Non-Electronic Gifts for School-Aged Kids

The holidays are rolling around and in the age of technology, I tend to search for gifts that are not electronic. There are plenty of fun, educational electronics on the market that are certainly fun to play with, but there is nothing that can replace playing with actual objects instead of manipulating 3-D virtual versions. Children get plenty of screen time at school, so we are encouraging non-screen activities to spark a bit of imagination and creativity, and refine those struggling fine motor skills that are a result of increased screen time and lack of real world experiences.

LEGOs

There is nothing like LEGOs to get the creative juices going. The Classic sets come with tons of bricks, and a few ideas to get you started. There are some downloadable idea guides online. The LEGO Friends are geared more toward girls, but my boys have loved putting them together and playing with the roller coaster. There are also several specific lines that are Star Wars, Ninjago, LEGO City, and Creator options that have 3 options for your child to build.

Subscription Boxes

A few years ago, some family members started getting my kids Subscription boxes as gifts. They have been a huge hit over the years, and when they receive them monthly, it spreads out holiday or birthday joy. Little Passports has boxes that are geared toward a variety of ages. They are designed to teach a little bit about different cultures and geography. The Early Explorers set is geared toward 3-5 year olds, The World Edition is for 6-10 year olds, The USA Edition is for 7-12 year olds, Science Jr. is for kids 5-8, and Science Expeditions is for 9+. My boys have loved learning about different parts of the world, and doing the fun science experiments at home. Kiwi Crate has hands on science and art boxes for kids birth-16. There are 7 different boxes to choose from, and you can pause your subscription. Bookroo offers monthly boxes that are filled with books geared to kids birth-10.

 

Craft Supplies

 

Purchase some blank books for kids to create their own flip books, comic books,stories, or use for them to draw pictures and have them bound. Give them a box with colored pencils, sharpies, and other art supplies to create and enjoy. Learn to Draw books are fun for kids to use as inspiration for their own creations.

 

American Girl

 

You can purchase one of the award winning historical characters and books that have been around for years, or customize a Truly Me doll with hair color and skin color to match your daughter or son. You can purchase clothes and accessories, and even send her to the doll hospital if she needs repairs. They make accessories such as hearing aids, diabetes test kits, and arm crutches as well.

 

Fat Brain Toys

 

We discovered some toys at a local toy store made by Fat Brain Toys, and have loved them all. We found a Coggy toy that you rearrange the gears to match the cards. The cards  get increasingly more difficult. I loved that it was a fun toy to play with, but also helps improve critical thinking and problem solving. We brought our Coggy toy with us to Disneyworld for some screen-free wait time while we were standing in lines.

 

Perler Beads

 

Perler beads are a fun activity for kids to create their own designs when you buy the beads in bulk, or put together designs from kits. You can download instructions for dozens of designs as well. My boys have spent hours of fun arranging the plastic beads on the board. All it takes it an iron to melt the beads together, and you are set!

 

Magazine Subscriptions

 

We try to encourage reading in any form. My boys have enjoyed receiving subscriptions to Highlights magazine for years. It has several short stories, puzzles and games, and creative ideas to try at home. If your child is interested in more topic specific magazines, check out Sports Illustrated Kids, and National Geographic Kids as well.

photo by Adrienne K Photography