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Talk It Out:
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I love the idea
of non cluttering gifts. How about paying for several
months of dance lessons, swim lessons, tennis, etc. --
whatever the kid is into? How about the gift of time? I
would love for my kids grandparents to give them a coupon for a
movie, sleepover, lunch, ice cream, picnic, day of going to the
mall, anything that would be time spent with the child." ~
Nancy in MI "We bought
our grandson and his mom a season’s pass to the zoo for
Christmas." ~ Ruth "Here's
an idea for a great gift for relatives to give
children.....one I'd like my children to receive since they
have so many toys: money towards a little getaway. Something
the kids enjoy which in the case of my children, is an indoor
water park resort. It could also be spending money for
the kids on a vacation. Another idea would be to give
children edible gifts -- you know, stuff that goes away! I
love when my kids gets snacks and goodies they enjoy and I can
easily put in the pantry to store. They love it and I do too
because I don't have to find a place for it and it is truly
used!" ~ Debbie "My mom has given my children annual memberships to the zoo and aquarium, paid for tickets to Disney on Ice, and bought punch-cards for the rides, just to name a few things. I am so grateful for these! The annual memberships we have enjoyed over and over. Tickets for a special event, like Disney on Ice, aren't usually in our budget, but were special occasions that my kids truly enjoyed." ~ Sheila "I do not have children but I do have a church family that has several kids. In the past I have given memberships to various zoos, museums, science centers and that the whole family can get into the act." ~ Glenda "My
son's grandparents have given us family memberships to local
museums and zoos so that we can go once a month and see the
different exhibits. Both the zoo and the museum
membership cards allow us to visit other places in the
country for free which is nice when you are traveling.
Also, my parents give my son a subscription to the local
children's theater so that he can see different plays
throughout the year. They have also paid for a weekly
summer camp. All of these things my son has loved and
they haven't cluttered up the house." ~ Tammy "My
personal favorites for my 3 year old son are books or book
store gift certificates; craft supplies (paints, colors,
paper, etc.); and a museum or zoo membership." ~ Sarah "As a
mother of six, I can totally relate to the feeling of
being overrun by clutter. I also encourage 'experiences'
for gifts. Some ideas could be tickets or a season's pass
to a museum or zoo or other local attraction in the area.
Passes for the local swimming pool, skating rink, bowling
alley, are also good active solutions. A few years ago I
asked all my friends not to buy my children gifts but
instead we exchange ornaments. The child's name and the
year are put on the ornament (ornaments can be homemade or
bought in January at a sale). Decorating the tree takes on
a whole new meaning when the kids are hanging up 'their'
ornaments which were given to them by people who care
about them. The added bonus is that when they leave
home they can take all these special ornaments with them. I
encourage the giving of books. These can be books that you
have purchased or you can give a gift card for a local
bookstore so that the child can pick out their own.
Lastly, if the grandparents live close enough they can
give the gift of time - a coupon to bake cookies with
grandma, a coupon to go out for ice cream with
grandparents, a coupon for a sleepover - you get the idea.
To spend one-on-one time with grandparents is a wonderful
experience and memory for a child - especially if they
come from a large family!" ~ GG in Alberta "Some
more 'experience' gift ideas: "Try movie, museum, local attraction or recreation center passes. Video cards for the local video center also is well received at our home." ~ Cam "I would suggest gift cards for movie rentals, putt-putt golfing, go-carts, bowling or to the movie theater. Also, what about tennis lessons, music lessons, whatever the child shows interest in doing." ~ Jennifer "What a great topic! For the past few years, I've given children a one year pass to the Oakland Zoo. There are age appropriate sections at the zoo; a benefit is that the pass is also good for admission (sometimes free and sometimes at a discounted price) to other zoos in the US. I make a presentation w/an envelope 'stamped' w/ scenes of Africa (our zoo has a veld section), or if I know the child has a specific interest in reptiles, butterflies, birds, etc. with 'stamps' appropriate to their interest. I'm using quote marks around the stamp derivatives because my stamps run the gamut from free graphic downloads, bits of scrap decorative paper (wallpaper, wrapping paper, or the product picture from a box of cereal or draperies/slipcovers I've purchased. I support the Nat'l Arbor Day foundation and one of the envelopes it used to send my receipt had a gorgeous picture of a big cat (not a domestic cat) that I was able to re-use to hold the pass, zoo schedule, and calendar of upcoming events). For a family gift (as a welcome present, Christmas, anniversary, etc.) I have purchased a family pass and present it the same way, a simple envelope and my 'stamps.' This cuts down on buying wrapping paper/boxes, or bags." ~ Sean "My sister has 4 children, so they are overrun with toys and clutter after birthdays and Christmas. They are still a bit young to understand the concept of a gift of experience, such as being taken out for the day. I've become the book giver. Books take up little space (compared to toys), they feed their minds, and they are good for hours of entertainment. Favorite books are read repeatedly." ~ Anne Marie "How about buying a family membership to the zoo, a museum, or an aquarium? Season tickets to the ballet or theater? A gift certificate to the movies (they're so expensive these days, most families have to wait for video) or to Blockbuster? Ballet lessons or horse-riding lessons. Music lessons. I could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea." ~ Joy "When
my sons were 10 and 12 years old, my parents took
them on a two-week camping tour of the western
United States. That was 25 years ago and to
this day my sons frequently talk about that trip. If
grandparents can't afford a trip, a special
overnight visit can be just as memorable. Make
the focus of the visit something that the child is strongly
interested in. My love of genealogy came from
spending the night with my very knowledgeable
grandmother! My own granddaughters love to come and
visit individually. I've taught the oldest to
