The Ultimate Non-toy Gift Guide

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In my house, it seems like we go through old toys about once a month. After filling garbage bags of toys to donate, I turn around and there’s still an entire closet full of more stuff. It’s a never-ending story. For the longest time, I thought that making my kids happy meant buying whatever “hot” toy was on the market.

Last night, I spent an hour going through old toys and had had enough. No more toys. They play with them once and never touch them again. Don’t get me wrong, there are some toys out there that are wonderful and children love, but most of the time they get tired of them when the next holiday or birthday rolls around. This year I want to do something different. I want to do non-toy gifts. After we talked about some non-toy gifts, the kids were totally on board after some hesitation.

We wrote down some items and came up with a list we think you’ll love just as much as we do!

1. Movie Tickets

We love to go to the movies as a family. This is a great non-toy gift for kids who love the movies! I also include a few packs of candy, popcorn, and soda. The kids love it!

2. Arts and Craft Supplies

Most kids love doing arts and crafts. You can get many different arts and crafts kits to meet any kid’s interests. These are a few of my favorites.

3. Lessons or Classes

This is probably one of my favorite non-toy gift ideas. Some great lesson ideas are; horseback riding, swim, karate, piano, gymnastics, and so much more. There are also fun painting classes where an instructor walks you through the painting. They are so fun!

4. Board Games

What’s better than a family game night? Board games are a great gift because the whole family can participate. It’s a great way for everyone to spend quality time together. Unless you’re playing Monopoly.

5. Monthly Subscription Box

As an adult, I love getting monthly subscription boxes. I’ve signed up for a teacher subscription box, a lingerie subscription box, a pregnancy subscription box. There’s a subscription box for just about every hobby, age, and interest. There are tons of boxes geared towards kids that don’t include toys. These are a few of my favorites.

6. Art Easel

For kids who love to paint or draw, an art easel is the ultimate gift! It gives kids a dedicated space to do all their artwork. I got one for my daughter a few years ago and she still uses it all the time.

7. Camera

When I was younger, I had one of those old Polaroids cameras. My friends and I would go through a whole stack of film in about 10 minutes. I still have some of the pictures and they make great memories. I had no ideas Polaroid still makes cameras and when I saw it on Amazon, I knew I had to add it to my non-toy gift list.

8. Telescope

Looking at the stars is a great way to connect with our children. There’s so much you can learn about our solar system. A telescope and a guidebook would be so much fun to explore with your kids.

9. Science Kit

I was a huge nerd growing up and every holiday or birthday I asked for silly science kits. My favorite one was a forensic kit that you could dust fingerprints with. I think I dusted prints on the whole neighborhood, I had so much fun with that kit. For kids who love science, this is a no-brainer!

10. Nail Polish Set

There are lots of fun nail art sets for kids who love painting their nails. It may be a little messy and you might also want to have some fingernail polish on hand, but it’s a gift they’ll love and you won’t have to worry about them losing interest.