It seems more parents than not hit the point of no return when it comes to being over run with kid’s toys. I know lately when we go out I’m constantly telling mine no to this and no to that. It’s not fun for either of us. So I started brainstorming and put together my top 20 non-toy gift ideas.
He’s at a stage right now where he bee lines towards anything with wheels and I have to fight him to put it down. I always win. But it’s starting to get ridiculous. I’ve told myself I’m done buying cheap toys that will inevitably break.
I don’t want to be the mom that says no to everything but I also don’t want to buy him cheap garbage he’s going to play with for 3 days and then break. That is a pointless, vicious cycle.
Some of these I’ve gifted to my son already and others I’m patiently waiting to until he’s a little older. Most of them are fun educational gifts, while others are just plain fun!
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1. rock tumbler kit
I had a rock tumbler as a kid and I absolutely LOOVED it!
I spent hours hiking around, looking for the perfect rocks to put into it. Then I’d patiently wait to see how they would turn out, that was difficult to do as a child. I do think that practice helped establish my patience as an adult. I learned that good things take time.
My favorite part about this is that it’s an easy one to turn into a full on sceince project.
You can have your child make a hypothesis on each rock (or kind of rock) before you start tumbling.
Ask them questions like
- What color do you think this one will turn out?
- Do you think they will shrink in size?
- How many different grains will we have to tumble with before they’re fully polished?
- Which ones do you think will come out with fun designs on them?
You can find a nice starter kit here
2. KID’S Pottery Wheel Starter Kit
I’ve never used one of these but I have been sooo curious about it. Everytime I see these at Walmart I have to stop to check them out… like i haven’t already grabbed that exact box 8x.
But every time I talk myself into waiting because my toddler is still too young. Soon I’ll get my hands on this one. I’d rather wait until he’s ready before I buy it because I think learning how to use it together would make it that much more special.
You can find it on Amazon here
3. bug Hunting kit
Talk about a fantastic non-toy gift idea. This hunting kit will keep your child entertained for hours.
My mom bought me one of these kits as a child and I spent days turning over rocks and logs searching for new creepy crawlies. I recruited my friends, family and even the neighbors (mainly to look in their yard after ours was fully investigated)
I learned an extensive amount about bugs and which habitats they can be found. Anytime we needed a bug for something I knew exactly where to look.
Centipedes were probably my favorite. Something about all their crazy legs moving in perfect unison really intrigued me.
I remember one bug in particular, not a type but a specific bug. I noticed it struggling, wrapped up tight in a spider web.
This one was special because it was a baby praying mantis. So what did I do? I pulled it out and and got to work.
I spent probably an hour (who knows if that’s right, I was like 6, but it felt like an hour to me) carefully pulling the webs off of it. You know what? I got all the webs off of it and I felt soo accomplished. This special little bug walked away from a near death experience because of 6 year old me.
If you’ve got a little bug hunter on your hands you can find this kit here
4. any National geographic Kit
Believe me when I say these kits make THE coolest non-toy gift. I found a few of my old NG books left over in storage when we moved and my guy loves looking through them.
We’ve got one about fossils and rocks, astronomy and bug Hunting. I can’t seem to figure out which one is his favorite.
These kits come in soo many different themes it’s hard to choose. They make crystal growing kits, terrariums, dig kits (with fossils and rocks) chemistry sets and multi-experimemt kits.
I’ve seen a few different ones in action and they are easy to use and keep kids engaged. The kits range in age from 3 to 10+ so I’m sure there’s at least one your child will love.
Here are a few of the popular ones:
5. ant farm
I never had one of these but my friend got one for her son and it was a total hit. I remember him taking us out into the yard to collect his own ants, luckily they were not included.
At first, it stayed in the garage and we all got to observe the little machines build their colony, but after some time he brought them into his room to watch before bed.
I’m not sure what ever happened to them but they were entertaining while they lasted. If you want to get one you can find them here.