sew and the youngest to play two musical
instruments. Each overnight visit is devoted
to accomplishing a project that they plan and we
execute together." ~ Judy "How
about giving a "family gift". It could
be a membership to the local zoo, a children's
museum, a local pool pass in season, or a gift
certificate to a favorite family place to attend
or eat. Memberships are always a great deal
anyway. If its a gift, you can get a full or
partial tax deduction and the family can enjoy the
gift all year. Find something that would interest
the family though that is convenient. Most times
if the family uses it even just twice, you get
your money's worth." ~ Amy "We've found that age-level magazine subscriptions are good because they get something in the mail each month (which they love), they read them, then recycle or pass them on - just as we do with ours! Other good ones, depending on the age of the child are memberships to science centers, zoos, museums, toy lending libraries (if there is one nearby), theme parks, etc." ~ Melissa "A non-cluttering gift our kids got for Christmas (from grandparents) was a zoo/children's museum membership for a year! We are going regularly and enjoying it very much. Other friends have received babysitting 'coupons', swimming lessons, soccer lessons (or equipment for sports! Our kids are still too young for this, but I am looking forward to giving them special one-on-one time - like a little girl going out for tea with her grandma, or a sleep-over at Grandma and Grandpa's." ~ Erin "My mother gave time instead of gifts for years. A couple things she did is to take two grandkids that had birthdays around the same time camping, in their 5th wheel (not roughing it really!). The kids would take their bikes and roast hot dogs. They all remember that time fondly. Also years ago she took 4 of them for a scenic train ride.. dinner and later window shopping. They enjoyed that very much too. Kids don't need more things... they need TIME! One child was asked by a parent, 'Do you want quantity or quality time.? The child replied.: Quality.. and LOTS of it!'" ~ Lisa "A year's membership for a family at the Discovery Center is $60. Recently, I won four tickets to the zoo in a magazine drawing. I gave them to grandparents of a little boy who is autistic. His mom died in December, and I was thrilled to have the tickets to give! They were pleased to receive them. I was so happy!" ~ Judy "As
a mother of five (14 years through nine months)
I dread the influx of gifts, appreciative as I
am for the thought, but also dreading finding
room for the new toys and then the inevitable
picking up of them afterwards. "As far as non-cluttering gift ideas go, we have given roller skating and bare foot water skiing lessons and this April I will be giving horse back riding lessons. My daughter gave us family zoo passes so we can take our grandchildren as often as we want." ~ Linda "We live in the city and we'd love for our children to receive museum, zoo, or water park passes. In many cases, you can get a year-long pass for the price of two visits." ~ Angie "For most of my boys' lives (I have 4), my in-laws gave the boys swim lessons. Since we live 5 hours away, they had the boys come, 2 at a time, for a 2-week period of time. The ones that were too young for lessons still got to go to Grandma & Granpa's, but they waited on the lessons. They are now aged 16-21, excellent swimmers, and have very close relationships with their grandparents and extended family that lived near their grandparents." ~ Carolyn "My
parents have given our kids theater tickets,
trips to places like the zoo or a museum, movie
gift certificates. "My early 'retirement' compelled my husband and me to re-evaluate our gift giving practices. Although we are not spendthrifts, we did ask ourselves, 'What is the purpose of gift giving and what does it accomplish? Just what do people remember about their grandparents? What are the special things that I remember about my grandparents? What were those special moments about childhood that you remember?' What I found out after asking friends, family, and myself surprised me. It wasn't the expensive toy or gadget. They are hardly thought about. What is no surprise is the relationship. If there was no relationship, there is no memory. In order to have a relationship, one must give of themselves. Sometimes distance can be a problem that must be over come and busy schedules can be a challenge as well. I tried to come up with a solution to give of myself without the expense; I wanted something that just might be remembered and related to my great grandchildren. Some non-stuff gift giving would be sharing moments together. If you are excited about something, your child or grandchild will probably be excited about it as well. Some moment sharing ideas are baking cookies together, teaching skills such as knitting, crocheting, sewing, drawing/painting, woodworking, gardening, simple home repairs with a "helper," making a model plane/car/boat, playing your instrument with them/sing along, or cooking special family recipes together. Sharing a special low cost interest with children or grandchildren could include attending local dog/animal shows, art shows, sheep and wool festivals or other special interest festivals, bird watching, hiking, visiting a local arboretum, summer outdoor concerts, or a picnic. There are a lot of local museums/places to visit with little or no cost. Museums, ballets, classical concerts, other concerts, or educational exhibits. A keepsake gift list I have come up with includes home crafted stuffed animals/toys, painting portraits of my children/grandchildren, knitted items such as mittens/ sweaters/hats/socks, wood working items such as doll beds/trucks/toys, a special crocheted doily in a frame, a quilt, or a framed piece of great grandmother's needlework with a handwritten history/information card with it. What was one Christmas gift my children thought memorable after all these years? Their own bucket of homemade Christmas cookies. When a keepsake gift might be memorable at a later time, then couple it with a big bag/basket/sand pail of homemade cookies, maybe even the recipe you made with them at another time. Still need something? For teen relatives a bag of candy with ten dollars taped to it was never turned down. I have implemented many of these ideas to create fond memories with my children and it is sweet to see that they are now making some of the same memories with their children. I now have memories to make with my grandchildren." ~ Gigi "When
they were young, my children quickly
overlooked a gift they repeatedly received
for every birthday and Christmas....until they
turned 16 and had to pay for their own cars!
