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First of all, let me start off by clarifying that toys are a good thing!
Play is essential when it comes to a child’s development, so I would never discourage playing with toys, but too much of anything isn’t good. A great way to combat too many toys is to add in some non-toy items or experiences to the gifts.
There are so many different things you can give your child that isn’t toys. From experiences that will stay with them for a lifetime to an educational present that can expand their horizons, a fun practical item that can be used every day, or just about anything that isn’t a toy!
In this post, you’ll find +30 Non-Toy Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids that are going to blow you away!
Popular Non-Toy Gifts for Kids
Here are the top 3 selling non-toy gifts for kids on Amazon. Maybe your child will love them as well!
- 5 Pack Toddler Toys Puzzles:Perfect early educational toddler puzzles learning toys for 3 Year Old Boys Girls. Assembling a puzzle can be great fun as well as challenging, kids can learn while playing, it is not only a interesting parent-child game, but also a indoor games for early educational learning. your child gets to work on their patience and problem-solving skills, develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
- Mother's Smart Choice of Toddler Puzzles: Safety is always the most important for toys for 3 year old girls boys, this non-wooden puzzles are made of PVC materials, pro-environment & non-toxic & smooth edge &rounded soft, upgraded interconnected blocks pieces, suitable grooves placement for small toddlers to maneuver the pieces into place without the basic board
- Bright Attractive Non-wooden Puzzles: Striking colors made these toddler puzzles look more attractive to small kids, encourage toddler's capacities of learning colors. No chemical smells and haven't drop paint trouble, washable PVC material easy to clean and no fading, durable toy, each pattern is made up of different color blocks, will bring your kids long-term happiness
- Perfect Toys for 3 Year Old Boys Girls: Each toddler puzzles basic board is 5.12 In x 5.12 In x 0.24 In , more big and thick chunky soft pieces designed for little hands, easy to pick and place, don't need to worry your child would swallow the pieces
- Toys Gifts for 3 Year Old Girls Boys: Each puzzles set packing with drawstring bag and box convenient to carry for travel ,A perfect educational puzzles for toddlers ages 3, it is a interesting Birthday, Christmas day, New Year gifts toys for kids,children and preschoolers
- 【Easy to use】: Those Cartoon Game stickers decals are easy to use, just remove the protective film on the back of the Among stickers and you can start to paste it. It’s waterproof and sun-proof. The color hardly fades out. They can be pasted multiple times and no residue after removal.
- 【Product Quantity】：100 pieces game stickers graffiti decals for kids, teens, adults and girls who love this game, These stickers are also a great birthday gift for your child or friend.
- 【WORKS ON ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF SURFACES】: Perfect to Laptops, Trackpads, Keyboards, Backpacks, Skateboards, Luggage, Water Bottles, Scrapbooks, Mirrors, Notebooks, Journals, Cars, Bumpers, Bikes, Bedroom, Travel Case, Motorcycle, Snowboard，many more . clean the surface, sticker on, then use your imagination to create works now.
- 【HIGH QUALITY】: 100% vinyl PVC made. which has waterproof function. The color hardly fades out.They can be pasted multiple times, Easy to remove and doesn't leave any residue behind.
- 【CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GUARANTEE】: If you have any questions about product, please feel free to contact us and we will reply within 24 hours.
- [ Slime Easter Eggs ] 20 Pack Easter slime eggs, including 10 Fruit Slice and 10 mix colored crystal slime. Easter Egg size is 1.4*1.8 inch. Fruit Slice slime size is 1.6*1.6 inch.
- [ Fruit Slice & Crystal Slime ] 5 Styles Fruit Slice Slime: Kiwi, lemon, orange, dragon fruit, watermelon. Crystal slime eggs with 5 mixed colors: blue, green, purple, yellow, pink.
- [ Non-sticky & Stretchy Putty ] Slime feels stretchy, soft, Fluffy and non-sticky. You can stretch it at will, squeeze it, bend it. Safe for kids.
- [ Stress Relief Toys ] Slime toys are pure, can be arbitrary mixed color, easy to shape. Ideal for school, arts, diy crafts, and school projects.
- [ Easter Toys Gift] Fun for Easter eggs hunt event, Easter basket Stuffers, kids Easter gifts, Easter party favors, Easter games, Slime decoration, stress relief toys, classroom events,etc.
Non-Toy Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids
Instead of buying toys to refill our playroom, here are some ideas of gifts that are not toys we’re considering. These are perfect for Christmas gifts for kids, Easter gifts, Valentine’s Day gifts for kids, or birthday gifts!
