Do you ever get tired of giving toys for birthday and Christmas gifts? Or if you’re a parent, do you ever think, “gosh, we have so many toys, I wish our kids would get something else for their birthday!” I know I’ve felt like that… especially after walking through the house at the end of a long weekend when the toys are everywhere – and I mean everywhere (why exactly is there a brontosaurus in the pantry bread box?).
Luckily for you, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite non-toy gift ideas that your kids will totally adore! In fact, they may even love these more than your average toy! So go ahead and pin this post, share it with Grandma or the friend that’s asking for gift ideas or order a few stocking stuffers for your kids because you’re going to be thrilled that you can stimulate your child’s brain and give them a gift they’ll play with for more than 20 minutes!
Non-Toy Gift Ideas Your Kids Will Love
1. Kiwi Co Crates
I got a 3-month subscription for a Kiwi Crate and a Koala Crate for my kids over the summer and to say they loved them would be an understatement! They were devastated when summer – and their subscription – came to an end, so I think Santa (or Grandma) is going to surprise them with a new subscription this Christmas!
Each STEAM inspired project crate we received was a fun learning experience and kept the kids occupied and engaged for hours. I love that you can buy different crates depending on the child’s age too, ranging from age 0 to 36 months with the Tadpole Crate to ages 14-104 with the Eureka Crate. If you want to give a non-toy gift, it doesn’t get better than this! Plus, you can save 30% on your first month with code SHARE30.
2. Custom Rainbow Crayon Name Sets | Art 2 the Extreme
The Original Rainbow Crayon™ is perfect for the young artist in your life! This colorful rainbow crayon name set will delight your child as soon as the ribbon is pulled off the beautiful box! Perfect for a Christmas gift, a stocking stuffer or a birthday gift!
3. Rush Hour Junior Traffic Jam Logic Game
My daughter received this colorful logic game a few years ago and she still loves playing with it! The Junior version is designed for children ages 5 and up (although my four year old has recently started playing with it) and it’s a STEM game that includes an Ice Cream Truck, Traffic Grid, 40 challenge cards, 15 blocking vehicles, and a game-go bag for easy cleanup and storage. You set the board up according to the challenge card layout and then try to move the vehicles around to get the Ice Cream Truck out of the traffic jam. It’s great for developing critical thinking skills! The original version, Rush Hour Traffic Jam Logic Game, is better suited for children ages 8 and up.
4. Build Your Own Fort Kit | adi & tuck
As a parent, I just love seeing and hearing my children engage in imaginative play and this Build Your Own Fort Kit easily enables that to happen! This ultimate fort kit that has everything your little explorer needs to imagine up their own special adventure (and this Etsy shop has several different themed kits available). The kit includes:
- 1-2 twin sheets with ties
- 12 clips
- 1 flashlight with batteries
- Cinch bag and an accessory bag
- Glow sticks
Time to let their imagination run wild!
5. Taco vs. Burrito Card Game
Created by a 7-year old, Taco vs. Burrito is a family-friendly card game any kid would love to have in their collection! We were gifted this game by the creators to test out and review and our whole family fell in love! My kids loved filling their tacos and burritos with weird and wild food combos and my husband and I cherished the playful time together as a family.
6. Little Partner’s Wooden Easel, Dry Erase Board and Chalkboard
Children are natural artists and they love to create! That’s why this combination easel, dry erase board and chalkboard is the perfect gift idea! My children stay engaged painting at an easel just like this for hours! Is it sometimes messy? Absolutely! Is it worth every creative conversation and masterpiece? You bet! This double-sided easel also comes with a paper roll, paint cups and storage bins to keep craft items organized and out of sight.
7. Children’s Cook Books
Do you have a little baker or aspiring chef you’re shopping for? If so, why not gift them an inspiring cookbook full of recipes and how-to techniques. Cooking Class by Deanna F. Cook has more than 50 recipes designed for the cooking abilities and tastes of children ages 6 to 12. Basic cooking techniques are explained in kid-friendly language, and recipes include favorites like applesauce, French toast, popcorn chicken, pizza, and more. Full of fresh, healthy ingredients and featuring imaginative presentations like egg mice, fruit flowers, and mashed potato clouds, Cooking Class brings inspiration and confidence to the chefs of the future.
Its companion, Baking Class: 50 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Bake! is for kids ages 8–12, and features 50 easy-to-follow recipes that teach bakers-in-training how to knead dough, make biscuits, decorate cookies, and produce a perfect pie, along with essential skills like following directions and accurately measuring ingredients. Bonus goodie bag stickers, pop-out gift tags, and bake sale signs encourage kids to share their homemade delights with pride.
8. Customizable Superhero Cape and Mask | Capes and More
Playing dress up is another one of those wonderful childhood developmental activities where children use their imagination to create wonderful worlds of pretend play. What better gift than a custom superhero cape to help them defend the world?! These capes come in one size and are suitable for children 3-10 years of age. There are 12 colors to choose from and you can personalize your cape with your little one’s favorite shape and initial. This will be a treasured gift that will get tons of use for years to come!
9. Science Experiments Kit
Just like art, children are natural scientists and wired with curiosity! That’s why a science kit full of experiments where they can get hands on to test and learn is an amazing Christmas or birthday gift! This Kids Science Set includes all the chemicals, ingredients and apparatuses that are required to create more than 60 experiments! You also get a how-to DVD and a colorful instruction manual to help them learn the science behind the experiments too. This kit is recommend for ages 5 and up.
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Did you find the perfect no-toy gift for the little one on your shopping list? Be sure to check out our other Gift Guides as you’re doing your birthday and holiday shopping and Pin this post for later too!