If you would like to give your loved ones gifts that will be enjoyed longer than the usual toys and trinkets, here are some great alternative gifts for the holiday season.
Five years ago, our perspective of the holidays changed forever when we left everything familiar to us and moved our family of six to a tiny island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.
Our Christmas was incredibly simple that year — of necessity.
We borrowed a small tree and decorated our home with paper snowflakes and festive artwork the kids made. We exchanged the few gifts we could find for each other on a small island, and we spent the rest of the day playing on the beach as a family.
It was a foreign holiday experience for us (literally and metaphorically!), but it became our most treasured.
This year, as I reflect on those special moments, I’m filled with a desire to recreate some of that simplicity.
One of the best ways I know to do that is by buying gifts that reflect our values.
Gifts that create memories, not clutter.
Because I genuinely want you to find more awe and wonder (and less stress and overwhelm!) this December, I wrote a 12-day email course designed specifically for busy moms: 12 Days to a Simpler Holiday Season.
If you, too, would like to give your loved ones gifts that will be enjoyed and remembered longer than the usual toys and trinkets, here are some great alternative gifts for this holiday season.
Many of you contributed to this list in a thread on Facebook. Thank you! I’m so happy to share your ideas — and some of your words — here today. Enjoy!
Gifts that Inspire Curiosity
Museum membership, aquarium passes, and zoo memberships are great for the whole family.
Art supplies. Check out our Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide for the Little Artist!
Butterfly Pavilion. I’ve always wanted to do this with the kids!
Binoculars. My kids love using binoculars and there are many types available that are kid-friendly. Perfect for taking on a hike, a road trip, or simply exploring in the backyard.
A beginner telescope for kids interested in exploring the night sky.
Gifts that Champion Learning
Books. I love gifting my kids books for Christmas. If you need some new ideas for a tricky age group, try this post on the best chapter book series for ages 7-12!
Magazine subscriptions. One of our family favorites is National Geographic Kids!
We invested in these Magnatiles as one of the kids’ “big” gifts last year and haven’t regretted it. They’re great for open-ended building, as well as shape and spacial recognition. Our Magnatiles are getting played with more than anything we purchased last Christmas.
Skill-building equipment, like a camera, a sewing machine, or a kitchen mixer.
Music and art lessons.
A book subscription with Bookroo. Curated book subscriptions from Bookroo are a wonderful way to get kids excited about books and instill a lifelong love of reading.
Gifts that Encourage Family Bonding
Tickets to a surprise family vacation!
Two years ago we started trips as everyone’s gift, but on Christmas morning we still give stockings with candy, socks, and small items. The kids haven’t complained once. If the trip is scheduled for after Christmas, one thing in their stocking will be a clue as to what the trip will be. – Jessica Strickland
A family membership to a rock climbing gym, a kickboxing club, or a crossfit gym. These are a great way to encourage your kids’ adventurous sides.
Activities that promote health and togetherness, such as a family membership to a yoga studio or a local YMCA. You could also sign up for a 5K race!
If you’re local in Arizona or Texas they have these great POGO Passes that offer 12 month free access to a variety of local venues. It’s an amazing price value. We’re getting them for the whole family this year!
Tickets to see your family’s favorite team or musician.
Tickets to a monster truck rally or Disney on Ice.
A group game. We love to play games as a family, and this list of favorites is a good one!
Photo books to help you re-live the memories of the last year. For inspiration, pop over to our Top 5 Places to Print Photo Books.
Gifts that Promote Outdoor Play
Sports equipment, such as baseball gloves and a bat, a basketball hoop, a soccer ball and a goal.
Season’s passes to a water park.
A national or state park pass, so you can enjoy driving, hiking and mountain biking as a family throughout the year. There is so much to be gained from spending time together as a family in the great outdoors.
Ski or snowboarding rentals, passes, or classes.
Archery or other sport lessons.
Gifts that Encourage Giving
Through Heifer International, your family can purchase a domestic animal that will become a food and income source for a family in a developing country.
Organizations like Compassion International have gift catalogs from which you can select gifts and services, from literacy classes to a newborn package to home reconstruction.
Check with your local zoo to see if you can sponsor an animal. For an example, check out the San Diego Zoo’s “adopt an animal” program.
“Some zoos have animal sponsorship programs. You pick an animal and make a donation for that animal directly. The zoo usually sends you some little things about your animal like information and photos. It gives kids a sense of pride and ownership the next time they see ‘their’ animal!” Tammy Boutin
Support the St. Jude gift shop, where you’ll find one-of-a-kind gifts and products designed with one thing in mind — to help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital continue leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other deadly diseases.
From encouraging young minds to creating memories as a family, I hope these gift ideas help you enjoy a holiday season that is more reflective of your values.
Do you have any other ideas to add?
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So many great ideas!
This is such a great post!!! Would you recommend the instax camera for a 6 year old?
That may be a little young?? I’m not too sure Caprice. It’s very user friendly though! My older girls (ages 8 and 13) have been having a lot of fun with is but they all love watching that instant print pop out of the camera and seeing the image appear. They’re the funnest little cameras!
I bought my six year old one six months ago and it is her most treasured “toy”. She loves to take pictures of her friends when they come over and bring it along on outings. They make cute, inexpensive purse cases for it (sold on Amazon) which have been helpful when we go to the zoo or a museum.
I am 41 years old. I got my first camera as a Chistmas gift when I was 7. I still refers as one of my best gifts. Ever!
Definitely saving this for future reference! My mother is giving us tickets to the Nutcracker this year. I am SO excited to take my two oldest children for the first time. It’s the perfect gift.
We are also big fans of magna-tiles. We asked both sides of grandparents for sets last Christmas and they have been played with all the time in many, many different ways.
I love ALL of this!!!
We like to give non-toy gifts. We have yearly passes to the local zoo, Children’s Museum, state park, etc. We have given concert tickets as a gift. One year we did a family trip for 10 days in the fall, rather than at Christmas.
Our children enjoy those memories of being together and trying new restaurants as part of the experience.
One of the gifts we’ve given is a Family Legacy Photo Album. We’ve scanned old photos and put them into photo books. We’ve done albums honouring the parents, grandparents, and done photo albums that have printed the digital photos we’ve taken of our kids. Learning about the people who love them has been a great gift, one that will keep on giving!
That’s what we did last year for Christmas! We went on a family trip and all the kids got were stockings and a little tiny scrapbook of what to look forward to on the trip. And we spent all the extra time we had during those days and weeks doing service for others since we didn’t have to do any shopping. The spirit of Christmas was amazing. It’s our new tradition!
Love, love, LOVE this!!!!!!!! Thank you!!! ?
Hubby and i stopped exchanging presents a while ago, for Xmas we buy tickets for a consert for the following year, and for the other occasions we book a night or two on airbnb to a different place every year, not far away, just an place we can go over the weekend. That way we create memories that last forever instead of gifts that we will forget in a few months time… this year is the first with our little baby and we want to keep doing the same with him…
Any suggestions for for a 15 year old girl? She is in a“ too cool for school “ phase. All she ever asks for is clothes but I want to give her something more meaningful
I’m getting movie tickets for my daughters stocking (she’s 16) and I’m thinking about doing tickets to a broadway show that’s playing in a neighboring city for her and I to go to together.