1. Memberships & Subscriptions
Is there’s somewhere you go on a regular basis?
Zoo, science museum, children’s museum, YMCA membership, online memberships, subscription boxes, etc. These are particularly great to give as family gifts!
Bonus! A lot of museums participate in a sharing membership. This means that if you belong to one, you get access to hundreds of other ones for free or reduced access.
Subscription boxes make the perfect present for the kids that already have an overflowing playroom – especially this year as “gifting” experiences is harder than ever.
And really, how awesome is it for a child to get mail? It gives them something to look forward to each and every month… it’s the gift that literally keeps giving!
Here are some of my favorite subscription boxes:
Bookroo: Bookroo is a monthly subscription for your kids that helps them fall in love with reading by combining the excitement of opening a gift with the discovery of new treasured books. Click here to check out the deal!
Sensory TheraPLAY Box: Get monthly deliveries of fun and therapeutic sensory items! Boxes are thoughtfully curated with children on the autism spectrum and those with sensory processing needs in mind. Use this link to get the deal.
We Craft Box: We Craft Box is an award-winning monthly kids craft kit delivered to the home for kids ages 3-9. This box is perfect for siblings and comes with a themed story, 4 or more coordinating crafts and easy to follow photo directions. Click here to get help to unplug your family from the screen and connect through creativity!
The Preschool box: Monthly interactive preschool activities to prepare your child for school! Check out the box here.
Our Little Book Club: Help your child develop a passion for reading at a great price! Each month you receive two beautiful age-appropriate hardcover books and an activity book. Check out the deal here.
Toy Box Monthly: The most exciting toy-filled surprise experience for kids 4 to 8! Every month, you’ll discover the latest, greatest, and hard-to-find toys from the brands you love for one low price. Get the box here.
2. Classes
Classes are a great way to encourage children in their interests and if they learn to play an instrument, you’ve literally gifted them a Christmas gift that lasts a lifetime!
From music lessons to riding and dancing or art – the options are endless!
3. Instruments
Giving your child the gift of music is mind-expanding! Whether it’s a guitar, keyboard, ukelele, or some other instrument, playing instruments stimulates different parts of the brain simultaneously.
4. Sporting Equipment
What activities you do as a family or something you would enjoy doing? If your child needs equipment for that activity, now is a great time to splurge for their own skis, snowshoes, trampoline, etc.
5. Something for their room
Do they need a lamp, alarm clock, mini couch, or a new shelf to display their LEGO creations or favorite books? Many older kids enjoy displaying their LEGO creations on a shelf where younger siblings can’t reach.
Perhaps they’d like an organizing caddy to help keep their hobby supplies under control.
6. Books
Books are always a great option and reading stimulates the imagination and opens up new worlds for kids in so many different ways.
Early readers also tend to become lifelong learners and get better grades than their peers.
For pre-readers, I recommend BOB Books or The Adventures of Otto Collector’s Set.
Fun read-aloud books for preschoolers’ recommendations include Mercy Watson series, books by Mo Willems or any of the Seuss Learning Library books.
For books that teach lessons, I recommend The Berenstain Bears or The Best Behavior Series books.
7. Kindle
If you want to minimize the clutter of a bookshelf, you can get a bunch of books loaded on a Kindle.
Having a bunch of e-books stored on one device allows kids to have access to their favorite books at all times, making traveling a breeze and you won’t have to deal with the hassle of bringing paperbacks.
8. Audiobooks
Audiobooks are great for all ages and are perfect for quiet time or for keeping siblings occupied when you need to focus your time on your other child.
I recommend downloading Audible which is part of Amazon and is an app on your phone, iPad or Kindle.
Here are some good stories collections for young kids: The House at Pooh Corner, Thornton Burgess Bedtime Stories, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, and Peter Rabbit.
9. Events
Movie tickets, tickets to a play, concert, or sports event are all great gift ideas! Having an event to look forward to makes the days or weeks after Christmas more exciting.
Whether you are going to see a live performance or simply going to the movies, going to an event is a mesmerizing experience!
10. Activities
Activities like mini-golf, bowling, or going to the skating rink are also a fun gift idea!
11. Arts and Crafts Supplies
A gift of art and craft supplies often brings on the imagination, and kids can’t wait to get to work.
Stock up on craft supplies that your little one need or get something fun that they’ve never used before.
12. Clothes
I’m sure we’ve all opened up our fair share of socks and underwear on Christmas morning, but clothes can be a welcome gift to the right child.
Make it a point to get something that fits their style and can be worn in many ways.
13. Dress-Up Clothes
Kids love to dress up – my son practically lived in his Spiderman costume between the age of 3-4!
