7 Gift Alternatives to Toys & Clothes

I don't know about your kids but my kids love getting gifts. I mean who doesn't like to receive a nice gift, especially if it's something you've been wanting? People give gifts for all occasions - Christmas, Birthday, Easter, Valentine's Day, Anniversary, New Baby. We give gifts to celebrate. We give gifts to show we care. We give gifts just because we can. 

Gifts can be a blessing but they can also be a pain. I'm sure at some point in your life you have had to return or exchange a gift. Whether it was the wrong size, you already had it or you just didn't want it, you had to return it which means you had to go to a store, maybe two or three because you didn't know where it was from. You had to wait in line to get a gift card and go attempt to find something else to buy with your gift card. Or better yet you never found out what store it was from so now it just sits in your closet collecting dust waiting to be re-gifted. 

Kids get so excited when they get a gift. You can see the joy in their smile and their face lights up. Kids, especially young kids love almost anything they open up. As they get older they become more verbal and you pray they don't say "I didn't want this" in front of the person that gave them the gift. Yes kids love gifts but as a parent I have noticed a lot of gifts go unused after they are open. 

I don't know about your kids, but my kids love to toy until I take it out of the box and then they play with the box and never touch the toy. I have been super excited about toys my kids have gotten and my kids could care less. I have a house full of toys and my kids favorite toys are baby food jar lids, bouncy balls and magnets. Last year we bought my daughter a bunch of princess dolls and my boys play with them instead. It makes me question why I spend money on toys that don't get played with.

Now I'm not saying don't buy your kids gifts because they won't get played with and are a waste of money - you seriously never know what toy your kid is going to like. I am definitely not going to stop buying gifts but there are more to holidays and birthdays than giving gifts. There are several factors about gift giving that get overlooked. 

Is it something they need? Is it something they want? What is our budget? Will they play with it? Will it just sit there? Do they already have it? Do they really need it?

Did you know that some people won't show up to a party just because they don't have a gift. 

Maybe they forgot in all the chaos or maybe they didn't have the extra money to spend on a gift so instead they skip the party because they don't want to be judged for showing up without a gift. 

I am one of five children. If we bought a gift every time someone had a birthday or their significant other had a birthday we would be broke. If someone happens to buy a gift, we are grateful but the gift we usually give each other is the gift of travel. We all live in different towns so if we are free, we will travel the hour or two to celebrate their birthday with them. I don't expect them to all buy me a gift that I may or may not use, I'm just happy they made the trip to see me. Isn't that how it should be?

Now kids are a little different. Yes kids want to be surrounded by their friends and family but they also are excited for their new toys and cake. You can't tell your guest to bring gifts and you can't tell your guest not to bring gifts. As I said before, some people won't show up just because they couldn't afford a gift but at the same time you have to consider that some people already bought a gift months ago because they love shopping and were looking forward to the party so will get offended if you put "no gifts" on the invitation. You will not be able to please all your guest and I know pleasing your guest isn't the priority but there are ways to go around the basic gift giving - toys & clothes.

All you have to do is ask. It's that easy.  Now not everyone will listen to you but hey, at least you asked for what you want or what your child wants. 

When I send out party invitations for my kids, I usually add something along the lines of "Gifts are not necessary but are welcome, we look forward to spending time with you!" or "Gifts are not necessary but if you'd like to buy something, (enter name) likes (size, what they may need, something they like)." That way my guests know that it is okay to just come and celebrate and if they want to buy a gift then they have an idea of what my child may want/need to avoid having to return items. 

As my kids get older, I am hoping to teach them life lessons and hoping that one day they may choose to ask for donations or experiences instead of toys. I will always give them a gift on their birthday to celebrate the life I created but I also want my kids to know that there is more to life than receiving the best new toy on the market. 

1. Experience Gifts

Ask for guest to give an experience. Kids are more likely to to remember the experience they had than a toy. The experience can be something they can do with you or with their family. 

Some possible experiences are a trip to the zoo, tickets to a sports game, movie tickets, concert tickets, gymnastic lessons, pay for them to join a team, a painting class, a pass for a sleepover at your house, a pass to play basketball at the park, an IOU a day at the pool. 

2. Donate 

Ask for your guest to donate to a charity in child's name or gifts that you can donate to someone in need instead. If you have a birthday around Christmas, pick a kid or two from an angel tree and ask for items on their list. Not only are you helping someone in need but your child is learning about helping others and how to be kind. 

Facebook also allows you to set us a Donation to a Charity of your choice that will appear every time someone goes to write "Happy Birthday" on your wall. 

3. Book Party

Ask for your guest to bring a book they think you might like or even to bring their favorite book. This helps you grow your book collection and reading is better for the brain than most toys.

4. Handmade Gift

Handmade gifts are usually cheaper and they are more meaningful because they come from the heart. Handmade gifts can be something as simple as a handmade card saying "Happy Birthday" pr "Merry Christmas" to something more creative like a door hanger, a knitted hat/scarf , or a painted picture frame. I once gave my mom a shoe box that I glued magazine pictures of everything I thought she would like in it along with kind words to describe her. I recently found it in her closet over a decade later. At the time I had no money and it sounds like a silly gift but sometime the simplest gifts are the best because they came from the heart. 

5. College/Life Fund

It is never to early to start saving for college, a house or a car. Now this one is tricky because some people don't like giving other people money. I don't blame them because you never know if the person is actually going to use it on what they say they are but sometimes you just have to take a chance. Everyone loves money. If you say you don't, you are lying. I would honestly rather someone just give me money to spend on what I want then buy me something I don't need. 

My husband and I have started savings accounts four our children. When people ask what they kids need and we have no idea, we tell them we have started savings accounts if they would like to donate money to it instead. 

6. Gift Cards

My go to gift is a gift card, especially for weddings and baby showers. That way the person can go and buy what they want or need. I also like the idea of giving gift cards and specifying what to buy. For example, "Go on an ice cream date on me!" - Dairy Queen gift card or "Put this towards those cleats you want!" - Dicks Sporting Goods gift card. 

7. Learning Gifts
Ask your guest to bring something to help teach you child about something new. This could be a variety of things from books to paint to things in nature. Some possible learning gifts are a science kit, learning game, learning books, sketch book, flowers or vegetables to plant in a garden, baking supplies,  sewing machine, calculator, soap kit, candle making kit, etc... there are so many possibilities from something school related to a kit to learn a new hobby.

There is nothing wrong with giving gifts and there is nothing wrong with asking for what you want or your kid wants. These are just a few alternatives to the basic gift giving - toys and clothes. Most of the ideas listed will help teach your child a life lesson, let them experience something new or even learn a new hobby. I hope you enjoyed this list and remember there is more to the holidays and birthdays than giving gifts.

Comment below with your favorite gift alternative!

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