Christmas is coming! The time for celebrating Jesus, spending time with family, and having anxiety over where all the STUFF your kids are going to get for Christmas is going to go. We are a family of five living in a 1,000 square foot house, so each time something new comes in, something else has to go OUT. Or at least to the basement. A couple years ago, we started trying to find more consumable gifts to give them and it’s made a huge difference!
You may find that suggesting consumable gifts to others is not so popular though. Many of them want to actually give something to your child. They want them to have something to open on Christmas or a birthday. So today, I’m giving you three lists (for the price of one!); consumable gifts, experience gifts that have something to open along with them, and useful gifts.
Consumable Gifts
- Crayons
- Markers (be sure to get the ultra-clean washable kind!)
- Paints
- Glitter
- Construction paper
- Glue or tape (we have a dispenser and extra rolls–that’s the most economical way to go!)
- Printer Paper
- Yarn
- “Special” Snacks (Things they don’t normally get)
- Stickers
- Chapstick
- Bubble bath
- Bath crayons
- Shaving cream (also for the bath!)
- Batteries (Give them to them with pictures of the toys that are out of batteries!)
- Gift card to somewhere for a special treat (Sonic/McDonalds)
- Bubbles (These Gymboree bubbles are the coolest! You can actually catch them on your finger and they float around in the air forever! They are pricy though. Gazillion Bubbles are also pretty good! Much better than others on the market.)
- Glow sticks
- Grow capsules (Link to show you what I’m talking about, but these are at the dollar store — a pack of 12 for $1.)
Experience Gifts
Since many times, aunts, uncles, and grandparents want the child to be able to open something on their special day, I’ve included ideas for the experience gift as well as a gift for them to open!
- Zoo tickets or family pass – A small stuffed animal (this set is adorable) or box of animal cookies
- Tickets to a ballet or play – A special necklace to wear to the event
- Manicure and lunch – A bottle of nail polish (doubles as a consumable gift!)
- Tickets to a ball game – A baseball or glove
- Date to make cookies – A cookie cutter in a special shape
- Trip to get ice cream – Mittens if it’s a winter birthday or Christmas gift or sunglasses if it’s a warm weather birthday gift
- Golf lessons with Grandpa – Golf balls
- Tea party date – A small teacup (you can get pretty teacups sold individually at antique shops)
- Music lessons – An instrument or a small instrument ornament if they already have one
- Karate or gymnastic lessons – An outfit to wear to lessons
- A horseback trail ride – A bandanna or cowboy boots
- A movie night – Popcorn and a bottle of pop
- A special day out with you – A game to play when you’re together
- A trip to camp – A suitcase or a flashlight
- Dinner or dessert out on the town – A special outfit to wear
- A shopping trip just with mom/grandma/auntie – A purse with money inside
Useful Gifts
- A tool set
- A camera
- Clothing
- Books
- A calendar
- A purse
- Hats or gloves
- Binoculars
- A flashlight
- A wallet
- A watch
- A bank (with money inside!)
- A Kindle Fire loaded with books and learning games
- A nightlight (Those cool ones that change color or put stars on the ceiling are sure sure to be a hit!)
- Learning materials (games or books–especially if the kids are homeschooled!)
Do you give consumable, experience, or useful gifts for Christmas?
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Great lists!!! I definitely get anxiety about all the ‘stuff’ that enters our house this time of year. I really liked that you mentioned that not everyone likes the concept of consumable gifts – I have run into this with family members who insist that they get my kids toys. So, since they are going to get the toys, my husband and I are going to get the consumable gifts that we can enjoy together as a family. I’m going to pass this list on to my sister who will be celebrating her first Christmas with a little one of her own!
Pajamas 🙂 Mine really like opening theirs on Christmas Even then having a slumber party together with them on.
So many great ideas; we’ve used a lot of these. How about band-aids – the character kind that we never buy!
I like the idea of putting a picture of the toy that needs the batteries with them as well as the suggestions for “wrappable” items to go with an experience or event.
Great list! I HATE clutter and I don’t know what we’re buying our boys yet, so these will be some suggestions to pour over! Thanks for sharing!
These are great ideas! Thanks for sharing. Joining you from the Raising Homemakers link-up. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for stopping by! I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving as well!
Love this list! I’m going to pass it along to my parents and in-laws. They’re always looking for ideas for our kids that are different than just the latest electronic game or toy. Thanks!
Thanks for these useful and fun suggestions! I especially like the ideas for a physical gift to go with the announcement of an experience gift.
You’re welcome! I know my mother-in-law really likes to see the kids open something so they don’t “feel sad” on their special day. 🙂