There are plenty of princesses, superheroes, and Disney costumes to choose from for the child who likes to dress like the people they see on screen.
14. Puzzles
Puzzles are a great gift to give kids and having a puzzle to sit and work on by themselves helps brain development, builds concentration muscles, while practicing fine motor skills, and improve problem-solving skills.
Puzzles are a great activity to keep kids busy, quiet, and engaged indoors. ABC puzzles are great for young kids who are just starting out with puzzles before moving on to different or maybe harder puzzles.
15. Games
A well-designed game can provide hours of entertainment all together as a family. The right one will get the family sitting down together, the competition flowing and the laughs never-ending.
Some of our family favorites are Monkey around, Zingo! and Eye Found It!
16. Watch
My son got his first watch when he was 3. And although he didn’t know how to tell time yet, he felt so cool wearing it!
Getting kids a cool watch makes them want to be able to tell time on it.
17. Swoop Bag
This is a huge help for children and parents alike. Great for Legos or sets of small toys that the kids like to play with, the swoop bag makes cleanup and storage so simple.
18. Shoes
My kids love getting new shoes, which is great since they go through them so fast!
19. Jewelry
Pretty necklaces or bracelets will be much appreciated if your child loves jewelry. You can also get them their own jewelry box so they have a place to store jewelry without losing them.
20. Personalized Stationery
Who doesn’t like having something with their own name on it?
Encourage reading and writing skill development with personalized stationery.
21. Real Tools
Yes, there are play tools, but using the real thing is so much more fun!
Construction Supplies: Give them a box of nails, a hammer, and some scrap wood. Be sure to supervise, but it won’t take long before they pick up this important skill.
Fishing Supplies: Give them high-quality supplies that are easier to use than the cutesy supplies they market to kids. You will have way more fun It’s much more fun if they don’t have to fight the equipment and if you get a telescoping rod, it means the kids can transport their own to the fishing spot and not worry about damaging it.
Camping Supplies: Higher-quality supplies are easier to use and will last them their entire lives, even if they aren’t as “cute” as the play pretend stuff. Having their own sleeping bag can make little ones pretty excited about sleepovers, trips, or camping-out family nights.
Gardening Supplies: Having their own set is so much fun and with real tools, they can actually help out in the garden. Add the tools to a pot with some dirt and seeds, and they can grow something fun right away.
22. Personalized Backpack
Does your child need a new backpack? A personalized backpack makes a great Christmas present that’s not a toy!
23. Umbrella
Umbrellas are perfect for rainy days outside and your kids will have so much fun being in the rain with their new umbrellas.
24. Bedding
Pick out some beddings or bedspread with your kid’s favorite colors or characters on them for a cozy non-toy gift idea.
25. Pajamas
Get your kids some cute, new pajamas with their favorite character, or why not give the whole family matching pajamas? This would be so cute!
26. Piggy Bank & Coins
Start teaching kids the important skill of saving money by giving them a piggy bank.
All kids I know absolutely love putting coins into their piggy banks, starting their own savings!
27. Science Experiment
Add in some STEM learning to the gifts with fun science experiments! With kits covering so many different types of experiments, you can find one that interests your child.
28. Fun Socks
No one likes getting socks for Christmas. But fun socks on the other hand are, well, fun! Kids love to express themselves and fun socks are a great way to do that!
29. Calendar
Most children like to know what is going on, what day it is, how many days until __. Give them their own calendar so they can plan everything out and keep track on the days.
Pick a calendar with something your child likes, kittens, pusheen, or why not a homemade calendar with family photos?
30. Digital Camera
See the world through your kids’ eyes and watch them thrill in discovery with a camera of their own!
A point-and-shoot is a great to start out developing good photography skills.
31. Photo Album
Create a photo album with pictures of your family members or of your child at special places or a trip.
Or simply give them an empty photo album that they can fill with photos of their own!
Other great non-toy gift ideas are those that encourage them to get exercise and stay active. You can find a lot of fun gift ideas for kids that encourage them to be active here!
Don’t miss our awesome coupon book — these are always appreciated! Click on the image below to download:
Explore More
Don’t miss our other gift guides:
- 20+ Personalized Christmas Gifts For Kids
- Top 30 Gift Ideas for Creative Kids Who Love Art
- The Best Play Dough Kits For Every Child’s Interest
- 25 Of The Best Fortnite Gifts For Kids Of All Ages
- 20 Of The Most Magical Unicorn Gift Ideas for Kids
- The Best Indoor Energy Burning Toys For Active Kids
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