Christmas! Already! I seriously can’t believe it!
I LOVE Christmas (I mean who doesn’t??)! My absolute favorite thing about Christmas is getting to share it with my two little girls.
I love getting to talk to them about Baby Jesus and seeing their eyes light up in the glow of Christmas tree lights. I love snuggling in to watch The Grinch (yes, the Jim Carey version if you must ask), baking cookies and attending every Christmas event that we can.
What I don’t love about Christmas is the pressure to gift.
Now I do love to give, and even receive gifts but I don’t like to give random gifts out of obligation. You know, like how you are supposed to buy your 2nd cousins wife something even though you literally only see or speak to her during the holidays. Like what do you get someone you don’t really know?
I also hate feeling like I need to get my kids a million things! My husband and I sometimes get a little excited and over purchase. This actually tends to happen the week of thanksgiving when we are trapped in the airport for a few hours while flying out to see family. Hello early Black Friday sales!
However this year it is just not happening. I’ve spent a good part of the year decluttering, and my kids haven’t even cared that I tossed most of their toys! Why? Because they had toy overload!
** Guide to Tossing the Toys **
Reason number two is that we have learned to value TIME over POSSESSIONS. Things do not make a person happy. Not truly happy anyways. If I am going to get my kids anything I would so rather give them something educational or something that will allow us to spend time together. To make memories together.
** Guide to Being Truly Happy- Getting Rid of your Possessions **
Doesn’t that just sound so much more appealing than one of those creepy Hatchable eggs?
Now I can’t stop anyone else from getting my kids toys and contributing to the re-cluttering of my house but I can SUGGEST alternatives. This list below is event type gifts or educational type gifts. Both of which are still GIFTS but have so much more long-term value then some random toy.
One-Time Event Gifts
Disney on Ice
We’ve never actually taken our kids to one of these but I hear they are so amazing!
Local performing arts center
If you are lucky enough to be close to a center that does traveling productions you should check into their kids programming. PJ Masks Live is coming to our at the end of the month for 2 shows. If not, check into your local playhouse and see what they have coming up that might be something your kids will enjoy.
Admissions Gifts
Zoo
Most Zoos will have a member ship or annual program that you can sign up for. Also in my experience there are so many more things to do besides just see the animals. They have lots of season programing and even weekly programming. Plus often a zoo will have membership discounts to other similar local attractions. For example, our zoo membership also gives us access to the aquarium and science museum at discounted prices.
Children’s museums
Children’s museums are an awesome gift. If there is one within an hour of you I would say that it is totally worth a membership. There are usually at least several hours worth of fun to be had there. Like a zoo membership you probably also get access to additional museum in the area.
Theme Park Gifts
This will probably be the priciest option on here BUT its worth checking into. Some parks might even offer special Christmas Gift pricing! We live in the middle of Florida so we are in the middle of a TON of theme parks. Membership prices range anywhere from $89 – $600 per year, depending on the park
Subscription Box Gifts
Green Kids Crafts
What is it?
Developed by teachers, crafty moms and STEAM experts (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) to support key developmental skills for kids ages 2-10+, our products celebrate creativity with craft projects and activate thinking, questioning, inquiring, and original creation as we guide children through fun science experiments.
What do you get?
6 or more STEAM kits
Quality project materials
Step-by-step instructions
12-page activity magazine
Achievement badges.
Additional Details
Age specific boxes from 2-10 year olds
Ability to add a 2nd sibling box for a discounted price
Gift a single box or a 3,6,or 12 month subscription
Pricing starts at $17.95
Bramblebox
What is it?
Bramble Box award-winning Play and Craft Kits for kids 3-7 are hand-curated activity boxes for kids. Mom created and kid tested for hours of fun (& learning) with items to inspire imaginative play and all the materials for at least 2-3 hands-on activities.
Additional Details
Family owned business
Ability to PICK your box
Ability to purchase single, 3 or 6 month subscriptions
Prices start at $25.95
Kid Stir
What is it?
With our monthly hands-on kits, kids get to build their own cookbooks, try new foods, and learn all about where food comes from. They also will gain important life skills in the kitchen—and cook up some fun family memories!
Additional Details
You receive 3 step by step recipes, 3 foodie guides, 2 child sized cooking utensils, a printable and digital shopping list and 3 fun puzzles and games with each box.
Can subscribe monthly, 3, 6, 9 or 12 months.
Special bonus items with every 12 month subscription.
Prices start at $12.95
Kiwi Crate
What is it?
We believe that children are naturally curious and creative, and learn by playing, exploring, and most importantly, through interactions with the significant adults in their lives.
Kiwi Crate Save 30% On Your First Month
Additional Info
Boxes for ages newborn through 16+
Choose 1,3,6 or 12 month subscription lengths
You receive age appropriate, multi-use projects, parents resources, online resources, magazines, books and more depending on which crate age you choose.
