Do your children already have lots of toys at home?
Me it's the same, they are submerged!
Trucks, cars, LEGOs, Pokemon, Shopkins, NERFs, droids, trains, dinosaurs, dolls...
Every Christmas and birthday, toys pile up in their room.
And this, even if I sort it out and donate some every year on donnons.org!
As with adults, what makes children happy are the experiences, not the things they own.
If you want to give the best to a child, give them something to make memories.
Take him to the movies, have a picnic or eat an ice cream outside.
Instead of buying toys, invest your money in souvenirs.
So how do you say STOP to toys at Christmas?
Here are 43 great non-toy gift ideas for kids . Watch:
1. Make them a photo album of memories of the year. Choose an album where there is space to write down why you liked that particular moment. Our two children each have a book of "their very first times". Each photo is accompanied by a short comment, for example:first film session, first car ride, first time on a bike, etc.
2. A cover with a photo on it. What a pleasure to snuggle up under his personalized blanket. Our daughter sleeps with it every night. Her aunt made her a beautiful quilt with pictures on each square.
3. A mug with a picture on it. We gave each of our children a mug with pictures of them taken a few years ago. They use them every night to take their compote, instead of using a bowl. We put on the cups a montage of photos of them playing in a summer lake, plus a specific photo for each of them.
4. A personalized book. It's my favorite gift, because I still have the personalized book I received when I was little. I give them as gifts on birthdays and to my own children, for special occasions.
5. A subscription to a museum near you. We have a children's museum near our house and the children love going there! I think it makes for a great day. And if you're a subscriber, you can go so often that the subscription is quickly refunded, even after just a few visits.
6. A breeding kit for butterflies. My sister-in-law gave my son a butterfly-breeding kit last year. The whole family and especially the children loved watching the caterpillars turn into butterflies.
7. Tickets to a show. My mom took our son to see the hip-hop version of The Nutcracker last year. And he loved it! Of course he will remember it. My parents have a theater pass and they both go there every Sunday. They also sometimes have tickets for children. It's a great opportunity to spend a good Sunday with the family!
8. A coloring book. All children love to color, especially when they are in the car. Give them a coloring book and a crayon set to go with it. They will be delighted and so will you, because you will have peace for a few minutes.
9. A good gift for having pierced ears. A friend of mine made it for other friends daughter, after asking permission. It was a great success!
10. Take them for an outing. Go for a hike, a picnic...anywhere as long as it gives you time to spend with them outside.
11. Gym, dance, drawing lessons, a football camp, etc. It doesn't matter as long as you find an activity they enjoy. I love giving classes, because they really learn something interesting and different every time.
12. A subscription to an amusement park. If you have an amusement park near you, chances are your children will use their membership dozens of times!
13. A gift card for books. Offer a gift card for books or an educational game or order an educational box like this.
14. Shoes. Children wear out their shoes super fast! And they love picking out a new pair of shoes. It's a practical and easy to make gift. Add a fun touch with neon colored laces. You can also let the children choose them.
To discover: Children MUST walk barefoot. Here's Why.
15. Fun science activities. Choose a science activity book with experiments to do together or an experiment kit.
16. A cinema ticket. Think of a gift card for a cinema session with a pot of popcorn.
17. A funny umbrella. You can even customize a clear umbrella like this. I'm thinking about it because our kids each broke at least one umbrella. But they love them so much that they use them even if they are broken.
18. Kitchen utensils for children. Our son requested his own children's knife set last year. And since then he spends a lot of time cooking.
19. Ingredients for making modeling clay. Give them all the ingredients to make edible modeling clay (the recipe is here) or even make homemade cookies.
20. A sleeping bag. Offer a sleeping bag with a voucher to sleep at grandma's, auntie's or the person giving the gift. It can also be a coupon for a night for a cousin or a friend to come and sleep over.
21. A voucher to be excused from household chores for a day. I can tell you that this gift, the children love it!
To discover: How Can Your Children Help You at Home?
22. Go for a snack in a tea room. A few months ago, my daughter and I went to a cafe for tea. We had a lot of fun! We had a hot chocolate with a good cake, I can't wait to go back! Next time it will be for Christmas!
23. A sewing or cake decorating kit. A sewing kit like this or cake decorating like that is perfect for sparking a new passion in children who are starting a new activity.
24. A discovery kit for the 5 senses. Offer them something to smell (a soap for example), something to listen to (a seat for a play), something to taste (their favorite cookies from the bakery), something to look at (a book), something to touch (a new pair of winter gloves).
25. A new bath towel or bathrobe. Children love having funny bath towels, with dinosaurs or princesses on them or cats! And a bathrobe is also a good way for children to be like mum or dad.
26. Disguises with old clothes. I love when children play with their imagination! For example, give them old evening dresses that you no longer wear. My daughter loves to play with it!
27. A voucher for a round of mini-golf. It's not my favorite activity, but the kids love it! So I make an effort and they are so happy.
28. Homemade sweets. What kid doesn't like sweets? Fill a jar with homemade sweets like roudoudous. It will be a little Christmas fun... just for the kids! Discover here 2 easy-to-make candy recipes.
29. Sports equipment. Are your children fans of basketball, handball, football? Give them a ball, a jersey, a pair of sports shoes.
30. Temporary tattoos. My kids love getting temporary tattoos. It's so much fun and it's safe.
31. A soft blanket to help them fall asleep. These microfiber throws are like soft stuffed animals and they help children fall asleep more easily and quickly.
32. A watch. Seriously, I don't know any kid who doesn't like to wear a watch (at least for a week!). If you are looking for one, I recommend this one that I gave to my daughter.
33. Your favorite book when you were little. Review it with your child (or grandchild). And discuss it together afterwards. It's a great way to bond with your child easily.
34. A board game. Children will love to play with each other. We love playing this game with them, and the kids too!
35. Socks. My kids love to wear funny socks.
36. A DVD for the car. If you have a portable DVD player like this, a car DVD movie is a perfect gift. When I see 3 euro films on sale, I buy them and save them for road trips.
37. A movie night at home. We even organize drive-in sessions with the children! And I can tell you that they love being in their cardboard car.
38. Headphones. Our son asked us for headphones for Christmas a few years ago. And it was one of our best investments!
39. A day entirely dedicated to them. Choose a special day for your child in which he can choose to do what he wants. Call this day "Her day" . And give him a card with a bunch of different ideas (like these) to pick from.
40. Money. Give your child €10 in €1 coins! You will see a big smile appear on his face.
41. Painting lessons. Near our house there is a paint shop. You can have a snack and paint on a canvas, while receiving advice, to learn how to paint step by step.
42. Slippers for the winter. For winter, it's a good way to keep warm without having to turn up the heating too much! These are adorable aren't they?
43. A photo of you with your child. My children each have a frame with a photo of them with me in their room. They also have one with a Mickey. And it's one of their favorite things.
