Nontoy gift ideas your kids will actually like + A Giveaway

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We've all been there. We pick out the perfect gift for our kids. We are giddy with their joy as they anxiously rip off the wrapping paper Christmas morning. We are overjoyed as they play with this prized toy they have asked for... and then two weeks later it's under the bed never to be played with again. 

Don't get me wrong. I actually like toys. I don't have a problem with them. I just pushed a pile of Legos away from my desk to write this post. But, I have also come to see the value in nontoy gifts as well. So today I wanted to share a few of my favorites as well as YOUR ideas from the Facebook page. 

1. Books

My husband and I are both readers and I feel like we're passing that on to our kids. Books make great gifts. 

I recently purchased my kids The Day the Crayons Quit and The Day the Crayons Came Home. Such cute and fun books for preschoolers (and young school aged children). 

For my niece (age 8) I got Ramona Quimby and for my nephew (age 9) I got the Hatchet, a great adventure book. 

2. Experience gifts

We took our kids to the zoo this past spring. It was so much fun. SO. MUCH. Zoo passes or even just a trip to the zoo as a family would make an awesome gift for both small and older children.

TIP: If you can't swing the funds for a pass or family tickets, many library systems offer one-day zoo passes with library card membership. 

3. Classes and sports

We just signed Ryals up for basketball and I am so excited. He will be playing in the spring with practice right after Christmas. 

Classes like art, ballet, karate, tumbling etc. are all great options as gifts. As well as community sports. 

4. Magazines 

Kids LOVE getting mail and magazine subscriptions are fantastic. Some of my favorites are Highlights, Ladybug and Ranger Rick. 

Articles, poems, games, recipes. These educational magazines are packed FULL of great things. 

5. Science kits

My mother-in-law got the coolest science kit for my boys and we have spent so much time playing with it! They were able to make their own snowman, which is such a thrill for Alabama boys who have never seen snow. 

There are so many cute science kits out there like this cool called Magic Science for Wizards. I mean, I want to play with that. 

These make excellent gifts and have a WIDE variety of ages. 

6. Subscription boxes

Again, kids LOVE mail. Why not sign up for a subscription box? There is one for everyone. Art. Science. Music. Cooking. SO many options. 

We personally love the Green Kid Crafts. It comes once a month and has around four crafts each month based on a theme. 

7. Audiobooks and stories

We love audiobooks in this house. They make a rainy day or a long car ride FLY by. We also love stories and serials designed for kids and families. 

My children LOVE Adventures in Odyssey, which is pure nostalgia for me because I listened to them as a kid. They teach Biblically-based concepts as well as social awareness. I love them. 

Another GREAT audio option I just discovered is Around the World Stories. We love this show. It features stories from and about children around the world. It explores different cultures and talks about the day to day life of the children featured in each episode. It's like having 20 different pen pals. 

GIVEAWAY: I am giving away a $15 gift certificate to Around the World Kids. One lucky winner will receive a gift certificate for a weekly story. 

This is open to ALL my readers internationally so I am excited about this. SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM TO ENTER. 

I got the gift certificate as part of the Very Merry Gift Certificate Bundle. This is an awesome sale; for just $15, you’ll get $180 in store credits from 12 online businesses that align- many mom owned. 

This post contains affiliate links. Meaning if you make a purchase I will get a small commission at NO extra charge to you.