20 Non-Toy Gift Ideas

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We hear it all the time. Parents are tired of all of the toys laying around. They are tired of buying toys that only get played with a few times. They are tired of every special occasion being about toys. There IS another way. Gifts don't have to be toys. There are plenty of good non-toy gift ideas out there that won't put a hole in your wallet just to take up space in a corner collecting dust.

You probably already know by now but we value experiences over things and know that this way of thinking can be instilled early on in a child's life. We've shared 10 Things to Get Rid of for a Clutter-Free Home and also released a 30-Day Minimalism Challenge.

Below is a list of our picks for non-toy gift ideas! Think of anything we left out? Let us know in the comments below!

20 Non-Toy Gift Ideas

1. Money in a savings account

You could start a normal savings account, a 529 plan which is a savings college account, or you could buy stocks. Something that I think would be really cool is to start the accounts but not even tell the child about them until they are older! How awesome would it be to have someone tell you when you are 16, 18, 21 (whatever age you choose) that you have XX amount of money in an account that you didn't even know existed!?

2. Membership (museum, zoo, amusement park, etc)

Purchase a yearly membership to a local establishment. It's a gift that keeps on giving! A few ideas include amusement parks, the zoo, or museums.

3. Movie tickets

Sure, the parents probably pay for the child to attend movies normally but movie tickets are always a great idea. It makes them feel more grown up with their own movie ticket and they can choose which movie they want to see. You could even include some goodies for them to take with them to the movie!

4. Subscription (little passports, etc)

Subscription services are the latest craze and there are quite a few for kids. Little Passports is one that I've heard of recently and it seems like a really cool option. They inspire children to learn about the world and each month the child will receive a new package in the mail. Another one is Kiwi Crate. Kiwi Crate inspires kids to see themselves as scientists, artists, creators, and makers.

5. Dress up clothes

Some might consider dress up clothes as a form of toys but I think that they spark creativity. You could even go to a secondhand store and get some really cool vintage dress up clothes!

6. Luggage

Having your own piece of luggage as a kid is so cool! It makes you feel like an adult. Whether they just use it to store things or actually take it on trips, either way, it's going to a piece that they love and think of you each time they see it.

7. Tickets to an event

Have a child that loves sports or theater? Consider buying them a ticket to an event! You could even get them multiple tickets so they can take friends!

8. Books

This one doesn't take much explanation. Books are a great educational gift. If you don't want to buy any full price check out the local thrift store or take them on a trip to the library. Amazon is one of our favorite places to buy books!

9. Lessons (art, music, sports, etc)

Pay for your child (grandchild, niece, nephew, etc) to take lessons on something they are interested in! Things like gymnastics lessons, art lessons, and sports club fees can all be presented as a gift.

10. Family vacation

Experiences are always better than things and going on a family vacation is definitely an experience! Gift them with a vacation that the whole family is going to take. Print off fun articles or pictures are where you are going and box those up and wrap them. Even if the vacation is far away you can make it fun by giving them a way to countdown the days.

11. Room decor

Kids (and adults!) are always wanting to re-design rooms. Gift them with the tools they need to do that! Have the room painted and/or buy new decor. Bonus points if you can sell the old decor!

12. Sports equipment

Does your child need a new football or baseball gear? Instead of just buying it, give it as a gift. If they are already into the sport, they will love it!

13. Telescope

Know a child interested in astronomy? Get them a telescope. Even if they aren't interested now I bet they will be! Amazon has small travel telescopes, telescopes made just for kids, and large professional telescopes!

14. Gift card to a restaurant

Similar to the idea for movie tickets, getting them their own gift card to a restaurant will make them feel very grown up. Pick their favorite restaurant, get the gift card, and then set a special date that you will go together, if possible.

15. Sleeping bag

I remember having my own luggage and sleeping bag as a kid. For some reason, it was so much fun to take it and watch movies while curled up in it. Maybe that's why I like to backpack now and sleep in my sleeping bag. Amazon is also another great resource for sleeping bags!

16. Hobby kits (cake decorating, model cars, sewing, etc)

Again, this could be considered a toy by some but I believe that it gets their brain going in a different direction. They have to concentrate on what they are making or building. Some good ideas include cake decorating, model cars, and sewing!

17. Coupon book (that you create)

Create a coupon book for them that includes things like going to the movie, going bowling, going out to eat, playing in the park, etc. You could even include a coupon or two in there about YOU cleaning their room. ;-)

18. Craft supplies

If they are really interested in taking that hobby kit to the next level you could invest a little bit more in the supplies they need. Our nephew loves to get sketchbooks and art supplies.

