100+ Gift Ideas That Aren’t Toys

Have you ever wanted to give more than a gift for Christmas or a child’s birthday? There are so many great things that you can do for or with the children you love! Some of them are free, some of them are expensive.

We wouldn’t presume to say what’s too expensive for the ones you love, so we’ve included a wide range of different gifts ideas that aren’t toys! If it’s not something your family can afford, please remember that this is just a list of potential ideas! 🙂

As the Christmas season approaches we want to promote creativity in your gift giving. Sometimes buying the latest and greatest will not mean as much as a well thought out personal gift.

I am sure all of you have had your kids open up a toy you thought they would love and they end up playing with the packaging more than the toy! I am not saying that toys are bad gifts, I am just suggesting that sometimes, there are other gifts that could mean EVEN more!

100+ Gift Ideas That Aren’t Toys

Here are some great ideas that keep on giving all year, but also don’t add to the clutter! They are sure to be favorite gifts! Comment below with your ideas, so we can make this list even more comprehensive!

Season Passes:

Getting a season pass to a local attraction is one of my favorite gifts to receive! Plus, a lot of places have reciprocity programs which means you can get in free to other places with your season pass purchase (like if you purchase a pass to your local zoo and they participate in the Reciprocal Admissions Program, you can get into zoos across the country for free or at a discounted rate!)

• Water Parks
• Zoos
• Museums
• Aquariums
• Amusement Parks
• Observatory
• Aviary
• Butterfly Conservatory
• Sports Tickets
• Hands-On Science Centers
• Performance Art Centers
• Theater Tickets
• Pools
• Concert Series
• Art Galleries
• Bowling
• Ski/Snowboard

One-Time Passes:

Having something your kids or family can look forward to is so much fun! You can mark them on your calendar, make countdown charts, or more! So many great ways to get excited about the upcoming event!

• Rodeo
• Movies
• Bowling
• Swimming
• Theater
• Ballet
• Sporting events
• Disney On Ice
• Circus
• Ice Skating
• Roller Skating
• Mini Golf
• Concerts
• Amusement parks
• Animal Talks
• Comedy Shows

Experiences:

We’re on this Earth to experience it, so what better gift could there be? This type of gift will last in someone’s memory forever.

Groupon is a great place to find discounted experiences! Just watch the expiration date! 🙂

• Train Ride
• Sleigh Ride
• Ice Cream Gift Cards
• Dinner Out
• Glass Blowing
• Rock Climbing
• Paint Nite
• Online Classes
• Paintball
• Laser Tag
• Air Tours
• Hot Air Balloon Ride
• Magic Shows

Classes or Lessons:

A class or a lesson is one of my favorite non-toy gifts. They can help someone start a new hobby or find a new passion!

If you want to make this gift even more fun, take the class with the person you’re gifting it to!

• Ballet/Barre or other forms of Dance
• Ski/Snowboard
• Golf
• Karate/Kung Fu/Martial Arts/Taekwondo
• Yoga
• Gymnastics
• Swimming
• Fencing
• Piano/instrument/singing or other music
• Cross-Fit, Pilates, Personal Training, Boot Camp, Boxing
• Soccer, Football, other sports
• Online Classes (photography, music, fashion designing, etc)
• Art Classes including Paint, Clay, Ink, and more!
• Knitting, Crochet, etc
• Horseback Riding

Family Experiences:

These are ones not listed above! Most of the non-toy gift ideas we’ve talked about are great for individuals, or super fun to do as a family!

• Staycation at a local hotel (with a pool or indoor water park – start looking at Priceline!)
• A camping trip in the mountains or your backyard
• Road trip
• Visit out of town family or friends
• Beach trip

More Gifts That Aren’t Toys:

Here are some more gift ideas that aren’t toys that we haven’t listed yet! Remember, if you have more ideas let us know in the comments!

• Books/Kindle/Kindle Books
• Games
• DVD/Blu-Ray
• CD’s
• Kits (Crafts, Science, Magic, Art, Musical, etc)
• Art Supplies
• Magazine Subscription
• Bath Supplies (Bath Crayons, Color Changing Tabs, towels, etc)
• Wagon
• Bikes
• Christmas Tree Ornament
• Watch
• Photo Book/Calendar
• Journal
• Kids Furniture
• New Bedding (For teens and adults, these sheets are my favorite… and you can’t ever go wrong with a Pinzon Blanket!)
• Helmets
• Sports equipment (hat, mitt, balls, uniforms, etc)
• Trampoline
• Roller Skates or Roller Blades
• Swing Set
• Clothing, Shoes, coats, etc
• Outdoor Winter Activities (Sled, Snowsuit, Snow Toys, etc)
• Sleeping bag
• Toy Box
• Jewelry Box
• Bible/Scriptures or cover
• Telescope
• Magnifying glass
• Magnets
• Cookbook and/or Chef Hat
• Easel
• Chalkboard
• Gardening tools
• Bug-catching tools
• Binoculars
• Globe

How to Wrap Your Non-Toy Gifts:

Some of these gifts can be slightly hard to wrap… so here are some fun ideas:

• Word scramble (each kid gets an envelope with a word in it – (like Discovery, Center, Of, Idaho, or Zoo Boise Pass, Aquarium Season Pass, etc!).
• Wrap up with an accessory (blankets for a sled ride, swimming suit for swimming lessons, etc)!
• Make a seek and find with different items that relate to your gift
• Take pictures, and make a photo album with things they will experience while using your gift
• Wrap concert or movie tickets in a CD or soundtrack!

Conclusion

We hope that you can find a non-toy gift idea on this list that would be a good fit for your family. I have given my kids gifts ranging anywhere from books to zoo tickets to vacations!

Do what fits in your budget and focus on Christmas gifts that will allow your kids to get their nose off of technology and focused more on family time and making memories together!

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