This year when I asked my kids to give me ideas for Christmas presents that we could give our grandkids, the unanimous resounding reply has been, “No toys! They’ve got to many toys!”
What?!?
How can a grandma not give toys to her grandkids, I ask you.
Our oldest grandchild is only 10. He might think he is too old for toys but doesn’t he deserve something to play with on Christmas morning?
I could understand not giving toys if our grandkids were teenagers, Teens aren’t into toys — unless the toys were electronic.
What’s a grandma to do?
So here’s what I’ve been thinking. What would it be like to give experiences instead of toys. Kids will remember fun experiences more than they will remember toys (that they only play with for a few days and then leave abandoned on their bedroom floor).
But then I got frustrated. What kind of experiences could I give? What is available out there?
At first, I didn’t think that there were very many available in my area. But, after digging around, I was totally surprised by what I found.
Here are 22 non-toy gift ideas that I found. They would good for you, too, dear Reader. (Obviously, you’ll need to tailor the activity according to the age of your grandchildren!)
Here’s what I found.
- Rock climbing walls. Kids could really get excited about this — especially if they enjoy physical activities.
- Laser tag. Kids of all ages love laser tag. (Even I love it!) A gift certificate for this under the Christmas tree would be a welcomed gift!
- Axe throwing. Okay. Okay! I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t that a dangerous activity? Or Do people really do that? I have it on good authority that this is a great activity. Even girls like axe throwing! So, REALLY surprise your grandkids with a gift certificate for this activity.
- Archery. See if you can find an archery class. It would be a unique gift for sure!
- Zip line. I’m afraid of heights. However. I think zip lines are great fun. So if even I like them, so will your grandkids!
- A helicopter ride. This could be kind of pricey. But, oh what a memory THIS would be for a grandchild!
- Trampoline park. There are a couple of these parks in our area. One is even an ‘extreme’ trampoline park. All the kids that I know love to jump on trampolines. A couple of tickets would definitely be a winner!
- Escape rooms. Have you ever heard of these? (I’ve participated in one and really liked it.) This is where you are locked in a room (or a series of rooms) and you have a set amount of time to figure out how to get out. I was surprised that there are 6 of these types of game rooms in our area!
- Virtual reality game rooms. Activities in these rooms range from dramas about sea monsters and jewel thieves to scenarios in different time eras (both past and future).
- Roller skating. If axe throwing, archery, and rock climbing walls aren’t right for your grandkids, consider giving them a pass to a local roller skating rink. That would get them off the couch and away from electronics!
- Ice skating. Is there an ice skating rink in your area? If your grandchild hasn’t been very often, this would be a real treat.
- Bowling. Why not give gift certificates to your grandchild’s whole family? That way you’ve got presents for the whole family! (That means less time spent shopping for you. Yippee!)
- Miniature golfing. Tweens really like this activity so a gift certificate would be sure to please them.
- Tickets to a local sporting event. Do your grandkids like playing soccer? Or baseball, football, or basketball? Get them tickets to a soccer match by a local, professional, or college team.
- Yoga. Sign up for a yoga class and take a grandchild with you. You’ll have one-on-one time while getting some physical activity!
- Story telling festival. We have a yearly festival that comes to our area. The storytellers are phenomenal! Get tickets for you and a grandchild. You’ll be glad you did.
- Coding camps. If you have a grandchild that is a budding computer coder, pay for her to go to a coding camp to become a coding ninja!
- Ghost tours. Give a gift certificate to a local ghost tour! This is definitely NOT a typical Christmas present that kids get!
- Rent a snowmobile for an afternoon. If you live in an area that gets snow, your grandchild would be thrilled to get to go snowmobiling!
- Ropes course. These courses have all sorts of challenging activities for kids to do. A gift certificate to one would be a great idea!
- Pickleball. Pickleball is a current rage. It’s a cross between badminton and table tennis. Many local recreation centers have courts. So, buy a pickleball paddle and a pass to the rec center for a grandchild.
- Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. While you eat dinner, a theater cast performs a ‘murder.’ Dinner guests have to figure out whodunit. Buy two tickets and go with a grandchild for a unique experience together.
In case you want something a little more conventional, here are a few more ideas:
- Movie passes
- A gift card to a favorite fast food restaurant
- Tickets to a concert of a favorite music artist
- Tickets to ride on a steam engine train
- Community education classes such as photography, guitar, astronomy or fencing. (In our area, there are classes for things like middle eastern dance, how to be a YouTube sensation, and how to make lotions and creams.)
- A gift certificate to a ceramic shop to paint a mug, plate, or bowl
You could also buy passes to an indoor playground, buy cooking ingredients and cookware to make an international food, or give all the supplies and directions on how to make candles.
Or, you could create your own coupon for a personalized event such as a visit to a local bee keeper, to watch a glass blower work, or to tour a cheese factory.
So there you go. Lots of non-toy Christmas gift ideas that you could give your grandkids! I hope that you’ll be able to find something that’s just perfect!
