This post is all about the best non-toy Christmas gift ideas for toddlers (suitable for older kids as well!). As a mom, I know how it feels to be overwhelmed with more and more toys – this list is PACKED with ideas for the best gifts for your child that aren’t gifts (share with your siblings, parents, aunts/uncles, friends, grandparents, etc!).
During the holiday season, it is easy to get hung up on all the fun new toys hitting the market. If you’re anything like me, you don’t want your house packed to the gills with toys AND you want to enrich your child’s life with experiences, meaningful gifts, quality time, and practical gifts to help them enjoy the day-to-day in your family even more.
That’s where these non-toy gift ideas come in – here are 80+ GREAT options in this extensive gift guide that will make your Christmas morning special! (Psst – these also make fantastic birthday gifts)…
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Non-Toy Christmas Gift Ideas for Toddlers
Entertainment and Classes:
Experiences are always a great option for a Christmas gift! Little kids AND older kids love these gifts for a special occasion or class they can enjoy throughout the year.
1. Tickets to an event – Disney on Ice, kids concerts, etc.
2. Classes – swim lessons, athletics, art, cooking, Pottery class
3. Musical instruments (non-toy versions) – guitar, keyboard, shaker eggs, maracas, etc
4. Headphones
Subscriptions and Memberships:
Subscriptions and memberships are the perfect gift because they just keep on giving, often all year long. These ideas are so much fun and the kids in your life will LOVE getting their special item in the mail each month.
5. Magazine subscription – Baby Bug, Ask, Click, Ranger Rick, Highlights, and National Geographic just to name a few good ones!
6. Memberships – zoo, aquarium, children’s museums, theatre, music venue, amusement park, play cafe, children’s playhouse
7. Monthly subscription boxes – Kiwi Co/Kiwi Crate, stem boxes, Little Passports, Lovevery, Green Kid Crafts
8. Streaming service – Disney+, etc
9. Amazon book box subscription – this is a really fun way for them to get new books throughout the year!
Educational Toys:
Who doesn’t want to encourage their kids to improve their fine motor skills, problem-solving skills, or enrich their sensory play? These educational items are always good options – learning and fun wrapped up into a great gift.
10. Nature experience kits – bird feeder, microscope, caterpillar-butterfly kits, sea monkeys
11. Books – audiobooks/audible
12. Snap circuits
13. Sensory bin starter kit
14. Magnifying glass / kids’ microscope
15. Board games / age-appropriate card games
16. Math counters
17. Montessori table
18. Sensory table
19. Quiet books
20. Homemade coupon books – special activities –
21. Kids’ calendar
22. Piggy bank
23. Dry erase activity books
24. Melissa and Doug Water Wow activity books
Art supplies and craft supplies:
Participating in arts and crafts is a great way for kids to improve their hand-eye coordination, focus, emotional development, and creativity. The different colors, textures, and experiences are so enriching and all the family members can get in on the fun!
25. painting supplies
26. Buddha Board
27. clay
28. playdough
29. Art canvas
30. Coloring posters
Outdoor Gear:
If you have a family member or friends who are outdoorsy, this list is for you! Kids LOVE to have their own equipment, gear, and tools that is perfectly sized for them. This opens up so many opportunities for a more enjoyable experience for the whole family when kids have their own stuff to brave the outdoors.
31. Their own outdoor equipment- kids-size tools, garden tools, fishing, hiking, camping, backpacking equipment, sleeping bag, binoculars
32. Cold weather gear – mittens, hats, scarves, etc
33. Travel supplies – toiletries, luggage, backpack, road gear
34. Sprinkler
35. Sled
36. Small camping chair
37. Rain boots
38. Hiking boots
39. Mini trampoline
40. Fun umbrella
Personalized Items:
Personalized items make for very sentimental and unique gifts. This is the type of gift that kids will like when they receive them, and then CHERISH as they get older. Kids of all ages will appreciate these tender gifts for years to come.
41. Photo album
42. Personalized name blocks
43. Personalized storybook
44. Photo blanket
45. Photo mug
46. Custom art or illustration for their room
47. Memory book
Kitchen and Eating:
Eating and the kitchen are central to the home. Getting kids more involved in the kitchen is a wonderful way to engage them in the activities you already do, especially if you have a family culture of cooking familial recipes. Some of these items require very little extra cost as well – what toddler doesn’t LOVE a sturdy container? I know my little girl loves any kind of repurposed kitchen item – just clean them out well throughout the year and create their very own kitchen kit!
