NON-TOY GIFT GUIDE FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES
Kids love getting toys. They get toys for their birthdays, holidays, and just because.
Sometimes they get so many toys they don’t know what to do with them. They get thrown around, lost, or ignored.
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As a parent and gift giver I like to get gifts for kids that are unique, educational, and/or useful, although I am guilty of getting my daughter these toy blind bags that are absolutely useless.
Here is an extensive list of non-toy gift ideas that will surprise every kid.
INSTANT CAMERA
My kids love playing with my phone and taking pictures. I don’t know any kid who wouldn’t enjoy their own camera and get to see how their photos come out right away.
INSTRUMENTS
I’m not saying to get a giant drum set because hello! people need to sleep.
This kit comes with several different instruments so that kids can be introduced to different musical instruments and explore their creative side.
If the child is older look for some introductory music lessons nearby.
CLASSES/GROUPON
Give the gift of entertainment. Consider giving a class for:
-Music lessons
-Karate
-Dance
-Piano
-Magic
-Soccer
-Paintball
-Bowling
-Fishing (my daughter just did one with my husband. She was so excited to catch her first fish and they had a nice fireworks display too).
Groupon offers discounts for all of the above and more. They have cheaper tickets to shows, restaurants, and getaways.
Don’t forget to earn free cash on your online and in-store purchases using Ebates. You can read my full Ebates review.
Ebates also gives promo codes and free shipping when available. Get a $10 welcome bonus!
AMAZON FREETIME UNLIMITED
Give the gift of unlimited access to kid friendly books, movies, games, apps, and more. It’s only $2.99 a month for Prime members and $4.99 a month for non-Prime members. That means it’s just $30 for 6 months! That’s a great gift at an affordable price.
COMPUTER TABLET
We just bought our daughter a LeapFrog tablet. We want her to be more tech-savvy and also play more educational games to get better with her numbers and letters.
She loves it because she can color and I love it because we can download new apps whenever we want to fit her learning level at the time.
DIY/CRAFTS
Another non-toy gift idea is a kit where kids get to make something.
My kids love making their own slime. I just bought a giant bottle of white glue, contact lens solution and baking soda.
-Art kit/easel
PLAYHOUSE/TENT
A play house or tent is a great non-toy gift idea because it encourages a child to use their imagination. They have ones made of fabric that can be put up right in your living room. They also have the plastic ones that are great for the outdoors. Keep in mind those are more money and if you don’t mind second hand items you can get them very cheap and sometimes free at garage sales or on Craigslist.
Pop Up Tent with Tunnel and Balls
BIKE/SCOOTER/SKATEBOARD
Every kid has a bike, scooter, wagon or some sort of “vehicle” to cruise around in. Get them to go outside and enjoy the fresh air, especially with fall coming!
This is a balance bike which is a great starter for younger kids to learn how to balance and steer.
PUPPET THEATER
A puppet theater is a great non toy gift idea because kids can have fun putting on their own shows. This is great for kids to express themselves, practice acting, etc.
DRESS UP CLOTHES
Here is another non toy gift idea that gets kids to use their imagination. There are princess dress up clothes, superheroes, and my favorite the career oriented costumes.
MAGNETIC TILES
I bought this gift for several kids of different ages and they went nuts. I know some would consider it a toy, but this really gets kids to use the mechanical part of their brains.
Some kits come with more than others, some come with letters, and one even comes with a motor so you can create a Ferris wheel or car that moves. So cool!
GARDENING
My husband has a green thumb and starts a lot of his plants from seed. The kids like to dig holes in the dirt and plant the seeds.
Let them have fun by starting their own garden or help using their own garden tools!
BOUNCE HOUSE
My sister bought this bounce house for my kids and they went crazy for it!
Thankfully it fit in our living room and made my kids exhausted every single day because they bounced like maniacs.
MINI ELECTRONIC ATM/PIGGY BANK
This electronic piggy bank is so cool and a great non toy gift idea. My kids love fighting over who gets to put the coins and dollars into our glitter money jar. This one is fun because you can set up a secret code to open it.
GIFT CARD
The perfect gift for that someone you have no clue what to get. Amazon offers physical gift cards and ones that you can print from home. They have a variety of graphics for every occasion.
