As my kids grow older and their “stuff” seems to multiply overnight, I find myself wondering how many toys a kid really needs.

Simple Toys are Best

Is it just my kids, or do your kids love to raid the recycling bin for “craft supplies” too?

My boys are 11, 7, and 3, and empty cardboard boxes are still pretty exciting.  Oh, and one of my toddler’s favorite activities is a big bowl of dry rice with a scoop, funnel, and a few small bowls.  Which means he’s also learning how to use a small dust brush + pan…  

My boys also love to build blanket forts, turn sticks into weapons, and invent their own games.  Sure, they still build with Legos and spend countless hours arranging and rearranging our well-loved and ever-expanding Schleich farm set.  But I’m always amazed at their creativity when limited to just a few simple toys.

 

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Tackling Clutter

As much as possible, I try to emphasize high quality toys that foster creative play.  We also encourage daily outdoor play time.  But despite my best efforts to keep our toys simple and few, I still find myself plotting ways to reduce the clutter that can accumulate in our home.

One obvious way to keep clutter under control is to limit what is allowed to enter the house.  We’ve adopted a policy of fixed storage capacity: when a child receives a gift or brings home a toy from a relative’s house, it must fit into our existing storage or something else has to go.

The next step up from our policy of fixed storage capacity is the periodic purge.  This often follows Christmas or a birthday or a string of days when I’m just tired of seeing stuff All. Over. The. House.  And you know what?  I thought my kids would really balk at purging their toys.  But they’ve surprised me by actually embracing the task.

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Fighting Consumerism

I’m so glad to have involved them in the purging process instead of stealthily weeding out certain toys at night under the cover of darkness.  Who, me?  It’s so important for them to understand that our home can hold only so much stuff.

In some small way, the process of purging forces them to face the effects of our consumerist culture.  They realize the toys they once found so mesmerizing have lost their appeal and are now headed to a thrift store or even to a landfill.

My family still struggles with consumerism, and at times my kids still wish for certain toys.  It’s human nature.  But I’m thankful that overall, they seem to be escaping the unbridled consumerism that seems so prevalent in our society.

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You might also be interested in…

• 100+ Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas for Kids
• Skip the Gadgets: Best Toys for Creative Play
• 11 Affordable Nature Gifts for Kids
• 40+ Perfect Gifts for Farm Kids
• 12 Best Learning Toys for Preschoolers
• 11 Family Games Even a Three Year Old Can Play
• Awesome Scripture Music for Kids
• Best Nontoxic Feeding Gear for Babies & Toddlers

100+ Non Toy Gift Ideas for Kids

Another key way to fight consumerism and cut down on toy clutter is to give non toy gifts for birthdays and at Christmas.  Goodness knows our children simply do not need more stuff!  Experiences and simple, meaningful, useful gifts trump more “stuff” any day.

On that note, here’s a list of over 100 non toy gift ideas for kids…

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Tickets & Subscriptions

Tickets and passes to local attractions make great family gifts.  Most grandparents love to spoil their grandchildren, and are often happy to provide enriching experiences.  Instead of saying “Please, no toys”, it can be helpful to suggest a few local options your kids would enjoy.  My family has enjoyed pool passes and theatre tickets courtesy of my parents.  This year an uncle and aunt are providing a gift card to a local movie theater.

• Concerts
• Children’s theatre
• Movie theater
• Sporting events
• Laser tag
• Mini golf
• Bowling
• Aquarium
• Zoo
• Community center
• Children’s museum
• Swimming pool
• Water park
• Nature program
• Magazine subscription – Our favorites include Zoobooks, Nature Friend, and Ranger Rick.

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Lessons

Another great suggestion for the grandparents!

• Art
• Music
• Drama
• Pottery
• Swimming
• Karate
• Gymnastics
• Dance

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Tools & Skills

Tool sets, pocket knives, and wheelbarrows have been big hits with my boys.  Kid sized work gloves make great additions to Christmas stockings and Easter baskets!

• Hand tools – Start with a simple set, then add pieces over time.
• Pocket knife – Our eldest received a knife at age 10 and absolutely loves it.
• Cooking tools – Appropriately sized cooking tools help kids take more ownership in the kitchen.
• Baking supplies – Start by teaching your child to follow one specific recipe (may I suggest my Pumpkin Nut Butter Brownies), then encourage them to learn another and another.
• Sewing machine – Sewing is one skill I wish I’d learned as a child!
• Garden tools – Inspire your child with a love for gardening.
• Wheelbarrow – A must-have for budding gardeners and little helpers.
• Garden / work gloves – Kids need work gloves too…just like Mom and Dad!
• Broom & dustpan – Most kids are thrilled to help when the tools are the right size.
• Moneybox — Get one with three sections: save, spend, share.  Choose from plastic, cardboard, or make your own like we did.

