Non-Toy Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids and Families in 2023

Non-Toy Kids Gifts

That’s what we do in our cooking classes for kids, literally connecting families around healthy food and giving kids a chance to problem-solve, improve fine motor skills, and build language with their loved ones.

Non-Toy Kids Gifts

We love seeing family members give the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse as a Christmas gift, and I haven’t asked the good doctors, but I bet they’d agree cooking is better than screens.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

But then I realized we exchange gifts with this family at a huge Christmas party with probably 50 people there. The great-aunts actually get all their great-nieces and nephews physical, wrapped Christmas gifts.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

So many toys, so much plastic, so many batteries. …So many things being donated within the year. I realized that whether my niece and nephew got a gift from Aunt Katie and Uncle Kris or not, they wouldn’t really even know the difference in the midst of all that chaos.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

That decided it for me. I’m going to ask if maybe we can give an experience gift, like the promise of making something fun in the kitchen with them or going all together to a museum or zoo or park.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

But other than that, it sounds like nothing will be wrapped this year. And I’m guessing if I propose the same to my sibling and his family, I’ll get the same relieved answer.

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

I find myself wondering lately if this is something I’m experiencing by myself or if it’s really a cultural trend in the direction of simplifying and buying less stuff. When I consider decades of history in America, we can go back to the Great Depression, where every tiny pin or paper clip or rubber band was kept and used to its ultimate practicality.

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

IThen, as people began to earn more income and companies began marketing many more convenience items to make our lives easier, we started buying more. But still, I think, gift giving and commercialism was at a measured minimum.

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

At some point, and my husband and I point to our parents’ generation, people started feeling like they could make their kids’ lives better than their own if they could buy them lots of stuff, if they could provide them with easy experiences that didn’t really challenge them.

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

That means my generation, now parents, has a habit to buy things and put them in our house. And some of us, perhaps many of us, are realizing that we become mean and awful people when we spend many hours a week walking around our house picking things up,

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

Putting them away, dusting them, organizing them, buying tubs and totes and shelves and storage units and stuffing closets, etc, etc, etc. It’s become too much. And I’m glad for one if this is a trend in the direction of simplifying.

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

I do think we buy and create too many things. It has an impact on our households, on the way our children view the value of many things as dispensable, and even on our environment and our earth.

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

We are creating more things than people can even use. And although sometimes it seems like there are needy people in our communities, if you visit the back end of most places that take donations, there are far too many items, more than can ever possibly be used. Many usable things get thrown out because they have some small problem.

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

People aren’t fixing and using up and making do anymore. We’re just buying new and donating the old. In fact, in my own house, I had cranky moments where I was an absolute terror to my children over cleaning things up and having too much stuff that didn’t fit on our toy shelves.

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

It was so severe that I’ve written notes in my Google calendar to myself for the following year: Dear Katie, do not buy any toys for your children this year. Absolutely not. Do you hear me? I’m serious. You have too much stuff, and they don’t appreciate it or take care of it anyway. I repeat, do not buy toys this year!

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

I suppose I should take that note to heart as it was written by a very well-intentioned person at the end of her rope.

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

I’d love to propose some of our favorite charities if you’re going the charity route. If you feel like you still want to give children in your life a gift, but not something they can unwrap and hold, I also have some great ideas for presents that are completely clutter-free: No dusting, organizing, or batteries to change.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Family memberships or single visits. Think about your local zoo, aquarium, children’s museum, botanical garden, symphony, etc.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Movie tickets. Pair with a meal out or ice cream; consider inviting a friend or two to join OR make it special time with the family member. Day out. There are plenty of fun places for kids (think Chuckie Cheese or the equivalent in your area).

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Learning a new skill. Consider time in a grandparent’s workshop or doing a hobby with them. I remember my grandmother teaching me how to sew and making little crafts out of plastic canvas and yarn. Incredible quality time!

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Trips and travel. Add an extra family vacation or something special onto a current vacation. My friend’s son went to Alaska one summer as his grandfather’s birthday gift to him!

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Serving as a family. We do this for birthdays and it’s really a lot of fun. The gift could be paired with a donation to the charity. Coffee date with a kid. Hot chocolate for them most likely. Really, any time out doing anything is great, no matter how average, because special time one-on-one is a true treasure for a child, in our experience.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Music or athletic lessons. This is a wonderful thing to request from grandparents or others, especially for a family on a budget with kids who are interested in learning something new. (Note: I would recommend that the child initiate the motivation for the activity…)

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Concerts. We’re going to Trans Siberian Orchestra this year. We started this when my oldest was 8 years old and have added a child to the list every time they turn 8. In other words, we go to the concert every three years, and each time, there’s one more Kimball attending.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

SALT effect experience. For those who aren’t feeling all that creative with ideas, SALT effect is a service project in a box that “brings family members of all ages together over a common goal to give back.”

