10 Christmas Gift Ideas For Kids That Aren’t Toys

You probably already feel like you are drowning in toys in your house.

And probably already know perfectly well that adding to it on Christmas Day might feel like the thing that will sink you for good and lose control of the mess.

Of course, decluttering helps and throwing away broken toys. Giving away toys that have been outgrown to charity is great too. But still, at the end of the day, there are only so many toys your kids really need and have time to play with. Sometimes, it feels like Christmas can be just a ritual in bringing more pointless, unnecessary stuff into your house (bah  humbug!)

Toys don’t have to be the only gifts you give your kids.

Here are some great Christmas gift ideas for kids that will help you cut down on Christmas-related clutter.

You can give these suggestions to family and friends who want to buy something for your kids, too.

1. Experiences

Instead of toys that may only entertain for a short while, why not gift kids something they’ll cherish for a lifetime? Experience gifts create lasting memories and offer opportuniti es for learning, growth, and fun. Here are some incredible options:

2. Watches

Lots of family activities can be expensive and you don’t get to do them all the time. Whether it’s movies, laser tag, bowling, indoor rock climbing, going to concerts and plays, the circus, these are often a special treat for many families and a great gift idea.

3. Snacks

Subscription boxes for grown ups are all the rage. There are also some available too especially for kids! The gift keeps on giving long after Christmas as kids get the excitement of a parcel for them in the mail throughout the year. In Australia, there are options like Our Little Foxes, Honey and Co, Little Passports and Nerd Bloc Jr boxes containing things like toys, books, art and craft projects and other activities for kids.

4. Magazine subscriptions

There are heaps of magazines out there aimed at kids. Like subscription boxes, these come in the mail throughout the year and will give them something to do when they say they’re bored!

5. Classes and lessons

A great option for older kids you can sign them up for all sorts of classes that they can either do in the summer holidays or throughout the year. Think things like art and craft classes, cooking, drama, karate, dance, skating, horseback riding lessons to name just a few.

6. Art and craft supplies

While they’re still a physical object and can create clutter, they can be used up pretty quickly and also give the kids stuff to do during January when they are whining that they are bored.

7. Books

There’s still something magical about books. No matter how much technology we have, sitting down with a good book and turning the pages is something you can’t replicate with a tablet or reader device. Fiction might not be your kid’s cup of tea, but there are plenty of non-fiction books all about things that interest them out there.

8. Bedroom

Kids love to decorate their rooms.  New doona covers and rugs, wall decal stickers, bookends, funky lamps, posters and wall hangings are just some of the things you can give them to help turn their room into a cool hangout.

9. Tasty treats

I have a kid who loves a particular brand of chocolates that you normally wouldn’t buy for a child (she has always had champagne tastes on a beer budget, bless her) so I always make sure that Santa brings her some each year and she looks forward to it. Think of the foods that they go nuts for that are considered a special occasion treat and leave some under the tree.

10. Clothes

Getting hands-on and messy in the dirt and growing something can be exciting for many kids. You can get kid-focused plant growing kits for indoors or outdoors. Growing veggies, herbs, strawberries or even sunflowers are all good options for kids, or window boxes and planters full of flowers. Round it out with some kid-sized gardening tools that you can pick up very easily from your local Bunnings.

Do you have any great non-toy gift ideas that kids love?

Caroline Duncan

Caroline Duncan is a freelance journalist and photographer with almost 20 years’ media experience in radio, magazines and online. She is also a mother of three daughters, and when she’s not writing or taking pictures, she’s extremely busy operating a taxi service running them around to various activities. She can’t sew and hates housework.

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