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Arts & Crafts

When he was ten, my oldest son received an assortment of craft supplies stored in a plastic box with a handle as one of his Christmas gifts.  It was his favorite gift!  Also, weaving isn’t just for girls.  My middle son (currently 7) absolutely loves making potholders and rubber band creations.

• Colored pencils
• Artist quality markers
• Sturdy spiral sketch books
• Doodle books
• Tempera paints
• String
• Popsicle sticks
• Pompoms
• Googly eyes
• Colorful metal brads
• Cardstock
• Construction paper
• Scotch tape
• Craft tape
• Potholder loom + project book
• Rubber band loom + project book
• Origami book + paper + storage box

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Music

My family’s favorites are listed below.  Most are available in CD, mp3, and streaming options.

• Classical
  • Peter & the Wolf
  • Carnival of the Animals
  • Classical Kids: Tchaikovsky Discovers America, Mozart’s Magic Fantasy, Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery
  • Beethoven’s Wig
• Folk
  • You Are My Little Bird (anything by Liz Mitchell)
  • Pickin & Grinnin’
  • Little Nut Tree
    

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  • Sing Along With Putamayo
    

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  • Mainly Mother Goose
  • Woody’s 20 Grow Big Songs
  • Go Waggaloo
    

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  • More recommendations here: Favorite Folk Music for Families.
• Hymns
  • Hymned + Hymned Again (Bart Millard)
  • Getty Kids Hymnal (anything by the Gettys)
• Scripture
  • Hide ‘Em In Your Heart
  • Seeds of Worship
  • Slugs & Bugs Sing the Bible
  • Hidden in My Heart
  • More recommendations here: Awesome Scripture Music for Kids.

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Books

By books, I mean wonderful, beautiful books of course.  Let them check out all the other stuff from the library!  It’s a daunting task to recommend excellent books for various ages and genders, so instead I’ll share a few of my favorite resources and book lists and leave the specifics up to you.  The good news is that there are plenty of wonderful titles to choose from…

• How to Choose the Best Children’s Books: Honey for a Child’s Heart
• The Read Aloud Handbook
• Favorite Children’s Books Roundup
• Books for Boys (Story Warren)
• Delightful Children’s Books

Bibles

• ESV Seek & Find – This is our favorite for ages 6 and up.
• The Child’s Story Bible – Perfect for reading aloud to ages 4 or 5 and up.
• Bible cover / bag  This puppy cover is fun for toddlers.

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Audio Books

With so many good audio books to choose from, this list is definitely not exhaustive.  But it should point you in the right direction.  Age range can be hard to pinpoint, but the books at the top of the list are generally aimed at a younger audience while the books farther down on the list are good for older kids.  Be sure to find the exact readers linked here.

• Frog & Toad collection
• Frances collection
• Winnie the Pooh collection (Peter Dennis)
• Charlotte’s Web
• Just So Stories (Kipling/Weiss)
• Anything read by Jim Weiss
• The Cricket in Times Square
• The Chronicles of Narnia
• All the Classical Kids musical stories
• The Wind in the Willows (BBC)
• Swallows & Amazons
• All of the Heroes biographies published by YWAM

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Family Movies

This isn’t my favorite non-toy idea, but we do try to stock some great movies for family movie nights.  Here are a few of our favorites (our boys are 11, 7, & 3).

• The Adventures of Milo & Otis
• Homeward Bound
• Swiss Family Robinson
• The Incredibles
• The Man From Snowy River

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Nature Gear

We’re big fans of nature explorations!  My boys are outside all the time and have used the fire out of everything on this list.

• Bird feeder + feed – Hang or mount in a spot visible from a main window of your house.
• Suet cage + suet – Ditto.
• Bluebird house – For younger kids, get this book too.
• Binoculars – For observing birds at your feeder.  Also great for nature walks!
• Bug box – We have several, and they’re all well-loved and well-used.
• Butterfly net – For catching butterflies, of course, and sometimes fish or siblings.
• Insect viewing jars – Get at least two per child!
• Magnifying glass – These sturdy glasses withstand wear and tear from little hands.
• Head lamp – Great for nighttime nature walks, camping, and reading in bed.
• Flashlight – There’s just something about kids and flashlights.
• Compass – One with a lanyard is helpful.
• Lightweight backpack – best for older kids. For younger children, try this one.
• Tent – For camping out in the backyard and beyond.
• Laminated pocket guides – Handy for toting along on adventures.
• Take Along Guides – Just right for kids.
• Peterson First Guides – Another set of guides
  

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   perfect for young nature enthusiasts.
• Peterson Field Guides – 
  

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  As your kids get a bit older, you’ll want to invest in a good set of field guides.