6. glow sticks
I know these are supposed to be non-toy gift ideas but I can’t really count glow sticks as toys. I mean they only last a couple days, if that.
So the good news here is that you get to toss them out shortly after you gift them. It’s not like they’re any fun after they’ve lost their glow.
I usually get them from the dollar store but lately they’ve been hit and miss. I think they’re just too old, they still crack like they should but they don’t glow.
So recently I’ve been buying them here, on Amazon, and have had better luck. I’ll still get one in a package here and there that’s no good, but not like I was before.
I like to wait until bathtime to give him these. I shut the lights off and throw a couple in the tub. He goes crazy over them!
7. books!
You can’t go wrong with a good book for a kid.
I like to find mine at thrift stores because they’re soo cheap. I’d rather buy a handful of books for 10 cents each than fork over $10 for just one…. not that I haven’t done that before.
It can be hit and miss as far as the selection goes but you’ll learn which stores are good for their book selection. We’ve got one down the road that I always find goodies in. I can’t even get through half their collection before the kid gets side tracked and we have to go.
8. dock Runner Fishing Pole
You have to start somewhere if you’re going to become a professional fisherman one day… even if you’re not.
I’ve got this exact pole that I bought for myself… an adult. It’s great for a learning child and for throwing on your back while you hike up river through the brush.
It’s a single piece, 3 foot pole that comes equipped with a reel (I changed mine out with another one I had and put braided line on it) I recommend you do the same, the line that comes on them sucks.
I got mine at Walmart but then shortly afterwards I found it a little cheaper on Amazon
9. Piggy Bank
Piggy banks make a great non-toy gift. They’re also one of the best ways to introduce money management to your child.
I had one as a kid and I got good at saving up for something I really, really wanted. Today I feel like it has paid off.
Because of my money management practices, I was able to save up a sizeable down payment for us to buy our first home before 30. Help set your child up for success later in life with this valuable skill most don’t seem to have.
There are soo many options for them these days it’s hard to choose. Personally, I think the ones you have to break open help you save the most. There’s no way you’re going to destroy your piggy for a candy bar, but you just might for that new bike. I’ve listed a couple different options below, both breakable and not.
Make it even more fun by giving them their first $2 bill or 50 cent piece to drop in their new bank!
10. Trampoline
Our yard isn’t very big so we didn’t have room for a full sized trampoline, but we stumbled upon the one pictured below and couldn’t resist.
We found it at a bargain store that buys pallets of Amazon returns to resell.
The box was torn apart. It had “damaged” and “missing parts” written on the side so we got it for a steal! Turns out it had everything inside and nothing was damaged… besides the box. We lucked out on this one.
We got home late that night, but the next morning I set it up first thing.
It was super easy to assemble and came with a screw driver and a little wrench so I didn’t have to go digging around the garage to find my own tools.
This trampoline gave my little man a whole summer of entertainment. Out of all the non-toy gift ideas this takes the cake. I would buy it again in a heartbeat…even at full price. If you’re interested in one you can find a similar one on Amazon.
11. musical instruments
Buy your child the gift of music instead of a cheap toy that will inevitably break.
Start them out young to get their creative juices flowing permanently. Some good ones to start with are recorders, flutes, ukuleles and drum sets.
If you’re looking for something for a more experienced or older kid try a guitar, violin or keyboard/piano. I’m always seeing free pianos on facebook marketplace. Keep in mind that they’ll need to be tuned once they’re moved. Below I’ve listed a couple options at different price points.
12. music Lessons
If you do decide to go with the non-toy gift of a musical instrument from above, you’ll be happy to get a lesson to go with it. Anyone that’s been to an open mic night knows there’s not many things worse for your ears than a bad guitar player.
You can find free videos on YouTube or you can sign up for an in person class, I think you learn far more in person. In 3rd or 4th grade I got signed up for violin lessons as a child and it made a huge difference in my playing.
