60+ Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids that Aren’t Toys

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Christmas is upon us once again! While it is certainly an exciting time of year, any mom knows that holidays often bring the gift of clutter and more toys than your kids can deal with. Instead of all the STUFF, why not give the gift of experiences that the kids will enjoy and keep as memories a heck of a lot longer than a bunch of dusty hot wheels.

It’s so easy for the holiday season to spin out of control. You forget you bought this toy, that toy, your friend’s great aunt wants to buy your kids something, and sure enough, your house looks like the next FAO Schwartz. (Is that store even still around?)

I am all for toys that promote fine motor skills, creativity, education, science, learning of some sort. Don’t get me wrong. But the bins of toys collecting dust in our play room do not justify the amount of money spent each year on our little ones. So instead of collecting STUFF, let’s create some MEMORIES!

This is a new idea for us as our kids are getting older, they want to do more things and see more things. And their toy collection is getting smaller as we slowly give things away or sell gently used toys they don’t play with anymore or have grown too old for them.

Research has shown that “experiential gifts are more effective than material gifts at improving relationships.” Are you sold yet? Not only will you build memories, but these experiences can strengthen your relationship as a family as well.

So before you go all out on Black Friday and fill your shopping cart up with everything from Aisle 29, take a look at this list of over 60 ideas you can gift as experiences, and the benefits really add up!

60+ Gift Ideas for Kids that Aren’t Toys

1. YES Day – You set a dollar amount and the kids get to choose what to do. You can’t say no if it’s within the dollar amount.
2. Movie Date – tickets and candy for a day at the movie theater (Go to the earliest ones, they are cheaper!)
3. Subscription to KiwiCo – Get 40% off with this link
4. Tickets to Dollywood
5. Go to the Zoo
6. Adopt an animal from WWF
7. Music Lessons
8. Spa Day – give each other a mani/pedi. Don’t forget the robes and fancy cucumber slices!
9. Subscription to Highlights Magazine – Save 50% with this link
10. Volunteer at your local shelter together, gather a box of non-perishables and deliver to your church
11. Coupon book for one on one time with your kiddo
12. CrateJoy Subscription – Get your first box FREE with this link
13. Trip to the arcade
14. One whole night building living room forts and movies and popcorn (Gather ALL the blankets!)
15. Overnight hotel stay (somewhere within 2 hours)
16. Tickets to a Waterpark (like Opryland Soundwaves)
17. An afternoon at the library, get your kiddo their own library card (if they don’t already have one)
18. Make cake pops with a subscription to Baketivity – Save 10% HERE
19. Rock Climbing
20. Disney on Ice, or a similar show – Sesame on Ice, Paw Patrol, etc
21. Weekend getaway to Great Wolf Lodge
22. Lunch Date – (think outside the box – fun, novelty restaurants like Legendairy Milkshake Bar or Ed Debevic’s)
23. Concert tickets
24. A day at the ice skating rink
25. Monster Jam tickets
26. Tickets to local theater, ballet, musical
27. ABCmouse Subscription – Get one year for $45 with this link
28. A special day with grandparents or close relative
29. Adventure Park, Indoor Trampoline Park
30. Admission to Roller skating rink
31. Polar Express Tickets
32. Tickets to a sporting event – hockey, football, soccer, basketball, etc
33. Be a tourist in your own city for a day!
34. Tickets to the aquarium
35. Restaurant Gift Card – make it a fancy date, get dressed up, don’t miss a photo op!
36. Take a Pottery Class
37. Top Golf
38. Escape Room
39. Take a Cooking Class/ The Kid’s Table Virtual Cooking Class
40. Go to the park, bring paper and pencils and draw together
41. Six Flags/Amusement park
42. Do a mural tour like HERE
43. YMCA/Lifetime Fitness membership
44. Karate lessons
45. Have a tea party
46. Go Bowling
47. Disney tickets – (if it’s in your budget. I know this is a pricey one)
48. Swimming lessons
49. Make your own movie, everyone has an acting role, then roll out a red carpet and watch!
50. Rent a boat for a day
51. Private/Group Farm or Dairy tour
52. Write a story together on Wonderbly and have it personalized with your child’s name
53. City Pass for your hometown
54. Children’s Museum/Discovery Center tickets
55. Gymnastics Lessons
56. Summer Camp tuition
57. Horseback Riding lessons
58. Art class
59. Splatter Paint Session
60. Disney+ and/or Netflix subscription
61. Ski trip
62. Local/national state park passes for the year
63. Spend a weekend at a cabin (like Gatlinburg, TN)
64. Plane or train ticket to visit family, explore a city
65. Mini Golf Passes
66. Go on a camping trip
67. Pool passes

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Memberships/Subscriptions

• YMCA/fitness center family pass
• Children’s Museum membership
• ABCmouse Subscription
• Zoo membership
• Subscription to KiwiCo
• Subscription to Highlights Magazine
• CrateJoy Subscription
• Baketivity Subscription
• Disney+, Hulu and/or Netflix
• Pool membership

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Classes/Lessons

• Musical Instrument (piano, violin, guitar)
• Art Class (drawing, painting, pottery)
• Cooking Class
• Karate
• Ice Skating
• Horseback Riding
• Private Coaching for a sport
• Swimming Lessons
• Ballet/Dance/Gymnastics Classes
• Spanish/Foreign Language Classes
• Summer Camp

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Gift Cards/Vouchers

• Movie Theater – Fandango, AMC
• Dollywood admission
• Hotel nights
• Rock Climbing
• Top Golf
• Ice Skating
• Roller Skating
• Bowling
• Restaurant – (Try restaurant.com, City Saver book)
• Boat Rental
• Airbnb/Vrbo/airline tickets

Tips

• Be sure to check Rakuten for any cash back offers while you are doing your shopping and research online! For example, when I was getting link for restaurant.com, Rakuten’s offer was 17.5% cash back! That’s a lot of savings, and it adds up quick. You can read more about saving online HERE.

• The Honey extension on your web browser can also save you money. But you can’t use it simultaneously with Rakuten. You have to see which one offers the better deal at that time you are ready to purchase. It’s all in my post about how to save money shopping online.

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