Looking for presents for your kids and your inaanaks? Check out our list of non toy gifts for kids.
What can you read in this article?
- Why you should consider giving non toy gifts for kids
- Fun Christmas gift ideas that are not toys
- Nice activities that you can give as gifts
"That's it," I said to myself as I cleaned up my toddlers toys for the nth time today. "I'm never buying toys ever again."
As a mom to three kids, you can bet that we have a lot of toys in our home - from the dolls to the dinosaurs to cars, there's just piles of toys in almost every corner of our home, creating a clutter that I always have to clean out, leading to more stress for me, and more outbursts from telling my children to clean up their toys every single time.
I've tried toy rotation, but that didn't seem to solve the problem completely. We also regularly give away old toys to our helpers' kids, but for some reason, more toys keep coming - from fast-food kiddie meals, to small pasalubongs from the grandparents, then one of my kids' birthday comes up and we're back to square one.
Now that Christmas is coming up, I'm dreading the coming days of my children getting more toys from our families and friends. Of course, Christmas is for the kids and they deserve to be happy with whatever they receive, but surely there's a way for them to also appreciate other things other than toys, right?
Why you should consider giving non toy gifts for kids
While toys may be the most popular choice of gifts for kids, that shouldn't be your only option. Because while there's no denying that playing is the best way for a child to learn, research actually shows that having too much toys does your kids a disservice.
According to Claire Lerner, a childhood development researcher, kids who have too many toys tend to be more distracted, which prevents them from learning from those toys. Another study claims that toys can limit kids' creativity.
Aside from the disadvantages that may come with having too many toys, kids can also reap the benefits of receiving non-toy gifts on special occasions:
-
It's a good way to teach them the meaning of the holidays.
"No, kids, Christmas doesn't revolve around Santa and you getting your most wanted toy." If you let new toys become the center of attention on holidays, your child might not be able to grasp the real meaning of it. It shouldn't be all about toys. You can also give more thoughtful gifts that also teach them gratitude and contentment.
-
You can teach them about minimalism.
If you think your kid has way too many toys, then make a conscious effort to reduce stuff and not add to the clutter anymore. Doing this will teach your kid that you don't need a lot of stuff to be happy. Nobody wants to raise materialistic kids, so you have to make an effort to send your message across.
You can buy your kids useful gifts instead of a toy. That way, they will also learn to embrace minimalism and value the things they already have.
-
You can help them learn a new skill or develop a new hobby.
Non-toy gifts like sports items or arts and crafts materials can help your child discover a love for a sport (it will also encourage them to spend more time outdoors) or sharpen her creativity and resourcefulness. Your gift doesn't even have to be a material thing. It can also be a shared activity for the family.
-
The child will remember it more.
While your child may seem the happiest whenever he unwraps a toy, the truth is he will forget about it after a while. He will discard it and go back to wanting to do an activity with you.
Why? Because people tend to remember experiences more than gifts. And they remember moments spent together with their loved ones over any material possession. In fact, researchers at Cornell University have found that experiences make people happier over time compared to material things.
So if you want the holidays to mean more to your child than just a day of getting new toys, here are some nice and thoughtful gifts you might want to consider.
Fun Non toy gift ideas that your kids will like
Here are some non-toy items that kids also think are fun:
1. Costumes
Kids love dressing up, so they will surely appreciate getting fun costumes from you. It can be a full costume or just something simple like butterfly wings, a pirate hat, or a tiara. Just go with their interests. It's also a great way to encourage your child to use her imagination.
2. Books
This is a no-fail awesome gift for kids of all ages. Find a book about their interests like dinosaurs, fairy tales or even their favorite subject at school. For toddlers, you can go with board books or colorful pop-up books. The kids will have fun turning the pages as they learn.
3. Art materials
If you have a crafty kid, they will be happy to receive art materials from you. Get them a nice paintbrush set, watercolors or fun scissors. If you have a toddler, you can try gifting them with non-toxic finger paints or dot markers to get them started with art.
4. Cute face masks
Kids are now allowed outdoors, but they still need to be protected as much as possible. Let them look cute while they're out and about by giving them colorful and funky face masks made especially for kids. It'll make them wear the masks longer if they're comfy and the design lets them express themselves.
