest in until 2.7 seconds after they hit the donation pile. The cycle is real.
Sure, they say that the best gift you can give a child is some quality related time , but sometimes this child is a rando from your child’s class and you need to throw something into the gift bag. Here are some toy-free gift ideas that kids will love and parents will love.
Tickets or season passes for entertainment venues
You can go simpler or extravagantly at the Disney level. For young children, a pass to a play café in the area is an inexpensive option. Toddlers can walk in the ball pits, while parents enjoy coffee and Wi-Fi. A win-win.
Also always useful: tickets or passes to the zoo, museums, aquariums, bowling, theater performances, ice rinks, sporting events, films, mini golf, amusement parks, etc.
Magazine Subscriptions and Themed Boxes
Give your child a reason to anxiously check their inbox every month and help keep print media alive by donating a magazine subscription. Here’s a good start list for kids under 12. My friend Brianna says that her son’s classmate gave him a subscription to the zoo magazine Ranger Rick Jr. and he “looks forward to every new one.”
A more expensive option is to provide a box with a monthly subscription. There is something for every age group and interest – Bookroo , LitJoy Crate and Literati for books, Kiwi Crate and Little Passport for training, and Foodstirs for baking.
Songs singing their name
This personalized Elmo CD is a hit with toddlers. (When my child was an infant, only Elmo’s voice and Oppa Gangnam Style could comfort her.) In this particular album, Elmo sings the child’s name 63 times. I will always remember it as my 2014 soundtrack.
Instructions and all materials for a cool DIY project
Many parents love the idea of children’s crafts, but they hate the process of collecting materials and ingredients (“No, I don’t have a tartar that just wallows in my pantry!”). work for them. My friend Melissa’s daughter received instructions and all the materials needed to create a homemade volcano. “Adelaide was not only fascinated, practical and creative, but it was 40 minutes of purposeful fun – alone!” – says Melissa. You can do the same with a slime, a sewing project, or whatever. It’s even better if it’s a project that your own child has tried and loved.
Butterflies set
You probably want to ask your parents for permission first, as not everyone will experience the same level of thrill seeing a box of critters crawling in their home, but butterfly kits are just so cool. It’s funny to watch caterpillar metamorphosis, and you always feel smart when you say “metamorphize.” My four-year-old daughter had a butterfly a couple of years ago, and now, even still, whenever she sees one in the backyard, she says, “Look, Lala is back!”
Real tools
Lifehacker commentator bri451 recentlyshared a terrific story about one of her favorite gifts as a child.
One Christmas, when I was probably four or five years old, my aunt bought me and my three brothers a hammer and a box of nails. She also added some old wooden pallets to the mix. We nailed * so many * things to other things. Still one of the best Christmas gifts ever
How much fun is that? Many parents avoid giving their children the opportunity to use real tools, but there are advantages to letting them play with ratchets, wrenches and hammers (after they understand the safety rules, of course) – it enhances children’s self-awareness. respects their abilities and gives them a sense of accomplishment .
Cash – in one dollar bills
If the kid is old enough to understand the concept of real money, and if you’re in a hurry, the $ 10 or $ 20 bills will be an exciting gift for kids of all ages.