31 Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

If you are looking for a giant list of non-toy gifts for kids for the holidays this year, check these out! Every year, I get a bit overwhelmed by all of the toys we already have and then we add too much stuff to it! Whether it is for Christmas gifts or other special occasions, I hope this list gives you some ideas of items you can purchase for older kids, younger kids or any family member that would appreciate an original present. This year, I am limiting the toys to just a few and then trying to get creative with the rest of the list. I hope you enjoy reading these 31 non-toy gifts for kids and feel free to leave a comment with your favorite non-toy gift ideas. Have a magical holiday season!

“This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link. Please see my disclosure for more details.“

Subscriptions

Monthly subscriptions can make a perfect gift for kids of all ages. Our kids love getting a monthly package or magazine subscription in the mail each month. Some include projects we can complete together, others are great for road trips or saving for special quiet days when we need something to do around the house that does not include screen time. Our favorite subscriptions include:

• Highlights magazines: We have Highlights for our older elementary kids, High Five for our first grader and Hello for our baby. I tuck these into baskets in the bathroom and baskets around the den, and our kids love picking them up and browsing through them. I also use these magazines while tutoring students. It breaks up our sessions and teaches interesting lessons in short segments.
• Ranger Rick and Ranger Rick, Jr. magazines: Again, these are a great resource for all elementary aged children. We love learning about new animals and the world around us.
• Little Passports – Our kids receive the USA edition, the World Edition and the Science Jr. kits from their grandparents. The USA edition includes workbooks for each state (each workbook includes two states), the World edition has content about a wide variety of countries, and the Science Jr kits have great experiments. Our kids love to do these together, and we keep them in a basket in the living room so the kids can always check them out! The Science Jr kits do require parent involvement, but they have great content and promote quality time together.
• Kiwi Crate is one of our favorite subscription boxes young children and older kids. Kiwi Crate offers all kinds of sets, including building, science, STEM, geography and more. You can tailor them to your child’s interest and your child’s development. They run from babies to teens!

You can click below and get 30 percent off of a Kiwi crate!

30% off with code LEARN30

Special Interests

When trying to select a good non-toy present for the child in your life, consider their special interests and unique gifts.

Do they like to bake? Try a cake pop maker with cake pop sticks, sprinkles, cake batter mix, and an apron. Our older girls loved receiving these unique gifts last year.

Would they like to learn to sew? Try packaging a gift certificate for sewing lessons with some needles, thread, tape measure, and fabric fat quarters. If you can spend a little more, consider purchasing a sewing machine for your child to make her own creations.

Do they enjoy being outdoors? Maybe an inflatable snow tube, roller skates, a sled, a skateboard, a butterfly kit, or a new kickball.

If they enjoy camping, perhaps a headlight, a lantern, a sleeping bag, a camp chair, a magnifying glass, or binoculars. Even a play tent indoors with some audiobooks to listen to during their “campout” could make a wonderful gift.

Lessons are always a great idea: music lessons, sewing, a cooking class, sports lessons. The child gets to try something new, gain a new skill, and promote a healthy lifestyle! Lessons make a practical gift that will provide lots of use throughout the years.

Bundles

Consider making a small bundle of favorite things under a similar theme to make a fun gift.

• Monogrammed towels, sheets, and washcloths with a new bath gel, bath salts or bath bombs
• A new umbrella and galoshes
• Earrings, bracelets, headbands, and scrunchies
• Fingernail polishes and files in a cute container
• Favorite movie with popcorn, movie theater candy, movie tickets to a local theater
• Gift card to a favorite restaurant or ice cream location with a handwritten note
• A collection of office supplies for the child who loves to pretend to be an adult (Office supplies were my love language as a child. 🙂 I loved to play office with a new stapler, some fancy papers and stamps).
• New stationery or a journal with Flair pens (Shutterfly sells all kinds of personalized stationary, post it notes, pencils that kids (and grown ups) would love.
• School supplies! Make a Teacher Kit with assorted stickers, notepads, grading notebook, hall pass, workbooks, pencils, stamps, crayons, dry erase markers and small dry erase board. I used to love to play school (and then I became a teacher!) Our 9 year old loves this kind of gift. Target Dollar Spot, Dollar Store and Lakeshore are great places to pick these items up.
• Create a coupon book for your kids to discover on Christmas morning full of experiences for the entire family. Consider a day trip, mini golf day, or a trip to local water park for a fun day together.

Memberships and Contributions as Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

Check into annual memberships you can purchase so the whole family can enjoy your gift all year long! Ideas include:

• local zoo
• Children’s Museum
• art museum
• state parks
• historical parks/homes
• pools
• gyms
• trampoline parks
• indoor climbing
• botanical gardens
• science museum

Also, an easy and practical gift is to consider contributing to the child’s college fund or establishing one if it hasn’t yet been set up. A 529 plan contribution is a great investment in any child! These are some easy and wise non-toy gifts for kids.

Photos

Photo Books as a Non-Toy Gift Idea for Kids

Most children love to look at photo albums and hear stories of their babyhood, childhood and other family members. Consider making a photo book of significant moments in their lives and gifting it. You can purchase these through companies like Shutterfly, Snapfish, Walgreens, Costco, etc.

Babies especially love photo books of family members. They introduce them to early reading skills of associating pictures with names. Consider finding a fairly inexpensive digital camera so that your kids can capture the gift of memories themselves!

Tile Photos

Consider using a company like Mixtiles and order photos of family members or friends. You can use these as a collage in a family room or the child’s bedroom to remind them of their loved ones.

Travel

For our family, many of our favorite memories are made during our travels! Consider planning a trip for your children and wrapping clues to reveal your destination. For a camping trip, pack sleeping bags and lanterns. For a beach destination, pack swimsuits and sunscreen. A Disney World announcement can include Mickey ears and a Disney gift card. After Christmas, you can have the fun of planning the details of the trip with your children!

I hope these 31 non-toy gift ideas have provided inspiration for your gift-giving this year. It’s always fun to mix it up and gift something different!

For more gift-giving ideas, check out my other posts here. For ideas on how to create memories creating gingerbread houses together (without losing your sanity!), hop here. And for making some easy holiday treats with your kids, check out this post! Happy holidays!