The gift they received at every 'gift-giving
occasion' was a US savings bond. Those
bonds combined with their savings from summer
jobs helped them purchase their first
vehicles. A bond can be purchased for
$25.00 at your local bank and given to the
child with a clutter free gift like a
book or puzzle. The kids WILL thank you
later!" ~ L "I
have been thinking long and hard about this
subject, and trying to come up with
alternatives to the amount of stuff that our 3
and 4 year old have. There are so many things
that they'd rather have than toys or games as
gifts, and the greatest of those gifts is
TIME. I have asked that grandparents stop
buying the girls 'things' and instead, asked
for several of these items: "I
can really relate to this topic as I have 3
children. I took a picture of my kids
in their playroom with toys from one end to
the other. Showed the grandparents my
dilemma. Now my children receive gift
certificates to their favorite local
restaurant and savings bonds. Food items are
always a fun thing also. My kids love
chips and I don't usually buy them so they
will get cans of chips, favorite sugar free
gum--all for their very own. We have
also cut back on our gift exchanges with
friends -- thus resulting in less clutter of
toys." ~ Tonya "Great
non-cluttering gifts for children: "Season tickets to local amusement parks are always good. My mother-in-law law has given our entire family season tickets to Dollywood in the past." ~ Chyrlene "We have a 3 yr. old daughter and 5 month old son. We limit our birthday and Christmas presents to three each. So far, most things we have gotten them, are outings or things they can use up. For Christmas we took our daughter skiing, and hope to do that for our son when he gets a little older. This takes no space in the home, lets us spend time with her, and teaches or improves her skills. For her birthday, I purchased workbooks, a coloring book and some construction paper. These are all items that she will use up, thus not contributing to more clutter in our home. My parents gave her money for swimming lessons. Other ideas are tickets to museums, zoos, special events, e.g. Ice Capades, Sesame Street Live. For older kids I have given movie tickets and restaurant certificates. My dad used to always give me a night out. We would schedule a meal and event out to a basketball game, movie, or play. I like to try to think of events, activities or lessons that would be enjoyed or if I have to give material gifts, items that can be used up. My husband adds, 'Always remember to donate a toy when you are given a new one.'" ~ GMMR "For my 7-year-old grandson's birthday this year, his mom requested gifts of experiences and interaction rather than things. The family came up with some fun ideas--a sleepover with cousins, one-on-one lunch outing (with a small budget to plan and decide on), a bird-watching outing, trip to a children's museum, personalized journal and markers. We will try to send other ideas." ~ Grandma "What
about subscriptions or passes to
wave/swimming pools, zoos, science centers,
libraries?" ~ Anonymous "I'm
sure others will mention this, but
family memberships to local zoos,
science museums, theme parks, the
local Y or swimming pool and the
like are great gifts that the family
can use all year round. For
individual gifts, gift certificates to
the movies or bowling, roller skating
are enjoyed by kids of all ages.
My kids (11-year-old twins) also go
nuts over gift certificates to book
stores. This does not help as
much with clutter, but I consider
books to be GOOD clutter! If the
grandparents live close by, how about
a day alone with each grandchild?
It can be a day at the park, dinner at
a REAL restaurant (not fast food!),
baking in the kitchen, teaching
the child a craft, just time spent
together." ~ Carolyn "How
about cooking lessons. That
could be not only fun, but useful
later on when they are on their own.
We gave our children ice skating
lessons one Christmas and that
worked well for the two of them.
Sewing lessons are great to give
also and place like JoAnn fabrics
gives lessons. Other than those
ideas, my Grandmother used to
give us money in the form of a
savings bond. It didn't mean much
for the first couple of years until
I understood what they were all
about, but by the time I went
to college, they were worth
over $5000 and I really did
appreciate them. The other thing
Grandma gave us was the gift of her
time. That was the best gift
of all because she was the best
Grandma!" ~ Colleen Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond. |
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