If you asked most kids to name the gifts they received for Christmas last year, they would probably have to think for a bit to remember.
Sure, they all want the latest, greatest, trendiest toys and usually tire of them within the first month. Â Most toddlers throw the toy aside in favor of the box it came in!
Speaking of boxes, it’s time to think outside the box! Whether you are a parent, grandparent, godparent, favorite aunt, uncle, cousin or family friend, how about giving the child in your life a gift that keeps on giving? Long after the decorations have come down, school has resumed, and daily activities are somewhat back to normal, children will remember and be excited about the following gift ideas!
10 Christmas Gifts for Kids With Everything
1. Season passes
What about a season pass to the local zoo, amusement park, museum or sporting event?
2. Monthly Subscriptions
What kid doesn’t love getting mail every month? There’s a huge and varied selection of monthly subscription boxes to choose from and covers the foodie kid, the crafty kid and everything in between!  Here’s a list of top 1o subscription boxes for kids!Â
You can also visit my blogger friend, Paris, who knows all about subscription boxes. Â She recently shared a link for 50% off your first Citrus Lane box. Â Find her at My Big Fat Happy Life!
How about a yearly subscription to children’s magazines such as Sports Illustrated Kids, Disney Jr, Â Boys Life, American Girl, Highlights for Children or National Geographic Kids?
3. A year’s worth of lessons
There’s so many different kinds of lessons geared towards kids: Â golf, musical instruments, horseback riding, sewing, crocheting, acting, photography, cooking, vocal and the list goes on.
My 8 year old grandson really loves golf, so I’m giving him golf lessons. He’s going to be thrilled and he’ll have something to look forward to long after Christmas has passed.
4. Concert/Musical Tickets
I remember taking our kids to Disney on Ice years ago and Disney is still going strong! Â Search sites like Ticketmaster.com to see what’s going on in your area.
5. Yearly Christmas Tree Ornament
Every year I add a Hallmark ornament to my grandchildren’s collection. I started each set with a baby’s first Christmas, then the next year I actually started a collection like super heros, Disney, Harley Davidson motorcycles, etc. I’m still adding to my daughter’s Barbie ballerina ornament collection and she’s 26!
If you’re crafty, give homemade ornaments.
6. Start a savings account or contribute to their college fund
You’ll need to add a small toy or book with this gift or the kids just won’t get it. Â My friend always contributes to her 5 year old granddaughter’s “Harvard Fund” at Christmas and other special occasions. Â Now that’s a gift that keeps on giving!
 7. A personalized Bible or a favorite Book
Don’t forget to personalize it with an inscription on the inside, including the date and the occasion.
My youngest daughter has always enjoyed poetry, so my oldest daughter has given her several beautiful leather bound books of poetry over the years. Â They remain her most prized possessions.
8.  Educational Toys
What about a Science kit, telescope or a kit to build something?
My grandchildren love the set of children’s gardening tools I bought for them at Tractor Supply. They are inexpensive and the real deal, but scaled down for kids. They are constantly digging, hoeing and raking in their “garden.” When spring arrives, I’ll let them plant their own little garden and learn to care for it.
You can even make homemade educational kits! If the child in your life has a love for cooking, make (or buy) them a child sized apron and put together simple baking mixes and add a few kitchen gadgets they’ll enjoy learning how to use (child friendly).
Pinterest has tons of ideas for homemade gifts.
9. Â VIP Vouchers for a Special Trip
How about a special trip with you to a spa or nail salon, theater, skating rink, arcade or sporting event, complete with dining out?
Kids always look forward to a special trip with that special someone. Â Check out groupon.com or livingsocial.com for discount pricing.
10. The Gift of Giving
The best gift of all is to teach your child to give to others. Pick a charity and involve your children in the process. I’ll never forget when our kids were little and we adopted a family in need at Christmas. We let them help choose toys, clothing and pjs. After seeing the joy on those children’s faces, my son, Jeremy, prayed for them every night when he said his bedtime prayers.
Operation Christmas Child remains a favorite way to teach children how to give back! Â You can find more info by clicking here!
Additional Ideas
Helpful Hint: Â I’ve always liked a gift giving idea I’ve seen several times on Pinterest: Â Give them something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.
