Christmas + kids toys, kind of stress me out because we really don’t “need” one more toy in our play room. After awhile, there is only so much room, and quite honestly, my kids get bored with their toys pretty quick and it makes me feel like it is all such a waste to spend money on.
Sure, they go through phases, but for the most part, most things just sit on the shelf. So, the last couple of years, we have tried to get more strategic with what we purchase, making sure the gifts we buy are functional and worth the purchase. Also, don’t forget, experiences are GREAT gifts for kids and take up no room in the playroom!
The Kids Gift Guide this year, includes a little bit of everything, and I hope you find some good inspiration from it.
- Balance Beam: If your child is into gymnastics, he/she will love this beam! I particularly like this one because you can fold it up and put it away when it’s not being used!
- Amazon Fire Tablet: Our kids always asked for our phones to play their games and we finally bought these instead and they were the best purchase! I love that they have thick durable cases around them, making them super kid friendly. There are endless games and apps available and great parent controls, allowing you to limit how long they are on them, what they are able to access and so much more. I highly recommend these if you are shopping for the perfect tablet for your littles!
- Picasso Tiles: This is a great deal on Picasso tiles. I love these tiles because kids use their imaginations to build things, and it’s amazing how long they will sit and play with these. These are also great, because kids of all ages love playing with them.
- Kid Kraft Activity Table: I like this table because it’s very neutral for any room in your house, and can be used as an art table or a lego table or even with the Picasso tiles!
- Hunter Boots: Our kids get a new pair of Hunter boots every year. They are just a great rain shoe and they started to know, this is just a tradition and they get new rain boots every Christmas which is kind of fun.
- Scooters: I put these scooters in last year’s gift guide, but I am adding them again because they are still just the best scooter you will ever own. I will recommend this over and over again. Because of the way the wheels move, it is super easy for kids to navigate and ride on. Love this scooter!
- Gymnastics Bar: This bar takes up a.lot.of.room, but if your child is into gymnastics, it is seriously the best gift. My daughter will put on her leotard and get lost in playing on her bar for hours. You definitely need a mat with this purchase. This is the one we have, and it has been great.
- Trampoline: Again, this trampoline is kind of a space hog, but worth it for your little ones. Especially on those rainy or cold winter days, this is the perfect place for them to get out all of that energy. I like this one in particular because it has netting all the way around it, and really lets the kids feel like they are doing some legit jumping.
- Slime Kit: Do I dare even put this slime kit on a gift guide? And for those that know me, you are probably really shocked to see this on my gift guide because I despise slime. But, I have been a little convicted about this lately, because it truly is one of the only things that will keep my children busy for hours. So, I am working on embracing it, and setting boundaries and LOTS of rules about how and where they play with it.
- Mini Freshly Picked Backpack: This is a great gift for the teen girls in your house. I love my Freshly Picked Backpack, and the mini version is so cute and trendy for teenagers.
- Made by Mary Jewelry: I think it is fun for any girl to have a couple nice staple jewelry pieces once they are old enough to understand and take care of them. Made by Mary has some really nice staple pieces for decent prices that would be so fun for your pre-teen or teen girl.
- Drone: There are so many different drones to choose from these days, but it really is a fun thing to use for older kids. This one is a great option and reasonably priced.
- Magformers: These are kind of like magnatiles, but I think it’s worth having both as they each work a little differently.
- Osmo: I’ve been looking into getting this for our kids this year, as I’ve had a couple friends rave about it. If you aren’t familiar with Osmo, it is a gaming accessory for the iPad, iPhone, or Fire Tablets, that enables digital and physical play at the same time. There are different kits that offer different games to play with your device. You can also purchase additional games to play. Currently, more than 30,000 schools are using Osmo, to help kids learn through collaborating, creating, and critical thinking.
- Cooking Accessories: If your child likes to help you in the kitchen, buying them their own cooking accessories is a great, functional gift! I particularly love this set and this set. I also think these aprons are just the cutest. Or if you prefer something a little cheaper, I love these as well.
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Experiences
Here are some fun ideas to consider, that focus more on experiences, rather than tangible gifts. I always say, our kids remember experiences way more than stuff. Experiences are great ideas to give extended family, since they usually don’t know what to buy your kids!
Cooking Class
Pottery Painting
Gymnastics Open Gym Pass
Zoo Season Pass
Ice Skating Tickets
Bounce House Pass
Bowling Tickets
Aquarium Pass
Membership to a Children’s Museum
Photography Class
Date Night with your child
Overnight at a waterpark hotel
Hi Impact