13. roadtrip Destination
Let your child decide the destination of your next road trip. Give them a specified distance and see what they come up with. You never know what they’re going to say.
Maybe you’ll end up seeing a play or a drag race.
You might find a new favorite spot to hike and camp or maybe you’ll visit a new town.
They’ll be ecstatic that their opinion was taken seriously and I bet they’ll tell everyone all about it.
14. sign Them up For a Class
You can find almost any type of classes for kids these days. I wish they offered the same variety when I was growing up, I would definitely be more rounded now as an adult.
No matter what your little one is interested in, you can find a class that suits them well. From watercolors to archery the choices are endless.
Some great places to find these are on Facebook, your community’s website or on local bulletin boards. Make sure you check back regularly because new ones are always popping up.
15. buy a Membership/pass
See if you can buy a pass to an observatory, your local aquarium or a theme park nearby. This is the ultimate non-toy gift idea.
Summer passes for places like six flags are worth their weight in gold… as long as you bring your own snacks. With regular visits, passes like these will save you hundreds of dollars and keep the kids entertained. No more listening to “I’m bored” all summer long.
16. tickets to a show
Get some tickets to an upcoming concert, play or sporting event.
We went to see monster trucks last summer and it was a blast for all of us, especially the kid. I actually think we may have accidentally created our own monster. Since then, he has been obsessed with trucks of any kind.
17. one-on-one date coupon
Give them a loving non-toy gift of coupons for one-on-one dates of their choice with a parent (I’d give them a few for each parent)
These dates can mean anything from a visit to an ice cream shop to a day trip to the beach. The possibilities with this one are endless and that will make it so much more special for your child. I guarantee they’ll be thrilled to get some quality time in without siblings to take away your attention.
18. a night at the drive-in
Load up a matterss or a couch into the back of your truck and head to the nearest drive-in for a family movie night.
If we don’t take our kids now, they may never be able to experience a drive-in movie. It seems like they used to be everywhere and now they’re few and far between.
There’s something about watching a movie in the drive in that just hits differently. Even a regular movie theater movie isn’t the same. But hey, at least the popcorn is the same, am I right?
19. bowling night
Just like drive-ins it seems as though bowling alleys are dropping like flies.
Remember having your birthday party at the bowling alley as a kid? Yea, me to. You got to run around with your friends, play arcade games, win prizes and throw balls inside without getting yelled at. It was a magical time.
I’ve taken my guy to bowl a few times now and he gets more interested every time we go. He would still rather go try to steal the pool balls but in good time I think he’ll be very eager to bowl. Or maybe he’ll turn out to be a pool shark? Either way I’ll be proud.
20. play laser tag
Like the previous two ideas this one can be harder to find. Laser tag used to be everywhere but not so much now.
I remember this activity being in almost every bowling alley but you could also find them on their own. These were always a blast and I’d still love to go as an adult. If I can find laser tag close by, you better believe this is going to make for one exciting non-toy gift for my little man.
We haven’t gone yet but we got some laser tag harnesses and guns for Christmas last year and they’re almost as fun as the real thing. I think they would be equally fun if we played outside at night.
21. Take them ice skating
It doesn’t matter if you go to a public rink or hit the local frozen pond. Ice skating is a hit with kids of all ages.
This was never an activity I got good at, maybe if I had gone more I don’t know. But it was still fun to try.
Our winters here can be pretty brutal so this is one we’ll definitely be doing over the winter. There’s a perfect spot on the river that freezes quick and thick. People are out ice fishing and skating daily. It looks like they’re just waiting for us to join them.
22. visit a trampoline park
We took our toddler to one of these recently when we had some time to kill… and he had some extra energy.
I can honestly say that’s the best idea we’ve had to date. He got to climb, run, jump and play with other kids for hours. He slept soo good on the way home and then again that night. We will definitely be visiting that park regularly.
We might even buy a pass for his 2nd Birthday as his non-toy gift. I hope as an adult he remembers the joy this place brought him.