Thinking Outside the Box: The Best (Non-Toy) Presents for Kids

Whether you have your own children, spend lots of time with the offspring of friends or family (voluntarily or otherwise), or avoid kids like the plague, you are probably aware that young humans – not unlike their “grown-up” counterparts – are prone to wanting things they don’t need. In no sense is this truer than with respect to toys. Now, toys can be wonderful: there are many circumstances within which toys can be enriching, be that educationally, socially, or just in their ability to make a child happy and positive.

However, with consumerism’s relentless march deeper and deeper into the human consciousness continuing totally unabated, the scale of toy ownership, especially in so-called developed countries like Australia, has simply gotten out of control. Despite study after study showing the negative impact on children of owning too many toys, and many parents feeling oppressed by the clutter and worried that their children are being spoiled (not to mention the environmental impact of such consumption, or the financial pressures it might put on buyers), the global toy industry continues to grow, and playrooms and bedroom floors are becoming ever more crowded. Why? Well, maybe bad organising, maybe overindulgent parents – but for the most part, uninspired gift-giving.

Even the best-intentioned adult might be liable to try and buy a bit of love sometimes: it’s difficult to deny that it’s a good feeling to give someone something they want, even if they don’t really need it. But ultimately, it’s unsustainable and undesirable, so here are some things to try instead.

A Book – the Gift You Can Open Again and Again

Perhaps I’m biased in suggesting this, as I was, by all accounts, a proper bookworm as a kid, but I truly believe that giving someone the right book at the right time can be one of the most meaningful, important things you can do. Obviously, it’s important that any book you give be age-appropriate, and it may be worth discussing both a child’s reading ability and their parents’ attitude towards “adult themes” (and so on) before doing so – but don’t let these be insurmountable issues.

Reading – as well as potentially transferring information – has a myriad of developmental benefits for children (and indeed adults) of all ages. It improves memory, builds vocabulary, and encourages empathy; it helps kids form logical processing channels, and at the same time feeds their nascent imagination. A book truly is a wonderful present, and can be reused again and again, and again.

Giving Experiences

If, however, you’re trying to move away from giving children objects of any kind at all (which would be an admirable step in my opinion), you could consider the benefits of giving them an experience (or at least a voucher for an experience) instead. Irrespective of what the experience is – it could be an exhilarating outdoor adventure, a visit to somewhere they’ve always wanted to go, a trip to a favourite restaurant, or even something as simple as you sitting down and painting a mug with them – you have the potential to not only not clog up someone else’s house, but create a meaningful and memorable moment for the child in question, and no doubt strengthen your bond with them too.

Artistic and Creative Materials

It’s no secret that children love to create: to draw, paint, fold, bend, mix, cut, stick, and so many other words capable of scaring a deposit-payer within range of such machinations – often whether they’ve been asked to or not. So why not provide either a constructive set of materials upon which to unleash such boundless energy and creativity – paper, card, pipe-cleaners, googly eyes and so on all spring to mind – or (if you’re not overly fond of said child’s parents) the pens, pencils, crayons, paints and brushes with which to inflict their madness on the physical world around them?

There are loads of fun things to do with basic art supplies, and the benefits of creative expression for children are well-documented, with respect to social, emotional, and cognitive development (but also really obvious – just look at how much fun they have with it.)

Giving: the Greatest Gift of All?

Sometimes, though, a child really does have it all, and in such circumstances, it’s difficult to know how to celebrate them. Consider then, perhaps, donating to a charity in their name, or sponsoring an endeavour (tree-planting, or animal conservation, perhaps) which you think they’d approve of. Even if the kid is themselves too young to have strong beliefs in causes beyond cake and misbehaviour, try and think of one which they might grow up to be proud of – such presents can really leave an impact on the person a child might one day grow into. Occasionally, parents will help you out and declare a charity which they ask all people who might have bought their child yet more plastic nonsense to donate to instead – if so, so much the better, but consider it even if they don’t.

Often, it’s not easy to know what is appropriate to give a child as a gift, either price-wise or content-wise. Sometimes, nothing might be the appropriate move; other times, perhaps a combination of many of these categories in the form of a kids hamper, or some art supplies that you’ll sit down at some point and bond with their recipient over as an experience, as part of the gift. However it ends up, though, just remember that thought really is the only thing that counts – and it’s much easier to show thought through a non-toy present.