I love finding meaningful Non-Toy Gifts for kids<\/strong>, unique gifts for teens<\/a> (and meaningful gifts for parents<\/a>, too!) Of course, toys make wonderful gifts: they are educational, creative, and open up a whole world of play. However, today, I am sharing the best non-toy<\/strong> gifts because these are the gifts that make memories.<\/a><\/p>\n Update<\/span>: This post was written years ago and has been updated to be shared again today. <\/em><\/p>\n Play is essential <\/a>when it comes to a child\u2019s development, so I would never discourage playing with toys, but I just try not to make TOYS the focus of what our kids are receiving.\u00a0 Of course, there is a place for toys, just not in today\u2019s post. \ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n They make great stocking stuffers for kids<\/a> during the holidays, fun birthday gifts, and they are just fun to play with sometimes\u2026\u00a0 I am a play therapist,<\/a> after all.\u00a0 \u00a0Playing with toys while working with children is literally my job (because learning through play is an amazing thing!)<\/p>\n However\u2026\u00a0 I also love to think of birthday and Christmas ideas that are not toys.\u00a0 I\u2019d much rather get meaningful and useful Christmas gifts for kids. Toys and things are also overflowing in our house, and if you are reading this, I\u2019m guessing it is the same in your house, too. Every year, I take my own Declutter Course<\/a>, where I take time to go through our house & donate toys, but they come back every birthday & holiday.<\/p>\n Just this week, I was in our playroom looking for toys to\u00a0donate, and I realized that our kids rarely play with any of them anymore. \u00a0 Sure, they want toys. \u00a0They ask for toys. \u00a0They see them in the store or at a friend\u2019s house and feel like they can\u2019t live without them.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t want Christmas\u00a0or birthdays\u00a0to be ONLY about the toys. \u00a0I want them to get past the \u201cwant\u201d for toys and have a \u201cwant\u201d to help others<\/a>, a \u201cwant\u201d to create memories, a \u201cwant\u201d to see the real reason for\u00a0the\u00a0season.<\/em><\/p>\n Kids have so much stuff. \u00a0Too much stuff. \u00a0 (It\u2019s not just the kids\u2026 we have too much stuff, too.)<\/p>\n Toys, toys & more toys. \u00a0Trucks, cars, barbies, legos, Princesses, Stuffed Animals, Pokemon, Shopkins, Nerf Guns, Droids, trains, dinosaurs, baby dolls (times three!).\u00a0 While I feel so blessed that we are able to give our kids so much, it is a conversation that we have often: when do you say enough is enough?<\/p>\n When do you say \u201cNo\u201d when you know that you can say \u201cYes\u201d? \u00a0 There are children in our own town that are sleeping on a cold floor tonight, and our kids have three of the same toys\u2026 a toy that another child would be ecstatic to receive.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n I want our children to know that there is more to giving than just toys<\/a>. I know it\u2019s fun for kids to have new toys, but I don\u2019t want them to stop appreciating (or remembering) what they are being given because it has become routine for them.<\/p>\n This year, when I was thinking about kid gift ideas, I knew that I wanted to think beyond giving gifts that are just toys. I wanted to find unique gifts for kids that aren\u2019t toys. <\/p>\n Today, I am sharing my favorite ideas for non-toy gifts for kids.<\/strong>\u00a0These could be Christmas gifts for kids, Easter gifts, Valentine\u2019s Day gifts for kids, or birthday gifts. Really- these work anytime, and are so much more meaningful than any toy you could buy.<\/p>\n Some of these cool gifts for kids were gifted to us by companies or friends, while the rest are ideas that we have tried over the years.\u00a0 \u00a0I also included a few affiliate links to make it easier for you to find the things in the post below.\u00a0\u00a0I hope that you love these gift ideas for kids as much as I love sharing them. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Ps- If you don\u2019t want to over-do it on the gifts, be sure to check out what we have done in the past: Our Four -Gift Christmas.\u00a0<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n When I find myself buying too many toys for the kids,\u00a0 I have to stop and ask myself:\u00a0 Why am I buying them so much?<\/strong><\/p>\n Sometimes, I feel like we buy just to buy. \u00a0\u201cWhat does ___ want?\u201d \u00a0 It happens at Christmas, for birthdays, for graduations from certain grades. \u00a0We buy it because we think that we should<\/em>.