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Kids cooking class. I may be a little biased, but whether you go with an in-person cooking class, a kids cooking subscription box, or an online cooking class, I think teaching kids to cook is the most powerful AND practical gift you can give.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

That’s one of her little cuties to the right! Lots of grandmas also gift a membership to their grandchildren’s families so they can connect as a family around healthy food (access never expires so it’s truly a gift that keeps on giving!)..

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Our members find that being involved with food helps kids eat a wider variety of healthy options, build confidence that applies to all areas of life, and foster creativity that is sometimes so lacking in this technological age.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

{{BUDGET FRIENDLY!}} Audiobooks read by family members. This is easier than ever with voice recorders on phones! We actually had all the grandparents and aunts and uncles record themselves reading our oldest son’s favorite storybooks when he was about 3 years old, and we STILL listen to them on road trips!

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Back then it was probably only possible for tech-proficient people like my husband, but now you can follow these super simple steps:

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

– Download a free voice recorder for your phone (or many phones have them). – Record people reading. Learn from our mistake: Don’t have them greet the child…you might have more children and you don’t want to leave anyone out!! – Either keep in a folder on your phone and play whenever you think of it, or transfer to a flash drive. Simple! Done!

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

If you want to get really fancy, have your readers ding a bell to turn pages, although we realized that my lovely vision of my son following along in the books with his finger never happened after the first few weeks. We really do just listen in the vehicle, so on our latest round this year, we used short stories that didn’t rely on photos at all.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

I guarantee this will be a family treasure, and you’ll never regret the tiny amount of time (and basically ZERO money) that it takes…especially as our family members age and we think about what it will be like on this earth without them, I often tear up imagining listening to their stories once they’re gone.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Kindle books or Audible membership. Someday we’ll have a digital clutter problem, and many people are already experiencing that, but it’s so much more manageable than physical, dusty, underfoot clutter. Kids and adults alike can benefit from Kindle books or an Audible membership!

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Gym membership. I would only recommend this if you know your recipient would really use it or this could be interpreted poorly! But if someone has a new goal (or is a regular gym member but covering a few months would really help them out), what a great way to participate in their health and wellness.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas Music with science. We’ve been using the Wholetones2Sleep system for a few months, and the fantastical mix of scientific research on healing frequencies plus biblical roots blows my mind.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

– IJM – to end slavery in our lifetime. I was appalled to learn during a recent presentation at a conference that there are more people in slavery right now than at any other point in human history. What??? Not acceptable. IJM has a team of lawyers, counselors, investigators and more, pulling children from slavery and working to end its terror..

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

– Catholic Relief Services. CRS gives aid in disaster situations both around the world and domestically.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Kids Food Basket and Guiding Light Mission. Both of these are local to Grand Rapids, Michigan, but I love that they serve the poor with such grace and love. KFB provides sack suppers for kids who are food insecure, and Guiding Light helps homeless people get back on their feet.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Hope Unexpected, Pregnancy Crisis Center, and Cradles of Grace. All 3 local to me again, but there’s nothing better at the holidays than to know you’re supporting women who have chosen to give life to their babies.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Reverse Advent Calendar. How about a strategy to actually get RID of some of the clutter? This is less of a gift and more of a tradition that you should start right around this time of year.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas: Eco-Friendly Consumables

Sometimes you really do just want SOMEthing to wrap. I propose that consumable gifts are still clutter-free because they’ll be used up before the next holiday. Are we ok with that one little fudge step?

Family Christmas Gift Ideas: Eco-Friendly Consumables

If so, here are some of my favorite purchased and homemade ideas: – MadeOn lotion These little hard lotion bars and lip balms are my favorite gift to give teachers or put in stockings! – Homemade vanilla extract. You could still start some immediately and leave a bean in the jar when you give the gift.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas: Eco-Friendly Consumables

– Bottle of wine. I found cherry chocolate wine and paired it with sourdough chocolate cake one year for a whole bunch of people…heavenly! My adaptations to the recipe are in Smart Sweets.

Family Christmas Gift Ideas: Eco-Friendly Consumables

– Subscription to their favorite magazine or hometown newspaper if they’d buy it themselves anyway. Otherwise it’s clutter to the max!!

Family Christmas Gift Ideas: Eco-Friendly Consumables

– Homemade playdough for little ones. – Homemade spice mixes. We teach preschoolers to make taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix and more in the Beginner level of our Kids Cook Real Food eCourse. People really love receiving the finished mixes from children!