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Sporting Goods

Send those kids outside to develop motor skills and burn off energy!  Teach them a few life long skills such as fishing, archery, and bicycling.

• Scooter – Scooters are our favorite!  Easy to transport and store, and perfect for the driveway, neighborhood sidewalks, and walking trails.
• Bike – We’re big fans of balance bikes for teaching kids to ride.  No training wheels, thank you very much!  If you have the space, a cozy coupe car is a favorite with toddlers.  Be sure to measure your child when choosing a youth bike.
• Roller skates – Try grow-with-me skates for preschoolers, roller derby skates for boys or girls, or rink skates for boys or girls.
• Skateboard – I don’t know much about skateboards, but this looks like a great option for kids. Don’t forget pads and a helmet!
• Ball glove – Make sure to get one for Mom or Dad, too!
• Sling shot – Um, did I mention I have three boys?  They love their sling shots!
• Archery set – Bow & arrows, plus a target.  Try a suction arrow set for younger children.
• Fishing gear – All my guys love to fish, so it’s important for each kid to have his own gear.  Include a fishing rod, fishing net, tackle box, and laminated fishing guide.
• Basketball hoop – Get a sturdy adjustable hoop for older kids or a pint-sized version for the preschool crowd.

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Outdoor Play

My boys often spend hours outside every day, so I like to make sure they have access to sturdy, versatile equipment.

• Dodge balls – Perfect for all sorts of outdoor ball games.
• Jump rope – Jump ropes aren’t just for girls.  My 11yo son loves to jump and is constantly trying to beat his personal record.  If there are 3 or more jumpers at your house or in your neighborhood, a double dutch rope is tons of fun.
• Sandbox – Or try a sand table.
• Wagon – I’m partial to the classic radio flyer version, but there are many other options: plastic, all-terrain, latching door with leg room, and more.
• Swings – Hang a swing in a tree or invest in a quality swing set.  Try this one for babies and toddlers and these for older kids.
• Steel climbing dome – Kids love to climb, and jungle gyms are expensive.  This is the next best thing.
• Trampoline – Hours of fun!
• Tetherball – Great for adults, too.
• Corn hole game – Options abound: lightweight & portable or regulation size folding version.  Crafty types might like to customize a plain wooden set with paint or decals.  Fun to have on hand for outdoor entertaining!
  

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Nontoxic Lunch Gear

Sturdy nontoxic lunch gear can get pricey, but we’ve found it to be well worth the investment.  We own multiples of each item listed below, and highly recommend them all.  Holidays and birthdays are the perfect time to start or boost your family’s collection!  Need more details?  I’ve written more about our experience with nontoxic feeding gear for babies and packing a plastic-free lunch.  

• Stainless steel water bottle – I highly recommend this brand, and wrote more about it here.
• Glass water bottle (in silicone sleeve) – I have a larger size, but several of my friends love this size for kids.
• Reusable snack bags – Mom tip: choose bags with zippers (not velcro).  My favorites are these and these.
• Stainless steel bento box – We love, love, love our Lunchbots and have one in almost every shape and size.
• Stainless steel round leak-proof containers – Great for snacks, yogurt, etc.
• Stainless steel condiment containers – Perfect for little fingers!  We use them for nuts, dressing, hummus, chocolate, you name it.
• Stainless steel thermos – perfect for packing warm foods like chili or soup.  16 oz works well for adults and older kids, and comes with a folding spoon in the lid!  10 oz is perfect for a toddler.

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Bags & Apparel

Every kid needs a good set of bags for school, the library, and weekend trips.  Cowboy boots and watches have also been big hits with my boys.

• Backpack – For school, the library, and trips.  Even our littlest guy has one that’s just the right size.
• Cinch sack – My guys use these like crazy.  Nature outings, trips to grandma’s house, and more.
• Duffel bag – Every child at our house has received their own personal duffel bag for weekend trips.
• Watch – We like Timex watches.
• Wallet – Our boys have little zipper pouches similar to these.
• Cowboy boots – We’ve had a good experience with this brand.  Tip: pull holes are helpful for young kids.

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Don’t forget to check out these lists for more ideas…

• 11 Family Games Even a Three Year Old Can Play
• Awesome Scripture Music for Kids
• Skip the Gadgets: Best Toys for Creative Play
• 12 Best Learning Toys for Preschoolers
• Best Nontoxic Baby Feeding Gear

What was the best non toy gift you received as a child?  Does your family struggle with toy clutter?  What other non toy gift ideas for kids would you add to this list?

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