48. Repurposed kitchen items – spice jars, salt and pepper shakers, empty containers that will hold up
49. Their own kitchen tools – kids knife, tower, whisks, measuring cups, measuring spoons,
50. Kids cookbooks
51. Recipe cards and a dinner cooking date
52. Cake decorating/cookie decorating kit
53. New plates/cups
54. Fun new water bottle
55. Lunchbox/bento box
56. Portable booster seat / high chair for eating out
57. Fun straws
Bigger Items:
If you’re looking for some options for a bigger Christmas gift, check out these practical and useful gift ideas. These are the type of non-toy gifts that can be enjoyed by multiple children for years to come. These are a good option for a family gift as well! Plus – what toddler doesn’t love something they can safely climb on?
58. Digital camera
59. Water table
60. Nugget play couch
61. Pickler triangle
62. Playhouse (indoor or outdoor)
63. Swing set
64. Bean bag chair (holds their stuffies)
65. Balance bike
Personal Care and Accessories:
I love how practical some of these items are! Our kids always need new personal items, may as well wrap them up and make them into a fun gift. Growing up, we always got these types of practical gifts in our stockings and we plan to carry on this tradition with our own kids as well.
65. Hair accessory set
66. New toothbrush and toothpaste
67. Ear piercing (with permission)
68. Kids’ watch/alarm clock
69. Soft blanket
70. Fun clothing/dress-up clothes – perfect for enhancing their pretend play / imaginative play!
71. Play makeup
72. Temporary tattoos
Bath time and Bedtime Items:
Young toddlers often have a great time enjoying a fun bubble bath and then getting to cozy up in a new bathrobe. I know this is one of my daughter’s favorite things! I also have fond memories of getting new slippers that I could enjoy through the winter when I was a kid.
73. Bubble bath
74. New bath towel/robe
75. Nightlight/flashlight
76. New pajamas with slippers
77. Weighted blankets
Donations / Monetary:
While these might not be the MOST exciting gifts when given to younger children, they can make some of the best non-toy gifts. Kids will be grateful when they are older when their college fund is a little fuller, their stocks/bonds have gained in value, or that good feeling when they have helped an organization that they care about. Gift cards are an easy way to grab a quick gift when you’re in a pinch and kids LOVE being able to shop with their own money.
78. Donation in their name
79. College fund donation
80. Stocks/bonds
81. Gift cards
All in all, this extensive list of non-toy gift ideas will really help you figure out a meaningful gift to give this holiday season. Nontoy gifts can be the perfect present that will get a lot of use and can oftentimes go a long way in enriching and increasing their experiences in the day-to-day!
Comment down below any other non-toy gift ideas that you’ve either given before or maybe you’ve received and enjoyed! Together, we can gather all these great ideas and make this holiday season just a little bit easier.
This post was all about non-toy Christmas gifts for 1 year olds / toddlers / and older kids!
FAQs
What to buy a 1 year old that isn’t toys?
Check out the post above for over 80 genius ideas for gifts for toddlers (and kids of all ages) that aren’t toys! There are a lot of great gift ideas that will help a 1 year old with their cognitive development, hand-eye coordination, learning to complete day-to-day tasks, and enhancing their experiences!
What does a one year old need for Christmas?
1 year olds don’t need a lot for Christmas! They are at an age where they are happy just being included in the day-to-day activities. That’s why I LOVE practical and functional gifts for 1 year olds. It supports those great skills and desires that we want to develop in them to be helpful, independent, and engaged.
How can I do Christmas without toys?
Focus more on the child’s experiences, rather than toys. Most kids already have a ton of toys and many studies show they typically only play with a fraction of the toys they already have.
It makes good sense to focus more on functional and practical items they will use frequently, increase their access to experiences, and give them items that will support their education and development.
What to gift for Christmas with no money?
The magic of Christmas is not in spending money. It’s in the thoughtful creation of something you know your child will love!
Try creating a coupon book of the kinds of activities and quality time that they already enjoy. Build a fort and watch their favorite Christmas movie followed by a fun and festive sleepover under the tree. Our kids love language is often our attention and quality time – THOSE are the memories that are the most magical!
This kind of information is so helpful to have on hand!