Non-toy gift ideas can be tough to find and every year I vow to keep toys off my kids’ lists. Most years I fail at this, so here are some ideas so you can succeed!

This is a sponsored post from giftster.com, however all of the thoughts and ideas are my own.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you make a purchase through one of these links, I will receive a small kick back at no extra cost to you.

It happens to all of us, I believe. You get home from your family Christmas tour with tons of toys and stuff you don’t truly need. Family means well and you’re super grateful, but you don’t need all these extra toys.

Sometimes your family just needs you to give them the right ideas.

How to give family your non-toy gift ideas

You use giftster.com! We have been using this gift list platform since 2016 and it seriously has been a life-changer. I can add links to exactly what I want for my kids. No more loud and obnoxious toys that I will be tripping over by New Years. You can also add things that don’t include links which you can’t do on most gifting platforms – a membership to a children’s museum, water park, “shirt with X character on it,” “a game that focuses on numbers,” etc.

The best part about giftster.com is that it’s 100% completely FREE. It will work on any phone, desktop or tablet.

Giving your family a list to go off of will significantly minimize the unwanted stuff that comes into your home. Sometimes when you don’t give family guidance, the amount of things you didn’t need can be very overwhelming. Giving family and friends direct links and ideas will help lower your stress of recovering from the holidays and get rid of the kids’ disappointment when they don’t get what they want or need.

Here is a little peek of giftster.com:

How to use giftster.com to make your family wish list

The top navigation bar guides you exactly where you need to go – edit your list(s), shop for family (even your kids) or go to your groups.

In the “shop for” tab, you can see if a gift is reserved or purchased. They also pull the price to see it easily before clicking. On your view of your own personal list, you cannot see what has been purchased.

Making the wish list is so easy and you can even add things without a link which is rare on wish list maker apps.

You can also add gift preferences for your child to help people make decisions and they can think of their own non-toy gift ideas. Clothing size, hobbies, interests, etc.

You can even add suggested items to other people’s lists if you have a good non-toy gift idea for them.

Using giftster.com has made it so easy to make sure my kids are getting things they NEED. Once you get started with it, you will never go back! We use it all year round for birthdays, too.

24+ non-toy gift ideas

Here are some non-toy gift ideas you can add to your child’s giftster.com wish list:

Books

Books are a good gift choice in our family because we are book lovers. They can be traded with friends when they’re done, also. Here are some good lists of popular gifts for the kids in your life (aff links):

• Our favorite infant books
• Books your toddlers will love
• Books for preschoolers
• Early reader books for boys and girls
• Pre-teen/teenager books

Alarm clock

For some reason, my daughter loves giving alarm clocks as gifts to her friends! An alarm clock is something almost every kid will eventually need. Here is a good round up of favorite kid alarm clocks. (aff link)

Clothes

As a parent, I absolutely love receiving clothes as gifts. You can personalize these types of non-toy gift ideas for the kids, too. If they love a certain character or show, buy them a sweatshirt or shirt with that character on it!

Piggy banks

We have started to introduce piggy banks to our kids and I think they’re a great non-toy gift idea to start teaching the value of money.

Board games and card games

Board games are great gifts because they can be enjoyed by the entire family! (aff links)

• Games for the whole family
• Toddler card games
• Games for toddlers
• STEM board games
• Preschool board games
• Cooperative board games (everyone/no one wins)
• Educational board games

Magazine subscriptions

Did you know you can get these on Amazon? I just recently found this out! You can find them here. (aff link) The best part about this non-toy gift is it comes every month.

Puzzles

Puzzles are fun because, like board games, they can be enjoyed by the entire family and traded with friends when you’re finished. (aff link)

• The best puzzles for babies and toddlers
• Preschool puzzles
• Puzzles for the whole family

Calendars

My kids love having calendars in their rooms. It really helps minimize surprised in their daily routines. Every day is different in our house!

Suitcase/back pack

Suit cases are nice to have on hand for kiddos for quick sleepovers at grandma’s, grandpa’s, aunt’s, uncle’s, cousin’s houses. Personalize it for real fun! This is our favorite backpack – they have it 2 different sizes. (aff link)

Apron

If your kid loves to cook or bake with you (or even do art projects) an apron is a great idea. You can even buy white ones and let them decorate them first.

Towels/bath robes

Having their own towel and/or bath robe gives kids a great sense of ownership. They might even be more inclined to hang it up on the hook or toss it in the hamper when they’re done ;).

Experiences

Think memberships – zoo membership, arboretum membership, museum memberships. Things that kids can do throughout the year. Another bonus – this is great for the entire family. This is such an easy non-toy gift we forget because you aren’t wrapping anything.

Sports equipment

Does your kid play baseball? Request from family a new bat each year. I know from personal experience, kids go through water bottles like they go through water, so asking for a new one each year will be beneficial to everyone!

Watch

There are lots of kid watch versions out there today and it;s a great way to teach kids the concept of time when they’re ready.

Blankets/room decor

Is there something missing in your kids’ room with their decor? Posters, blankets, pillows, inspirational signs?

Bath accessories

Bath time can be chaos at our house but sometimes if we have fun things to do in the bath, we can get it done faster and with less noise. They’re small, so they’re a great non-toy gift for the stocking.

Umbrella/rain coat

This is something I think we forget kids need and can find useful. Send them to the rainy bus stop with an umbrella or rain coat so you don’t have to drive them!

Costumes

We use our old Halloween costumes as dress up clothes – add some more to your line up!

Gift cards

Do your kids love certain restaurants? Add a gift card to their list. If you’re adding experiences, add a gift card to their gift shop to their list too.

Kid safe cameras

My kids loved their kid safe cameras the year they got them! Check these out. (aff link) They are rechargable and you don’t have to worry about buying batteries over and over again.

Art supplies

We go through art supplies so quickly it feels like. So if you’re like us, put some art supplies on your kids’ list to keep them busy. We love keeping our art supplies in this little caddy. (aff link)

Bike/scooter/helmet

Almost every year, someone in our house gets a scooter for Christmas. Don’t forget the helmet!

Tablets

If you’re a family who uses tablets (no shame), add one to their list if you have family that have a bigger budget for your kiddo. We like the Amazon kindle fires – they’re a great price and I’m not worried if they destroy them. (aff link)

Headphones

Don’t forget the headphones for those tablets!

What are your favorite non-toy gift ideas?

Let me know in the comments below or head over to Instagram and tag me! Don’t forget to check out giftster.com. It i the easiest gift listing website and app our family has used.