I know way too many kids with way too many toys who are going to get even more toys come Christmas morning.
And I hear the frustration from the parents, how most of the toys only get played with once and then goes to the bottom of the toy box until it gets given to goodwill in a last ditch effort to clean out some of endless stuff that is cluttering the house.
Some of the best gifts I got growing up were not toys but things that had meaning.
For parents, grandparents, or aunts and uncles looking to give something other than toys this year, here is a list of toyless but meaningful Christmas gifts.
1. Charity donation
More and more charities are doing this during the Christmas season so gift giving to a charity is very easy. Some of them, like WWF, even have gift to go along with the donation. Others send a specialty thank you card for donating in someone’s name.
2. Vacation time
I have heard this has been a hit with teens, and parents. The kids get to go to some place cool, while for parents it is time away to spend with their kids.
For money strapped parents, it is also a chance to save on Christmas gifts while also putting money towards a fun vacation later in the year.
3. Music
All it really takes is a USB stick and some computer knowledge (three words; click and drag).
In this way, I am sharing music that I love with my nieces and nephews and hopefully giving them a great taste in music at the same time.
Double whammy.
Pretty sure this will be a continuous project until they reach the age of 16 and can really appreciate it. By then the music will be “classic”.
4. Reading
Unless reading is promoted at home, kids are less likely to enjoy reading. Christmas is the perfect time to gift this to them.
No matter how much I love my books, they are not the only way either.
Magazine subscriptions, comic books, Kobo or Amazon gift cards, we seem to discount these things as not actually counting in the literacy world. If it gets kids reading, why not give it?
5. Homemade gifts
Some of the things I cherish the most are gifts from special relatives that they made themselves.
Both grandma (quilting and crocheting) and grandpa (knitting) were crafters.
The quilt from my grandma that was on my bed growing up was magic. That quilt was the only thing I ever needed on my bed, winter or summer. And I found out recently that grandma was not able to make one for every grandchild, that makes it even more of a one of a kind gift that not everyone was so lucky to get.
I want my nieces and nephews to feel the same way about the homemade gifts that I make for them as they grow older.
I want them to excitedly tell the story of how their auntie made that very special thing just for them.
