My kids have to many toys and this year I will be buying off this list of non-toy gift ideas for creative kids! There are so many amazing gifts you can give children to get their creativity flowing and I have gathered a great list of ideas! These non-toy gifts work for Christmas, birthdays or just because!
WHY NOT JUST BUY TOYS?
I am definitely not against buying toys! 🙂 Come to my house and you will see that my kids have plenty of toys.
The problem is they have too many toys and I like to give all sorts of different gifts. Giving non-toy gifts can be just as fun for kids and sometimes they like them even better.
I love crafty types of gifts because it helps kids tap into areas of creativity they might not know they have!
If I am buying a gift for other people's children I like to get them non-toy gifts because they are less likely to already have the item than if I get them the latest toy.
NON-TOY GIFT IDEAS FOR CREATIVE KIDS
Here are some great non-toy gift ideas for the creative kids in your life. These ideas will bring hours of fun and you will have pretty creations to display!
CHALK OF THE TOWN
I recently had the opportunity to try out the new Chalk of the Town product line! (a big thanks to Chalk of the Town for sponsoring this post)
These craft kits are FUN and my daughter absolutely loved creating different designs on her shirt!
Here is the low-down on these fun products:
- Chalk of the Town is a chalkboard surface on t-shirts and book totes.
- You decorate the chalkboard with water-based chalk markers. The chalkboard can be wiped clean with a damp cloth and you can start over!
- The t-shirt kits
come with a shirt, 3 markers, a stencil, and a cleaning cloth. The shirts are erasable, reusable, and machine washable.
- Tote bag kits
come with the bag, 2 markers, and a cleaning cloth.
- There are also extra stencil kits
you can buy or you can use any stencils you may already have at home.
I can honestly say that I was surprised by how much my daughter loved these products. She is very excited to wear her shirt to school tomorrow!
I love that these kits are affordable and work for boys or girls. If you aren't sure what size a child needs then buy the tote bag kit because reading is always encouraged! You can find all their products on their website.
CAMERA
It is fun to see the world through a child's eye and a camera is a great way to capture what they see. Even younger children can take pictures and there are a variety of different child-friendly cameras for sale now.
Giving a child a camera may spark a real interest in photography for them in the future.
Here are some options for different age groups:
- VTech Kidizoom Camera
: this is good for younger kids ages 3 and up. My daughter had one of these and really liked it. The image resolution is poor so it won't be good for older kids! The great thing about this camera is that it is very sturdy and would be hard to break!!
- Ourlife Kids Waterproof Camera
: This is great for kids who love to swim and are around water a lot. The image resolution is not the best, but it is waterproof and kids love being able to take underwater photos. This is also a low-cost camera for the budget!
- Traditional Digital Camera
: for kids above the age of 7 or 8 years old I think a regular small digital camera is a great option. There are tons of good brands and the black Friday sales make them very reasonable to buy. The best part of a regular digital camera is that the photos are digital and you can sort through them before printing!
ILLUSTORY BOOK MAKING KIT
If you have kids who love to read and write books the Illustory Book Making Kit
The kit includes everything your child needs to help them write their own storybook. They can write and illustrate their book. There is even an about the author page for your child to fill out.
The best part of this kit is that it includes a prepaid envelope for your child to mail their book in and they will get a hardback copy of their book back in the mail in 2-3 weeks! They will be published!!
CRAYOLA ULTIMATE LIGHT BOARD
If your child loves to draw the Crayola Ultimate Light Board
The drawing board has LED lights in it so that the gel markers really light up on the board!
When the kids are done drawing they can just wipe their creation away and start over again.
DIAMOND ART KITS
I was recently introduced to diamond art painting and I am as excited about it as my kids are! Diamond painting is similar to mosaics and paint by numbers except you are using tiny diamond-like facets to create beautiful and sparkly artwork. There is a very easy to follow design and the final product is just beautiful!
These projects take some time to complete and are perfect to work on over winter break. The artwork is pretty enough to hang in your house. Diamond Art Club has a huge selection of kits that are very reasonably priced. We are currently working on Jade's Treasure…a pretty mermaid design that will go in my daughter's mermaid themed bedroom.