Prices start at $24.90
Little Passports
What is it?
Each subscription will have your child rushing to the mailbox, waiting for packages highlighting a new global destination, US state or fun science experiment. They’ll receive letters, souvenirs, pop-out models, activities, experiments, stickers and more. Inspire a life-long interest in travel, language and world cultures with Little Passports!
Additional Details
4 subscriptions depending on your child’s age and interests
Each month includes a 20-page activity bookle, Fun souvenir, Flashlight adventure, Trading cards,Letters, photos, stickers and luggage tags
Choose from 3, 6 or 12 month subscriptions
Prices start at $16.9
Curiosity Pack
What is it?
Curiosity Packs inspire a love of learning by bringing families together to explore. Through age-appropriate activities, children will learn about letters, numbers, friendship, science, art, love, and every other intriguing subject you can imagine.
Additional Details
Single box items, quarterly subscriptons, or six months subscriptions
Designed to fit your childs age and your learning desires
Prices start at $27
Reading Subscription Gifts
Epic
**Check out my guide of the Best Christmas Ebooks Here**
What is it?
Epic! is the leading eBook subscription service for kids, and consistently a Top 5 app in the Kids category of Apple’s App Store. It’s award-winning library provides instant access to more than 10,000 high-quality books for kids 12 and under
Get your first month of Epic! FREE
Additional Details
Great libraby of kids books, available with read-to-me, audiobooks, Spanish, bilingual and advanced reader books.
Prices start at $5.99
Post Subscription Gifts
Great for kids who love to get mail!
KiwiBop
What is it?
Each month Kiwibop sends awesome postcards to your child that will engage their reading skills and teach them about the world!
Additional Details
Upon sign up the recipient gets a special welcome package and then a new set of postcards each month
Receive 4 postcards to engage reading skills and teach more about the world
A portion of your paid subscription goes to funding memberships for kids coping with major illness and long-term injury
Subscriptions start at $3.99
Personalized Gifts
Friendly Songs
What is it?
Friendly Songs was developed because many current personalized CDs have either terrible music, are poorly produced or they are annoying to listen to (at least based on the parents point of view). We decided that the music we wanted to create needed to be both fun for the children, but of a musical standard that was acceptable to the parents by using great vocals, top notch musicians, and state-of-the-art studio equipment and technology.
(PERSONALIZEDFRIENDLYSONGS.COM)
Additional Details
Lots of options to choose from including birthday, chritstian, lullabies ect.
Prices start at $19.99
I See Me
What is it?
ISeeMe.com offers high quality personalized children’s books and gifts that have been featured nationally in People, In Touch and Parents magazines as unique gifts for newborns and young children. In our personalized book called “My Very Own Name”, entertaining animals bring letters one by one to create the child’s first and last names. ISeeMe.com has a unique position in their industry in that they produce customized children’s books where your child is the star. Their product line is a great gift for a new parent, and great keepsake for anyone with children, and a personal and attention grabbing item for a child. (ISEEME.COM)
Additional Details
TONS of book options
Also offer personalized stickers, music, lunch boxes, growth charts, music and place mats.
Prices Vary
Extra Special Gifts
Little Loving Hands
What is it?
Receive a monthly experience delivered to your door to create a craft that gives back to an organization in need. Engage with your child to make amazing crafts while teaching them the importance of who, why, and how they are helping. Using the pre-paid return envelope, send your child’s finished craft (made with love!) as a donation to those in need.
Additional Details
This is probably my favorite gift on the list! I am just so in love with this concept!
Every month is a new craft and a new organization to support
Each box purchased can be used as a charitable tax-deducation.
Prices start at $25 and are billed monthly, 6 month or 12 months
Sensory Theraplay
SO this is technically a toy BUT I felt since it was so educational that I would include it. 
What is it?
Toys to help develop important sensory motor skills & stimulate the senses
- Engage your child in fun, silly sensory play!
- Items are therapeutic & can be calming or help manage anxiety
- Curated for children with autism/ sensory needs in mind
- A description card is included in each box
Additional Details
Past Box Example – Fun and Function Discovery Putty, Create A Story Cards, OSM Playable Art toy, Squishy Smiley Face, Crocodile Big Bites Realistic Hand Puppet, Tangle Jr. hand fidget, a pack of 3 unbreakable stress balls, and U-Lace No Tie Sneaker Laces.
Subscribe for 1 or 3 month
Prices start at $39.99
Whew! That was a ton of great Non-toy gift ideas! I would love to know what you guys end up getting and why! Tag me on Instagram with #TGOnontoygifts !!
Check out the rest of the 12 weeks of Christmas Series below
Since you are making this Holiday about SO much more than gifts, make sure you grab The Ultimate Christmas Printable Pack which includes Family Conversation Cards geared towards the under 5 crowd!
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