With three kids, our toy closet is pretty loaded between the holidays, birthdays, and special occasions.   My kids have toy closet with so many toys shoved in the back of the toy closet, and they end up collecting dust.   My kids end up forgetting that they are there.

At least once a month, I am in their playroom looking around to see what I can donate. 

Don’t get me wrong, growing up toys are a huge part of childhood, and open many doors to a child’s creative play side.  However, sometimes I think, every mom can agree, there is such thing as too many toys and clutter!

Sometimes giving a child a memory can be way more meaningful then toys.  So, for the next gift giving occasion why not get your child a non-toy gift?  

You can still give them a load of fun gift ideas that will get an unforgettable reaction.   That is where my guide comes in. 

Now on to my Ultimate Non-Toy gift guide.

When you were little, did you have a polaroid? Do you remember how exciting that was to have that instant gratification, even though there are digital cameras, kids love having instant pictures in their hands? An instant camera is an excellent gift for the bigger kids.
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Seeing the film appear in minutes gives your kids that instant gratification. That’s why your kids will love the Fujifilm Instax Mini 9. This is such a fun product for your kids.

Dress Up:

Dress up is a great way for kids take their imagination to a whole new world of play.   Within minutes they can be a princess in a castle or a superhero fighting crime.   We have a bin of “dress-up clothes” in our toy closet, and my kids play with them daily.  

Melissa and Doug have awesome prepackaged playsets.   My son particularly likes the Police officer set and the Firefighter.  

My daughter loves any princess dress, Little Mermaid, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty.   

 

Puzzles: 

These oversized puzzles are an excellent option for toddlers and their little fingers.  Both my boys loved doing these puzzles with me.    What little boy doesn’t love big colorful dinosaurs? 

We love Melissa and Doug’s Dinosaur Dawn Floor Puzzles, : and they are 24-piece floor puzzle that ha lots of colorful options.   They are very high-quality!

 

 

Watch:

​Watches are a great way for your child to feel independent and learn the concept of time.    There are a lot of great options for kids out there.  

However, the number one activity tracker with the best reviews is the Garmin Vivofit Jr.     With the Garmin activity tracker, you cannot only track your steps but you can use a timer feature. 

This watch makes doing chores a fun task and getting your little ones some motivation with the free app that can create a while personalized chore system and rewarding them for completing these takes with coins. 

…and that’s not all! 

 Sync the Vivofit Jr. has a  free app that can help you can create a whole personalized chore system where you give your child “coins” for each task they complete. Then they can redeem these coins for special prize!  Getting your littles excited for chores = Total Mom Win!  

 

 

Science Experiment:

This is a great gift for your little preschoolers. The Learning Resources Primary Science Lab Activity Set comes with 22 oversized little pieces for little fingers, easy to follow and real experiments for first timers.  Very durable for rough play.  

​Even after the experiments are done there is plenty of time for left over play with the tools and some water.  What toddler doesn’t love playing with a beaker and water?  

​The set comes with a 12-piece set including a beaker, magnifying glass, funnell, eyedropper, flask, tweezers, googles, 1 large 6″ test tube (with lid and stand), 2 small test tubes (with lid and stands), plus 10 activity cards.  The Learning Resources Primary Science Lab is the winner of 4 awards!! 

​It’s a great way to introduce science to your little tikes.  

 

 

Lessons/Adventurous Experience:​

Giving your child an experience that they wouldn’t experience every day is a memory that can last a lifetime, no toy can take the place of that.    This can be a great gift for tweens.  

-I-Fly – Skydiving

-Horse Back riding lessons,

-Ziplining (Philly residents – Elmwood Zoo), 

-Rock-climbing

-Private Baseball lessons,

-Ice Skating Lessons. 

-Laser Tag

-Hot Air balloon rides

-Helicopter ride

 

Sports Fanatics:

My three-year-old is already a die-hard sports fan.   You name it, basketball, baseball, hockey and let’s not forget football.   What better way to surprise your sports fan then with tickets to a sporting event paired with a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant.  This will absolutely get you some high fives Christmas morning. 

 

 

Blankets:

No Doubt that blankets can be something pretty lame for your little ones to open unless it was a cool blanket like a shark tail or mermaid.   With these cool blankets, your kids will be sure to put on immediately after opening.   Instantly your kids will be transformed into an underwater adventure.  

These Snuggies.    Shark   Mermaid.   blankets are super soft these wonderful characters tails are a blanket and sleeping bag at once making them perfect for lounging at home, car rides, outdoors, or your next sleepover party!

 

Electronics:

I have to say that when I was younger, we passed our time by spending most of our times outside.  Our cue to come inside was the street lights coming on.  Fast forward to today, electronics are becoming more and more a part of our everyday lives, and it is no secret that kids love their electronics.    We make it a point to monitor our screen time for our kids and make sure to add educational apps as well to help inspire creativity and literacy.