THINK BOX INVENTOR'S KIT
The perfect gift for kids who love inventing things is here with the Think Box Inventor's Kit
I love that this kit comes with a nice case to keep all the items inside. The sky is the limit on what they can create and it is a great price for parents.
This kit is best for kids ages 8 and up.
LEGOS
Although some people would classify Lego sets as a toy…I am not one of those people, LOL. I think Legos are a very creative way to play and it is a product that lasts the test of time!
We have a lot of Legos from when my oldest child (who is a grown man now, LOL) was young and my youngest child still plays with those same Legos!
I love that the company has expanded its product lines to include amazing selections for girls and both of my youngest daughters LOVE getting creative with Legos!
One way to stretch out the fun of Legos because I know they are EXPENSIVE is to check out Rebrickable. They show you other things you can make with different Lego sets so your kids never get bored!
Legos are something that makes almost any child smile and is one of my favorite non-toy gift ideas!
BRIGHT STRIPES CO SETS
Bright Stripes Co has some amazing artistic sets for kids. My girls LOVE creative art type sets and these are worth every penny.
The iHeartArt Mash Up Art packets make wonderful gifts. They include everything your child needs to make art without constraints.
They are able to combine media with the different mediums included and there is also a handy guide to help them get started.
There are quite a few different Mash Up Sets to choose from:
- iHeart Art Mash Up Art Pack Glitter FX
- iHeart Art Mash Up Art Pack Bold & Bright
- iHeart Art Mash Up Art Pack Pastel FX
- iHeart Art Mash Up Art Pack Watercolor Blends & Ink
- iHeart Art Mash Up Art Pack Batik FX
- iHeart Art Mash Up Art Pack Paint & Pastel
Another awesome DIY set from Bright Stripes Co is their Lantern Lands sets. Lantern Lands is a paper-based DIY lantern with a magical scene inside! Slot the precut pieces together and decorate with punchouts, puffy stickers, and gems. An LED tea light provides the glow.
I can tell you that these are SO SO CUTE! Here are the sets they have:
- DIY Lantern Lands Forest Festival
- DIY Lantern Lands Ice Palace Fantasy
- DIY Lantern Lands Mermaid Castle
- DIY Lantern Lands Fairy Flower Party
The last craft set I want to tell you about from Bright Stripes is their Candle Critters. My girls have always wanted candles in their rooms, but I have said NO due to fire dangers.
Now I can say YES because these candles come with LED tea lights!
These are Scandinavian-inspired and generously sized. These ceramic night lights come packaged in adorable cottage-shaped boxes. Kids use the ceramic markers to decorate, turn on the LED tea light, and display in their room!
Here are the animal options:
- Candle Critters Unicorn
- Candle Critters Fox
- Candle Critters Turtle
- Candle Critters Bunny
- Candle Critters Mouse
ACTIVITY SETS FOR ON THE GO
I love to have activity sets that are easy to transport when we are spending time in the car.
I found a great company called Tiger Tribe that offers the cutest and super fun sets.
The sets are just the right size for kids and are compact. Everything fits inside nicely and stays there with the magnetic flap.
The price is great for these too…most are around $9.99 and will fit in a stocking.
Here are some of the choices:
- 3D Colouring Set–Rainbow Dreams: This set has 3D glasses to help you create optical illusions. Your child's artwork will pop right off the page!
- Top Secret Missions–Detective Set: This is a mind-bending activity set to get kids interested in observation, investigation, and code-cracking. I like that this can be played alone or with friends. Kids will love the invisible spy pen and other fun items inside the kit.
- Coloring Sets–Mermaid and/or Unicorn Magic: The Tiger Tribe Coloring Sets include illustrated coloring sets that include markers, stickers, and the coloring pages all inside the cute box. Perfect for long drives!
WHICH NON-TOY GIFT IDEAS ARE YOUR FAVORITE?
So which non-toy gift ideas are your favorite? What kind of creative skills does your child already demonstrate? Leave a comment and let me know!
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My niece and nephews LOVE Legos. They have an entire room set up just for building and exploring!