GROWTH CHART
Instead of a toy, buy a growth chart that fits the child’s room décor. You can get a simple one like the one pictured or they come in all different designs and with various characters.
Kids get to mark their height at every birthday and it makes a nice keepsake that can be taken with you.
SLEEPING BAG/BLANKET
How cute are these sleeping bags? Perfect for sleepovers or an indoor camp out. This one comes with a stuffed animal pillow and overnight bag too.
STICKERS
What kid doesn’t like stickers? My kids love anything that they can stick all over the places, including band-aids. There are over 1,900 puffy stickers in this kit with all different themes.
COLORING KIT
Coloring is one of the many creative outlets that I like having my kids explore. Instead of playing with toys they can draw, paint, and color using their imagination.
PUZZLES
As a kid my mom bought my sister and I puzzles because they kept us busy, made us use our brains, and wasn’t too messy 😉
I like puzzles because they are for different ages, can come in very fun shapes and designs.
BOOKS
I can’t believe I forgot to add gifts on this list so thank you Melissa!
Books are a great non-toy gift idea that is perfect for kids of every age. I still like some “kids” books.
Here is a popular one.
For more budget-friendly gift ideas for adults (him & her) and other kids gifts check out my Cheap Christmas Guide Ideas post!
No one wants to be known as the boring gift giver. With this list of non-toy gift ideas you’ll be a hit with the kids and the adults. The best part about this list, most of the gifts are affordable.
What is the best non-toy gift you’ve given or received? Share in the comments below!
These are great ideas! I love the idea of gifting classes/experiences. We have so many toys in this house, I am implementing some of these ideas for Christmas this year!
These are some really great ideas! I despair of the ever-growing mountain of toys, 90 percent of which are never touched from end of the year to the other. I think I’ll probably do some of these for Christmas. You’ve reminded me of the puppet theatre I had when I was young!
Great ideas for the grandkids!
What a great gift giving guide. My kids would love the amazon one. 🙂 Thanks for sharing .
These are all wonderful ideas! I know my kids loved their tent when they were little, and art supplies are always in demand.
These are all great ideas!
Great ideas! I love the idea of “experiences” instead of “things”.
I love giving lessons as a gift. My mother in law did this with our kids!
Wonderful ideas! My niece got a polaroid camera a couple of years ago and we still have the pictures she took. Nothing else gets developed nowadays but those were developed instantly and we all cherish them.
Love the musical set in the coloring kit!
I love giving craft kits and puzzles. And books! Don’t forget about the books!
Yes! How did I forget books?!
I love the idea of playhuts! We have several that have been handed down from kid to kid. Now my grandkids are playing with them and having a wonderful time.
All great ideas! We just bought our twins a tent/castle and they love it’
I’ve never heard of Amazon Freetime Unlimited! I love this idea as an aunt. Thanks so much!
I’m always on the look out for non-toy gifts, these are great ideas!
Good ideas…we have too many toys!
I love this list! My little one is under a year old, and so far, we’ve managed to keep the toys at a minimum. My goal is to get my kids a small amount of good quality toys. I want to encourage them to value experiences more than things, so I’m on the lookout for gifts that aren’t toys. Thanks for the ideas!
Thank you! Yes, everyone loves giving clothes and toys for the young ones so it’s nice to get ones that are easy to clean and last.
I love these! My kids are grown now, but I have plenty of nieces and nephews!
That’s an extensive list! I do love the giving of classes / entertainment. That’s unique and very specific to someone’s likings. It shows someone that the giver has been paying attention.
Some great ideas here! My kids have the puppet theatre and they love it.
That’s good to know. I’m thinking about getting one for our kids too.
That’s so awesome! I remember when I was a kid how I’d let toys go so easily. This is a great list!
This is a wonderful and comprehensive list! I promised myself I’d get my holiday shopping finished early year. This post is motivating me to start my list making. 😀
I’m always looking for gift ideas. Thanks for the suggestions!
This is a very grest and useful list. Thanks
I love your non-toy gift ideas! I love the one about gifting a class! Especially since my youngest is now 10 and is starting to move away from toys.
– Heidi Hourani
What a great list of supplies!!! The holidays are just around the corner, too!! Thanks for sharing!
Such fun items. I would like to buy at least half of them! 😊👍🏻
These are fantastic – great ideas, thank you!