Family Christmas Gift Ideas: Eco-Friendly Consumables

– Homemade playdough for little ones. – Homemade spice mixes. We teach preschoolers to make taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix and more in the Beginner level of our Kids Cook Real Food eCourse. People really love receiving the finished mixes from children!

View more

01.

02.

03.

10 Ways to Have a Fabulous Family Vacation

10 Sure Signs Your Child Is Being Bullied

9 Tricks to Keep Your Toddler Busy

Non-Toy Christmas Gift Ideas for Kids and Families in 2023

Read more

Non-Toy Kids Gifts

That’s what we do in our cooking classes for kids, literally connecting families around healthy food and giving kids a chance to problem-solve, improve fine motor skills, and build language with their loved ones.

Read more

Non-Toy Kids Gifts

We love seeing family members give the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse as a Christmas gift, and I haven’t asked the good doctors, but I bet they’d agree cooking is better than screens.

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

But then I realized we exchange gifts with this family at a huge Christmas party with probably 50 people there. The great-aunts actually get all their great-nieces and nephews physical, wrapped Christmas gifts.

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

So many toys, so much plastic, so many batteries. …So many things being donated within the year. I realized that whether my niece and nephew got a gift from Aunt Katie and Uncle Kris or not, they wouldn’t really even know the difference in the midst of all that chaos.

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

That decided it for me. I’m going to ask if maybe we can give an experience gift, like the promise of making something fun in the kitchen with them or going all together to a museum or zoo or park.

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

But other than that, it sounds like nothing will be wrapped this year. And I’m guessing if I propose the same to my sibling and his family, I’ll get the same relieved answer.

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

IThen, as people began to earn more income and companies began marketing many more convenience items to make our lives easier, we started buying more. But still, I think, gift giving and commercialism was at a measured minimum.

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

At some point, and my husband and I point to our parents’ generation, people started feeling like they could make their kids’ lives better than their own if they could buy them lots of stuff, if they could provide them with easy experiences that didn’t really challenge them.

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

That means my generation, now parents, has a habit to buy things and put them in our house. And some of us, perhaps many of us, are realizing that we become mean and awful people when we spend many hours a week walking around our house picking things up,

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

Putting them away, dusting them, organizing them, buying tubs and totes and shelves and storage units and stuffing closets, etc, etc, etc. It’s become too much. And I’m glad for one if this is a trend in the direction of simplifying.

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

I do think we buy and create too many things. It has an impact on our households, on the way our children view the value of many things as dispensable, and even on our environment and our earth.

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

People aren’t fixing and using up and making do anymore. We’re just buying new and donating the old. In fact, in my own house, I had cranky moments where I was an absolute terror to my children over cleaning things up and having too much stuff that didn’t fit on our toy shelves.

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

I suppose I should take that note to heart as it was written by a very well-intentioned person at the end of her rope.

Read more

Are We All Getting Tired of Gifts and Clutter? Non-Toy Gifts for Kids

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Family memberships or single visits. Think about your local zoo, aquarium, children’s museum, botanical garden, symphony, etc.

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Movie tickets. Pair with a meal out or ice cream; consider inviting a friend or two to join OR make it special time with the family member. Day out. There are plenty of fun places for kids (think Chuckie Cheese or the equivalent in your area).

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Learning a new skill. Consider time in a grandparent’s workshop or doing a hobby with them. I remember my grandmother teaching me how to sew and making little crafts out of plastic canvas and yarn. Incredible quality time!

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Trips and travel. Add an extra family vacation or something special onto a current vacation. My friend’s son went to Alaska one summer as his grandfather’s birthday gift to him!

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Music or athletic lessons. This is a wonderful thing to request from grandparents or others, especially for a family on a budget with kids who are interested in learning something new. (Note: I would recommend that the child initiate the motivation for the activity…)

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Concerts. We’re going to Trans Siberian Orchestra this year. We started this when my oldest was 8 years old and have added a child to the list every time they turn 8. In other words, we go to the concert every three years, and each time, there’s one more Kimball attending.

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

SALT effect experience. For those who aren’t feeling all that creative with ideas, SALT effect is a service project in a box that “brings family members of all ages together over a common goal to give back.”

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Kids cooking class. I may be a little biased, but whether you go with an in-person cooking class, a kids cooking subscription box, or an online cooking class, I think teaching kids to cook is the most powerful AND practical gift you can give.

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

That’s one of her little cuties to the right! Lots of grandmas also gift a membership to their grandchildren’s families so they can connect as a family around healthy food (access never expires so it’s truly a gift that keeps on giving!)..

Read more

Family Christmas Gift Ideas

Our members find that being involved with food helps kids eat a wider variety of healthy options, build confidence that applies to all areas of life, and foster creativity that is sometimes so lacking in this technological age.