As kids get older, what about booking a holiday trip instead of going overboard and spending tons of money on gifts they won’t remember? Â They will never forget a Christmas gift of skiing or visiting somewhere warm and sunny.
I have to give a shout out to my daughter, Rebekah, for helping me come up with this list!
What great Christmas gift ideas would you add to this list?
PS – You’ve got to Click here to see the 10 most expensive toys, including a $17,000 pacifier! “The 14-carat white gold binky is studded with 278 pave diamonds, perfect for play dates with dignitaries.”  I’m SMH (shaking my head) and ROFL (rolling on floor laughing).  Really?
Source: Â Personalizedpacifiers.com
56 comments
I think we will do the gift of giving and I am going to pay for some Karate classes for my son because they have enough electronics we are going to do something different this year for sure.
I came up with this list while thinking about what in the world I was going to get for the grands when they have everything already. We always do a gift of giving to help them remember those who are going through difficult times.
Great ideas! We (or the grandparents) have done several of those for our kids, especially now that they are older.
As a grandparent, I’m constantly on the lookout for something different and educational. 🙂
Thank you Alli for the shout out! I love this list of ideas, especially items that last all year (memberships, subscription, lessons, etc.)!
You’re the expert when it comes to all things subscription boxes! You certainly know more about them than I do. 🙂
I love this list. Great ideas, definitely. We always try to do something along the lines of a gift that keeps on giving for my daughter. We’ll see what we can manage for that this year!
Love these ideas! As my kids get older, their wants get more expensive. I love these ideas to provide more things than electronics!
I’d love for family to start contributing to our 4 year old’s education OR swim lessons. He really needs both.
Maybe you could throw a hint at your family about what to get your 4 year old. 🙂
My Kiddies definitely qualify as having nearly everything! We have always done the annual ornaments but I lvoe the idea of a monthly ubscription of some sort.
I’m going the subscription route, too, but having a hard time choosing which ones to go with. They all look like fun.
Great list Alli! I never thought about season passes, concert tickets or a monthly subscription. My mom used to give me a monthly subscription for Christmas to Highlights when I was younger and then Seventeen when I was older. I loved it! LOL! It slipped my mind though until I saw your post. Thanks for posting this!
I loved Highlights, too! I would read it from cover to cover! I read Teen Beat and Tiger Beat when I was a teen. There was always a poster of the latest teen heartthrob in the middle and it usually wound up on my wall. 🙂
Awesome list! Each year after Christmas I take my daughters to Florida and the choose which theme park to go to. But goodness, the older they get the more expensive their gifts are.
That’s what I’m talking about – a gift that keeps on giving! You’re right about the older they get, the more expensive the gifts.
Great ideas. Will pin so I can refer to it when thinking about my nieces and nephews.
I’m definitely going the subscription box route and some lessons this year for the grands.
What excellent tips! I know a lot of kids who have everything I almost don’t want to get them gifts that they will toss under the bed. Thank you for sharing Alli 🙂
http://neatly-packaged.com/
I always want to be the one who gives the best gifts that they will love and adore. 🙂
What a great list. I always try to follow the want, need, wear, and read rule. And, oh my goodness…that pacifier is too too much! LOL
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
It’s way over the top, isn’t it? It was so extreme, that I had to include that list! 🙂
This is a really great post, Alli! I love the “experience” gifts, like the golf lessons – perfect! And who on earth would even consider that paci?!
I don’t know about that paci! I’m still shaking my head! It’s crazy!
It certainly does take some creative thinking these days not to play into the marketing hype for Christmas gifts! I have a friend who gave her children 3 gifts each in representation of the Trinity. I always liked that idea and it kept them from going over board too.
I’m SMH at that pacifier too!!!
That’s a great idea about the Trinity. Every year before Christmas, my daughter goes through all the boys’ toys and donates a lot of toys that are in good condition, but they just don’t play with them anymore (they help decide) and then she throws out all the broken ones. Even then, it’s always a problem to try to find room for everything they receive for Christmas from them, us and the other grands.
Hey Alli,
These are such great ideas! I’m going to have to decide which way to go with my niece and nephew. Thanks!
Whitney
Decisions, decisions, right? Headed over to read about your latest thrifted finds!
These are awesome ideas! With 4 sets of grandparents, my children are spoiled rotten, and I never know what to get them myself. Love these ideas!
