5 Gifts You Can Give Your Kid that is Not a Toy

It happens every year. The “Christmas Wish List” written by our dear children is here once again. As parents, we immediately start coming up with a game plan. What do we purge before the abundance of new toys fills our child’s bedroom? Sometimes the amount of gifts seems daunting and can take us away from the heart of giving. We want to give our children the joy of opening gifts on Christmas morning, but we don’t want to just give them more “toys” AKA “stuff that fills our house.” Thankfully there are some other gift options. It just takes a little thinking outside of the box. Here are some meaningful and fun Christmas gift ideas to give your children: 

1. An Experience

Part of the fun of Christmas for a child is the idea of anticipation. We’ve trained them well to be patient and eagerly await the opening of a gift that they have been looking forward to all season long. Jesus is no different as we eagerly anticipate his return.  So a gift is not so much the concern, but what is often inside. Wrapping up a certificate or ticket to an experience with you can still be just as fun to open. After all, the joy of anticipation gets to continue as they look forward to when that experience occurs.

Use an experience to build a memory with your child. The key to this type of gift is that it gives them the opportunity to do something that you’re often not able to do. This type of gift can be more expensive; as it values strengthening your relationship .

2. A Book to Read Together

Books can be unappreciated. Gifting them a story that requires your help or involvement  cultivates a culture of learning and growing together. The gift is not so much the book, but the time spent reading it. Make it special and frequent; using the time to build a lasting memory. Consider gifting your child a Bible to read together if they do not yet have one. 

3. Something Passed Down

Sometimes your old toys still stored at grandma’s house are more precious than any new toy at the store. Kids find it special when they get to own something that once belonged to Mom or Dad. Each one of these types of gifts comes with a story that they love to repeat. Getting to wear mom’s old clothes or unboxing old legos is like discovering treasure that is part of them in some ways. These gifts hold more meaning than what is new. As they get older this becomes about being entrusted with history. From family heirlooms like recipes, collections, and even Grandpa's bible, this can solidify their roots in family. 

4. Right of Passage

Some things are worth waiting for. To be given your first pocket knife can become a statement; communicating to your child that you see maturity in them. This is a gift you don’t necessarily surprise them with; having never talked about it before. You want them to understand that when they do get this gift it represents something. It speaks to them coming of age and a new stage of your relationship is forming. The hardest part about this gift is our own patience to give it at the appropriate time. Don’t plan to give it at a certain age, like a car at sweet sixteen. Identify certain markers of maturity and work towards them; letting them know they will be entrusted with such a gift when you think they are ready.

5. A Letter

It is important to tell our kids how much we love them, giving them descriptive praise and words of affirmation. You should be saying these things verbally, but they are also powerful in written form. Take some time to write a letter to your child’s future self sharing how much you value them and how much your role in their life is shaping you. Give them advice and remind them of the truth of who they are in Christ. Seal it in an envelope and let them hold onto it until they are an adult. Having a collection of letters from your parents can be one of the greatest treasures any child can have.