Simple Yet Brilliant Christmas Gift Ideas For Kids
Buying Christmas gifts for our kids can sometimes be a challenge. Trying to find that perfect, oh so special gift….under budget and guaranteed to be loved, is a difficult task. Every child is different, but it helps to share when you come across great christmas gift ideas. I love hearing what other moms have to say and I hope you will too. So here is a list, recommended from our home, of simple but brilliant christmas gift ideas for kids!
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Christmas Gift Ideas That Re-inspire A Previous Gift
This concept has served me well over the years, especially since I don’t like clutter. If your child has a bunch of toys that they haven’t played with in a while, maybe they need something new to re-inspire their love. Here are some examples:
Nerf Darts or Nerf Targets
Our son has a ton of Nerf guns, he loves to play with them here and there, but buy something new like a Nerf target and then all of a sudden his love for Nerf comes back to life. The same with darts…if your child is always running out of darts, then the love runs out too. So grab some darts for the christmas stocking and for a small price, it will be like getting a whole new Nerf gun. *Make sure to get official Nerf darts or do your research. Some darts have harder tips and some may jam your guns more often.
Doll Clothes and Accessories
The same concept applies for dolls. My girls have so many dolls laying around, and sometimes they just need something new to make it fun again.
If you wish to buy a doll this Christmas…I highly recommend Journey Girl dolls. They were exclusive to Toys-R-Us, and then when Toys-R-Us went bankrupt I thought they were gone for good. However, I just recently saw that they are now available on Amazon! Yay, I was so excited about this!! I prefer Journey Girl dolls to any 18″ doll at Target, Walmart or Meijer.
Buying doll clothes, or maybe doll accessory sets will inspire them to start playing again. Sometimes organizers will help as well! If they know where everything is, then they are more apt to play.
Think About Toys That Are Missing Parts
How many playdough spaghetti factories or princess playdough items do you have sitting around because your playdough is gone. Maybe getting a jewelry box or necklace holder will inspire them to use the beads or rubber bands they have. Small gifts can inspire a new love! Plus…it limits the “stuff” they have just sitting around.
Make sure you realize when it is time to move on!
Make sure to realize, if your child is getting older, at some point they will outgrow certain toys. Consider this when making your gift decisions. Instead of inspiring them to reuse a toy, it may be time to move on and sell or donate them.
Christmas Gift Ideas From Last Year That Passed The Shelf Test:
(meaning my kids still play with them)
Spirit Toys and Barn
Last year, for Christmas, I bought these horses and barn for my girls. They love the show Spirit on Netflix, so I thought it would be a great fit, but little did I know that it would be a home run! My girls absolutely loved, loved, loved this gift.
The barn came with a Lucky doll and Spirit horse. Then I bought the package of 3 riders and their horses as well. Both of my girls had their own Spirit horse, which came in handy (since of course Spirit and Lucky are their favorite).
Just Last night, they were playing with the horses and dolls again. I would highly recommend this gift to any girl who loves the show Spirit or even anyone who just loves horses!
PlayStation
Last year at Christmas was the first time we ventured into the world of video games. It was kind of comical, because my husband and I had no idea what we were doing. As we were Christmas shopping, we came across a used game shop. We walked in about two steps and stopped, both of us just stared forward for a minute, then we turned towards each other and laughed. We were definitely out of our element! However, it is easy to do research and figure everything out.
A new PS4 was way above our christmas budget, so we bought a used gaming system that came with several family friendly games. It actually came with a Wii as well, which Mariokart was one of the games we really wanted. We did need to purchase more remotes, but overall…we stepped into the video game world at a bargain price!
The Playstation and Wii were a big hit and we have had many family nights playing together. If you are hesitant about getting a gaming system, it can be fun for family time. If you are worried about your kids getting sucked into playing too many video games, establish time limits and I would advise doing a lot of research on games. Know what your kids are playing. Our kids, overall, love to be outdoors so we haven’t had many issues with them playing too much. So understanding your kids helps as well.
Just keep in mind, if you buy an older used version…some of the new games may not work. So determine what games are a must and then make sure the gaming system will work.
If you want a new system, then make sure to check out black friday deals coming up! I have already peaked at several ads, and most stores will be offering great discounts on gaming systems!
Already have a gaming system? Then pick up accessories to add such as a remote charging station or gaming chair.
Lastly, Christmas Gift Ideas To Get Your Kids Moving
I love to keep our kids active during the winter. Here are a few gifts we have loved over the years:
Roller Skates or Rollerblades
Living in Michigan, we get quite a lot of snow…to take a break from playing outside, it has been fun to head to the roller rink. Roller skates or blades make a great christmas gift, and to top it off, add a gift certificate to a local rink.
I have two kids that enjoy blades and one that prefers skates. If you are not sure what type your child would like, they have skates that come with both options! Otherwise, start with a gift certificate and have them try both options at the roller rink before purchasing a pair.
Snowboards, Sleds or Lessons
Buying gear to enjoy the outdoors is a great gift idea! Kids are growing so quickly, that buying a snowboard with bindings may not be the answer. It might be best to rent until their growth spurts slow down. However, buying them their own helmet, and ski goggles is helpful and will normally fit them for a few years. Top it off with a giftcard for snowboard or ski lessons and you have a gift your kids will love!
When buying goggles and helmets…make sure to look at measurements or age recommendations.
Activity Trackers
Kids love seeing how many steps they have! When it comes to activity trackers, there are so many options. Keep in mind the main purpose for buying one and then sort the brands by what features you need. We have both a fitbit brand tracker and then an off brand tracker.
The quality is definitely better in the fitbit (he has the Charge 2 and not the kids Fitbit Ace), but my daughter simply likes to see the time and count her steps, so the off brand version has served her just fine. In fact, she loves it.
So consider the purpose for buying a tracker and then figure out which one has all the features you need.
Get Creative!
Buying Christmas gifts for your family can be so much fun! Be creative and don’t get swept up with all the hottest toys. Buy the backscratcher they wanted every time you stood in line at the store or a bookshelf to hold all their favorite books.
Enjoy your time shopping for them and picking out special gifts!
Do you have more great gift ideas? Please add them below…I would love to hear them!
Thanks for checking out my post!