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when I usually stop myself and ask: In the long run, would these toys better their lives? \u00a0 Maybe a few, but not as many as Santa brought, as well as all of our relatives that shower our kids with toys.<\/p>\n With four kids, three boys and a little girl, we have accumulated a lot of stuff\u2026 you can find most of it in the toybox or in one of the storage ottomans<\/a> in the living room. \u00a0That\u2019s kind of where it sits.<\/p>\n Yes, they play with these things from time to time, but more often than not, they are playing some kind of made-up game, or hide & seek, or you\u2019ll find them outside playing<\/a> on the swings, making forts, or playing football in our backyard.<\/p>\n On the other hand, our daughter loves playing with toys (dolls, etc\u2026). \u00a0 She is the perfect age for toys right now, but if you ask her to play \u2018family\u2019 or dress-up, she\u2019d choose that any day of the week.<\/p>\n I recently heard of a great idea for the holiday season.\u00a0 It is about a Santa Bag, but you could use this anytime (Birthday Bag, Easter Bag, Summer Bag, etc\u2026).\u00a0 Personally \u2013 I loved the idea!<\/strong><\/p>\n Santa (or mom or dad\u2026\u00a0 or the Easter Bunny\u2026) \u00a0brings a big bag the week before the big day. \u00a0Your family fills it with toys and leaves the bag for him.\u00a0 That night, Santa comes back and takes them home. \u00a0His elves fix the toys up and deliver them to children all over the world. What if we \u2026 stopped? \u00a0 What if, instead of buying so many toys, we invested our money in memories?\u00a0 When thinking about Christmas gift ideas for kids, or birthday gifts, etc\u2026\u00a0 \u00a0ask yourself this question: What if we really aimed for memory-makers as birthday gift, or holidays gifts? What if we spent our money on vacations <\/a>as gifts, or found more practical, useful, or meaningful Christmas gifts for kids?<\/p>\n These are great for birthdays, gifts for the holidays<\/a> (like Easter or Valentine\u2019s Day Gifts for Kids),\u00a0 or for any special occasion.\u00a0<\/p>\n Check out the list of non-toy kid gift ideas below\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Sign](\"https:\/\/www.yourmodernfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/non-toys-gifts.jpg\"\/)
![\"Sign](\"https:\/\/www.yourmodernfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/non-toys-gifts.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nToo many toys?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
NON-TOY GIFTS FOR KIDS<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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![\"Non-Toy](\"https:\/\/www.yourmodernfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Docusol-kids-3.jpg\"\/)
![\"Non-Toy](\"https:\/\/www.yourmodernfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Docusol-kids-3.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nA fun way to declutter & donate\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
This could work any time of year.<\/p>\nWhy We Like Non<\/em>-Toy Gifts for Kids<\/strong> <\/h2>\n
Non-Toy Christmas Presents for Kids of All Ages<\/strong><\/h3>\n
50+ Non-toy gift ideas to get you started:<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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One year, I made the kids a \u201cHilton Head\u201d blanket with photos from our trips to HHI. Each child had a unique blanket because I picked pictures specific to that child. You can have your own blanket made here. <\/li>\n
\u2013>><\/strong>Here is a list of subscription boxes that make perfect gifts! <\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n
I also make these for our children for special occasions, as a way to remember what special thing happened that year. <\/li>\n,<\/strong>\u00a0which sends cool STEM projects for your kids every month. \u00a0This is so much fun & every month they send a new box to open (a gift each month!)
\u2013>> Which Kiwi Crate Should You Get? Find Out Here. <\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
We have the lacrosse, baseball & basketball boxes.<\/em><\/li>\n
(according to Amazon, this is the #1 best-selling kid watch.) <\/li>\n
PS- Here are the slippers that I have<\/a>. They are such fun, aren\u2019t they?!\u00a0They were a gift from my mom. \ud83d\ude42<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nHere are similar posts with more Kid Gift Ideas & Christmas Day ideas:<\/strong> <\/h2>\n
![\"30](\"https:\/\/www.yourmodernfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/2021-30-day-declutter-Picture-JPG.-1-1-453x680.jpg\"\/)
![\"30](\"https:\/\/www.yourmodernfamily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/2021-30-day-declutter-Picture-JPG.-1-1-453x680.jpg\")
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