Us parents always say, our children do not need any more toys they have enough! And they still end up getting more toys. Here are some great alternatives. And these can create a personal connection from the family member who may live far away.
Mine was a personalized Christmas book I got when I was a little. My mom still has it, I look forward to creating those memories with our son. We look forward to sharing the holidays with him and our families on both sides of the country, so this will be his first trip as we head to sunny Arizona for Christmas.
Here is a list from the crew at The Contemporary Kid, and not in any order just a great list of ideas to choose from.
- Museum or Zoo membership – Not only is it a gift that gives for a year, but makes it for a fun family day out. Every city has that museum, zoo, aquarium or theme park they love to go to. The family would love the membership especially when school is out for summer. American Alliance of Museums
- Fun Socks – All kids love to wear fun socks. From princess, superheros, animals or fun shapes and colors, kids love to year fun socks, and while you are at it, if a family member out of town get a matching pair to build the bond with matching socks. We love happysocks.com
- Kitchen Tools – Our son loves wanting to help us cook and he is only 1.5. So while we both are cooking we have to keep him busy with the steamer basket. That is every kids favorite and measuring spoons. Here are kid safe knife for older kids Amazon.com
- Monthly Subscription Box – Like the Museum or Zoo membership, this is another one that gives all year long. This is one gift that will take some investigation in finding the correct subscription box for them. I found this great list of the top ones. mysubscriptionaddiction.com has a great list of them, check it out. We are going to be doing a lot on Monthly Subscription Boxes coming up. Keep an eye on our page.
- Musical Instrument – Musical Instruments are one of the greatest, with cut backs in school music programs, it is a big loss as music helps with many aspects of growth in children. It helps build self esteem, social skills and academic skills. You can find many great instruments from Amazon.com
- Craft Supplies – Craft Supplies is great for encouraging creativity and art. This are great when having play dates or as great memories as homemade gifts from our kids and grandchildren are the best gifts. Or they are fun things to do on a snowy or rainy day to keep the little ones occupied. You can find all you need on Amazon.com
- Weekend Family Vacation – There are many fun weekend getaways wherever we live. It can be from going camping, to going to the beach or a theme park. Make it special and make it a surprise. As the kiddos get older you can have them pick where they would like to go. Have fun and make the best family memories. Look up for ideas from all over, check out the list from Vacationidea.com
- Tickets To An Event – With events happening all year long, this is a great gift. It could be tickets to a sporting event or a Broadway show. That way they can see their favorite team or athlete or their favorite Yo Gabba Gabba person. These are great bonding memories that last a lifetime. Here is Disney live show page for all their events.
- A Personalized Book – Personalized books are great gifts. I still remember the book my Mom got me for Christmas when I was a kid. She still has it. I need to get to from her. But I used to have it read to me every year then I used to read it all the time when I got older and learned to read. A list of the best personalized books can be found at PutMeInTheStory.com
- Classes – They can be from cooking classes to making glass art to learning the fine skills of baseball, there are a wide range of classes that kids of any age can find and will enjoy. Weather it is for your child/grandchild to go and do with their friends or with you. Oprah.com has a great list of classes to do.
The Contemporary Kid 