19. Board games

Another memory I have of growing up is board games. Maybe your kids have too many board games already and you consider this another piece of clutter but again, I think some of them make kids think in a different direction. My favorite game growing up was always Monopoly!

20. Money

And the best gift of all... MONEY! I honestly don't care if people think it's not personal enough or whatever reason they come up with... I've never met anyone to turn down money. If you are giving it for Christmas turn it into a money tree (tutorial here).

5 Reasons Why We Didn't Buy a Tiny House

Let me start off my saying we are not against tiny homes, we still LOVE them and want one in Montana or Wyoming. We probably would have bought or built one if we moved to Montana (remember that one time we almost moved to Bozeman?!) or if we already owned a large piece of land to do with whatever we wanted. We posted on Instagram and Snapchat (hesheeatclean) the many times we went and looked at tiny houses so we wanted to explain our decision. The tiny house just wasn't for us at this time and below are the reasons why.

5 Reasons Why We Didn't Buy a Tiny House

1. It's hard to find a place to actually park it.
   • Some states and cities might be different but we couldn't find any county around us that would allow a tiny house. While fighting the government sounds like fun, we just weren't up for that at this time in our lives. A friend of a friend (you know these stories are always good) ;-) actually had a container home and the county made them move it. They literally could not live in their own home. We live in the outer suburbs of Atlanta but I think some rural communities or even more urban areas might be easier to work with regarding parking.
2. It's hard to find a vehicle to actually pull it.
   • We both have cars. These tiny homes are heavy and usually require a large truck to pull them. Sure, we could have someone pull it and park it for us but what if we wanted to move it somewhere else? We aren't up for buying a truck right now. Be sure to do your research on actually transporting the home before buying!
3. The resale value.
   • Tiny homes seem to be something that is a fad right now. We feel there will probably not be a huge market for it later. I had a feeling we would have a hard time "getting rid of it" when/if the time came.
4. The price is too high.
   • Have you looked at the actual price of a house that is 250-300 square feet? The prices are crazy high! If you want anything remotely nice it's going to be in the $50,000-$80,000(+) range. That's pretty expensive per square foot. While the overall price sounds great, it's not a great price per square foot. We don't have carpentry skills or the space to build our own so we would have to pay someone else to do it.
5. They are too small.
   • While we wanted to downsize (and did!), we didn't want to downsize quite that much just yet. The house we ended up buying is larger than what we wanted (we wanted something around 1,200 square feet) and our new house is 1,700 but it's 700 square feet less than our old house and perfect for us right now. When we moved from our old house most of our boxes were food items, kitchen supplies, and hiking/backpacking gear! We do try to live simply so the things we do have we love (like food and hiking!) :-) and it's just too much for a tiny home. We could have rented a storage unit but doesn't that defeat the whole purpose?!

As I mentioned before, we are not against tiny homes we just want the conversation to be open and wanted to share our thought process. We encourage anyone thinking about downsizing to do so. It's SO freeing! Downsizing and living simply do not necessarily mean living in a tiny home or even moving, you can get started in the home you already own! Use some of the resources we've shared like our 30-Day Minimalism Challenge and our list of 10 Things to Get Rid Off for a Clutter-Free Home.

30-Day Minimalism Challenge

Alright, here it is...the long awaited for minimalism challenge! Hopefully you've gotten started with the 10 things to get rid of for a clutter-free home and now you are ready for a bigger challenge!

As we mentioned in our "how we became rich" post, there are a billion different definitions of minimalism, just as there are a billion different definitions or "pictures" of fitness too. Some people might picture a marathon runner or sprinter and someone else might picture a weight lifter or yogi. They could all be correct but it just depends on how you look at it. When most people picture minimalism they picture tiny houses, white walls, no furniture or just white furniture, no possessions, no fun, etc. That could definitely be minimalism but that isn't what it is to us. To us it is just living with what we need and little to no extra. You don't have to throw everything away and move into a tiny house (unless you want to!) in order to get started. Also, as with fitness, your entire family might not be supportive which is okay. You can still start your own journey and I bet if you lead by example, they will follow!

We have this listed as a 30-Day Minimalism Challenge, but just like our fitness challenges, you need to adjust this to the time frame that you can handle.

This is how it works, each day/week/month tackle the room/item(s) listed. So for example, on Day 1 you will clean out your refrigerator. You can approach this however you want but go through what is in your refrigerator item by item to determine if it's something you will keep, toss, or give away. Continue this each day for what is listed. Some projects will be very short and some may take more than a few days, just depending on your schedule. One piece of advice, don't let your toss or give away pile sit around for too long. Get those items out of the house ASAP!

Time to get started!

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30-Day Minimalism Challenge