Thanks, Stephanie. I’m one of those grandparents that spoils the grands rotten! 🙂
Thanks for linking up to Pin Worthy Wednesday, I have pinned your post to the Pin Worthy Wednesday Pinterest Board. We did the Operation Christmas child every year and I usually follow the something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read rule. Great Ideas 🙂
Thanks so much for the pin and thanks for stopping by! Love your party!
I don’t have any kids but some of the ideas are perfect for my boyfriend!
Fabulous tips.
Last year, we bought a bunch of toys which my kids played with one or two days. Needless to say, I agree that the gift boxes interest them more for real! I felt like I wasted my money – believed we returned some of the stuff. And that grandparent.com what in the world? Seriously is this pacifier and the other stuff on there for real!!!!!!
I can’t believe that anyone would pay that for a pacifier! Crazy!!
Great ideas Alli!
Our daughters are still at the young-appreciate-the-paper-more stage but these have given me food for thought in buying for my younger siblings.
Hi Alli! Thanks for linking up to Pin Worthy Wednesday, I have pinned your post to the Pin Worthy Wednesday Pinterest Board. I don’t have little ones but… my baby sister has SIX kids. All of her kids had passies lol. I cannot believe someone would pay that. Your message is strong…teaching your kids to give. I’m a firm believer of that as well. Thanks for this wonderful post Alli! 🙂
I used to do Operation Christmas Child when I was little, and loved it! I remember when I was a poor college student, I bought my family Apples to Apples, a game we could all play together when I went home. It was one of my best-loved gifts to date!
Thanks for sharing with Hump Day Happenings : )
Alli, great list! You know, I think that so many kids have too many toys (my own included) so this list is really great. I know that my own children have special memories of my parents because they do things together. That is the best gift I could ever hope for!! Thanks for another great post! 🙂
These are all great suggestions. I love the way they are not commercial in the traditional sense.
My kids love to get magazines! When they come in the mail, they squeal with joy. I’ve told people to get that several times.
These are really great tips and ideas. I especially like the idea of lessons, as it is something the grandparents can get involved with and get behind. Definitely passing this along!
Great tips! We have always done the what they want first too, if possible. I have kids and adults make me a list in order of priority and I love how they don’t usually ask for high priced things. In our town we do a special night that includes the tree lighting, carriage rides, and buying an ornament at the beautiful little shops. Christmas is our favorite time of year.
These are all great ideas and I’m going to use a couple of your suggestions for the grands. A bible is my first choice because they all love Sunday School and church and even though they all have bibles they don’t have personalized bibles. You just made my gift giving so much easier.
Love those first two ideas, especially. I’ve asked for swimming lessons for my kids for a Christmas gift before and have had a promise for it, but so far no real financial backing. Will have to put it on their lists again. Also, you’re right- having an inscription inside the book is so important for sentimental value. I always smile when my kids get books like that. In fact, I just got a Bible at my latest baby shower for my newborn little girl. The gift giver’s daughter had covered the inscription lines in ballerina ABC’s stickers to spell out Grace’s name. So sweet!
I love the idea of season passes or a year’s worth of lessons. We try to take the kids to the zoo and museum regularly, so a membership there would be a wonderful gift. These are great gift ideas for kids- love them!
This is great! You are so right. The kids have a play room full of toys they don’t play with anymore. Now its all about the tablets and the games they can download for the tablet…so part of me thinks we should stop with the crazy Christmas nonsense and give them things that are more useful to them, like lessons in something! I love that idea!
These are all really good ideas. I tend to give museum and class passes since I know they will be used but not take up any room or cause any clutter.
We try and do a couple boxes for Operation Christmas Child every year. More and more I love the idea of a season pass to some where instead of another toy.
I was gifted a monthly book subscription when I was a kid. I loved getting mail every month! Great ideas.
I think a savings account would be a great gift to them. They would have something for the future and they do get to appreciate saving.
Great ideas! I love the subscription idea. I think it’s perfect, and can’t go wrong. I also love the idea of the gift of giving and a ornament every year! Would be great!
I’m always looking for gift ideas for the kiddos in my life! love the early Christmas Tree Ornament idea!
I love that you mentioned Operation Christmas Child! It is such a truly amazing program! Also like the idea about buying lessons! Great post as usual!
What a great list of gifts! I’m loving the season pass suggestion! A year full of memories right there!