5. Board games for the family
Get your child off gadgets for a couple of hours and play Scrabble or Snakes and Ladders together. Not only these board games sharpen your child's cognitive skills, but it also adds to more family time, which they love.
6. Camping gears
More than toys, kids love going on adventures. So they will surely love it if you give them some camping gear like a small tent, a sleeping bag, or even something as simple as a flashlight.
7. Fun sleepwear
This belongs to the list of useful gifts for kids that they will also like to receive. Sleepovers and staying up late are some of their favorite things, so gifting them with cute pajamas (my girls love their unicorn sleepsuits), eye masks and a fun pair of socks or fuzzy slippers will be a treat.
8. Essentials for online classes
For bigger kids, you can give them something they can use while having their online classes like anti-radiation glasses that will protect their eyes from getting strained or cute headphones that will help them concentrate more in class.
9. Journals
How about something that kids can pour their hearts into? Giving your kid a journal will encourage him to be more mindful and in touch with his inner self, which promotes strength of character in children.
10. Cute hair accessories / hats
If you're raising a fashionista or a cool dude, a pretty headband, cute colored clips or a fun hat is a nice trinket to find inside their Christmas stocking.
11. Piggy bank
Give your child the gift of financial freedom in the future by encouraging her to save at a young age. Not only will it teach her to be frugal, it can also be a fun challenge for the family (to see who gets to save the most by the end of next year).
12. Cute water bottles and their own utensils
Encourage your child to drink more water by giving him a nice water bottle he can use every day. Meanwhile, your toddler will feel important at mealtime and will be more eager to eat if he has his own set of plates and utensils to use.
13. Stickers / temporary tatoos
Does your child like decorating her body with markers? Try giving stickers and temporary tattoos instead. Trust us, these simple items have the same effect as toys!
14. Musical instruments
Research revealed that playing a musical instrument jumpstarts the brain and boost a child's creativity. So why not give your child a ukelele, a piano, or if you want something small, a flute or a harmonica for Christmas? You can even try to learn the instrument with them by enrolling in a class together.
READ MORE:
6 paraan para maturuan ang bata na maging grateful sa mga biyaya na natatanggap niya
Is encouraging your kids to believe in Santa Claus good or bad for them?
Meanwhile, if you want your child to learn a new skill or discover a hobby, you might want to consider these activities as gifts:
15. Online classes
Giving your child an opportunity to learn a new skill by enrolling her in an online class is a great way to shift from toys to more non-material gifts. It can also reveal their hidden talents or spark their desire to learn something new. You can enroll your child in an online Taekwondo class, or if you want your child to get something out of his gadget time in the future, you can let him sign up for a coding class.
16. Subscription to a learning app
There are a lot of free learning apps that you can access on your phone, but before you get to the really cool part, the app developers say that it's only available in the paid version. So if your child seems to be enjoying a cool learning app, you can subscribe to it for a year and give it to him as a gift.
17. DIY Jewelry kits
If your child has a flair for designing, she will enjoy making colorful beaded necklaces or bracelets for her friends. Who knows? She can even turn it into a business someday.
18. DIY Science experiments
Are you raising a future scientist? Check out online stores for DIY science experiment kits for kids. You can learn about planets together while making a model of the solar system, or learn about chemistry from a soapmaking set.
19. DIY art kits
Unleash your child's creativity by giving him DIY art kits like a painting by numbers set, or a DIY clay art set. It's also a great way to keep those little hands busy.
20. DIY baking kit or a gingerbread house
Your little chef will love spending time in the kitchen with you as you bake cookies or simple pastries together. My girls loved making smores from a DIY kit I found on Instagram. Decorating a gingerbread house together also makes for beautiful holiday memories that you child will surely treasure.
21. Tickets to the museum, aquarium or zoo
Why not make your gift a shared family experience? You can buy tickets to the zoo or the aquarium, depending on your child's interest. If you're feeling generous, you can also offer to buy tickets for one of your child's friends so they can enjoy the gift together.
While our main goal is to make our child happy, it wouldn't hurt if we put more thought into our gift and choose something that will be useful to her in the future. Also, remember that for Christmas (or any other day, really), the best present you can ever give your child is your presence.