Whether you’re buying for a holiday, your child’s birthday, or another special occasion, it’s easy to fall into the trap of getting whatever the newest toy craze or trend is only for your kids to stop using the toy after a few weeks or months. To make sure that your kids not only love but use their presents, you should consider giving them something that they can hold not only in their hands but in their memories for years to come. Below are some great non-toy gifts to get your kids.
Fun Classes or Lessons
If your child is interested in a sport or hobby, getting them lessons that will help them be better at that hobby is a great way to give a gift that they will definitely use and won’t easily forget. It’s a great way to encourage your children to continue their learning and to show how learning something new can be fun.
For example, if your child loves swimming but isn’t part of the 36% of children that go swimming at least six times a year, you could give them the gift of swim lessons. No matter what your child’s level is for swimming, a local gym or recreation center will likely have lessons that match their skills. If your child is older and is already a good swimmer, look into local club swim teams for your child to join.
If your child has another hobby that they love, encourage it by signing them up for lessons that will help them hone their skills. If your child loves to draw, you can sign them up for an art class where they can learn age-appropriate skills that relate to their passion. They can even find friends in the class that share the interest with them, and they can find new inspiration and outlets for their artistic abilities.
The same goes for if your child loves music, cooking, or dancing. Research different age-appropriate classes in your area. If you’re looking into something that you and your child could do together, like cooking, you can also see if there are parent and child classes for the added benefit of quality time together.
A Customizable Bag or Jacket
If your child has interests that vary almost constantly, get them a bag or jacket along with a set of patches, buttons, and pins that match their current interests. That way when their interests change they can easily switch out the little additions for something new. When it comes to patches, you should opt for velcro backed patches, also called velcro patches, so they can easily be attached, removed, and switched out. You can easily make areas on the bag or jacket for velcro patches to be attached by sewing a small piece of velcro into several spots on the front of a bag or the back of a jacket.
A Room Renovation
This can be a great way to make sure that your child gets a say in their room to make sure that they love it. A child having space of their own that they have control of can help them develop their personal style by creating a space where they can reflect their likes and interests.
If you choose this option, you can have your child pick out new paint, new furniture pieces, and new pictures or posters to hang up. If you want the paint job to stand the test of time, consider getting it professionally done. Since a good paint job lasts between eight and 10 years, your child will be able to enjoy their walls for years to come. You don’t need to buy an entire new furniture set either — just replacing one piece, such as the bed frame or dresser, can make their room feel completely different.
A Magazine Subscription
A magazine subscription is a great way to get your child excited about reading if they aren’t a huge fan of it. It can also encourage your children to do independent research and learning outside of a school setting. There are many magazines out there that are created for children or teenagers about a multitude of different topics, so you can find exactly what will engage your child.
A Membership
If your child would rather be at your local zoo than anywhere else, consider buying yearly or seasonal passes to the zoo so that your child can go as many times as possible without it destroying your wallet. Other places, like museums, science centers, and aquariums, also offer memberships that could be of interest to your children. Many places that are meant for children will offer discounted rates for children as well as family rates for memberships, so make sure to check the website or call to check.
A Photo Album
If you have younger kids, a photo album filled with pictures and memories from over the past year may not really interest them. However, if you start a yearly tradition of getting them a photo album filled with cards and notes from friends and family and photos of the biggest moments from the year, they will be able to treasure them for years to come.
If your kids are a little bit older, you could also give them an unfilled photo album and a camera so that they can create their own photo album throughout the year.
One-on-One Time
One-on-one time is very important in building a strong relationship with your children. If you have more than one child, though, it can be hard to find time to spend with only one of your children. If there’s an activity that you and your child love to do together, like working in the garden or cooking, give them a gift that will encourage time for just the two of you.
If you and your child love gardening together, you could get them their own tools or a few seed packets so the two of you can work together to grow a plant together. If the two of you love cooking together, signing up for cooking lessons is another great way to have time together. Make sure that if you give a gift that centers on one-on-one time with one child that you also give something similar to your other children so no one feels sad or left out.
If you are aiming to give your child the gift of an experience or a special memory instead of a toy that they’ll only use for a short amount of time, the ideas on this list are great jumping-off points. Make sure to consider your child’s interests and what they want to give them the best possible gift.
What gifted experience do you remember from when you were a kid? What are you thinking about getting your kids for the holidays or for their birthday? Let us know below!
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