Kids love presents, but over time, and often in just a few days, the excitement wears off.
Toys are played with while they’re brand new and then progressively move to the toy box, under the bed and then the top shelf of the closet where they’re rarely played with. It’s time for non-toy gift ideas your kids will love this year!
The alternative to giving children toys is to give them a monthly delivery to cherish all year long. What’s more exciting than waiting for a monthly package to arrive, hearing the doorbell ring after the mailman has left a special box on your front step and rushing to open it up and see what’s inside!
Grandparents, Aunts and gift-givers everywhere don’t buy anymore toys, this is the gift that keeps giving all year long.
There are many subscription services out there right now, but these are the BEST subscription boxes I’ve found for great quality, learning content and nourishing growing minds!
Feed imaginations, give them to the tools to learn, engage their minds, nurture their talents and let them explore and discover… this is what a subscription service will do and kids will continue to reap the benefits many times over during the course of the year.
Check Out These Epic Gift Guides:
- Ultimate Guide: 200+ Practical Non Toy Gifts for Kids That Aren’t Junk
- Best Board Games for Kids and Families to Play Together
- Best Gifts for Kids Who Love Arts and Crafts
- Best Outdoor Toys for Kids to Promote Active Play & Healthy Habits
- 40+ Unique Stocking Stuffers for Baby – Toddler (Ages 0 – 3)
- Non-Toy Gifts for Giving Children Experiences Not Things
These are the BEST Boxes and Gifts Kids Will Love Receiving in the Mail!
– MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS –
These are kid favorites little ones will love receiving in the mail every month!
– ARTS & CRAFTS –
Learning & Discovery Box: Green Kid Crafts
Green Kid Crafts is another box we get at our house because it’s different enough from Kiwi Craft Crate that the boxes cover a lot of different learning and discovery between the two.
Green Kid Crafts is a learning and explorer’s dream with fun, creative and eco-friendly craft and STEM activities (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) delivered to your doorstep. (Who doesn’t love receiving packages of their own!?!)
It’s a once a month delivery and the box contents are tailored to learning type and age. For example, the discovery box is available for kids (2-4years) and (5-10years) and the literacy box is available for kids (2-10+). They also have a sibling delivery service so if you have more than one child in your house like we do, then they get their own box and that eliminates any fighting or rivalry over who gets what in the box. (We love this because with twins, it’s a constant tug-of-war of who gets what.)
Each month brings a new theme; past themes we’ve received are Mad Scientist, Nocturnal Animals, Around the World, Outer Space, and Feathered Friends.
What’s Inside the Green Kid Crafts Box? Each box comes with 6 STEAM kits, a book, instructions, project materials, and a 12-page activity magazine.
Sensory Theraplay Box
Wonderful items to help your child self regulate…or simply for fun therapeutic play!
These wonderful sensory boxes are intended for children on the autism spectrum and/or children with sensory processing issues. Kiddos with hyperactivity, impulsivity, excessive anxiety, temper tantrums, poor coping skills, etc. can also benefit from the items in this box.
Every month you will receive a surprise assortment of 5-7 sensory toys and items for your child. Examples of items include putty, aromatherapy dough, textured tactile toys/ fidgets, craft activities, light up toys, drawing utensils, etc.
Boxes are shipped the first week of each month and these boxes are geared towards kids 5 – 9 years old, though children with special needs have different levels of independence and various learning levels and developmental abilities. However, fun sensory play often has no age limitations! Who can put an age restriction on a tactile fidget that helps someone focus? A fun toy with a “weird” texture? Sensory items can benefit everyone!
Check our the Sensory Therapy Box here!
NOTE: Place your order now through December 7th to receive your box in time for Christmas!
– IMAGINATION –
Surprise Ride
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this box! It comes jam packed with fun crafts and activities, a book, and even a snack that all revolve around a monthly theme. Whether it’s Treasures, Magic, Super Heroes or a specific location or animal, it’s a fun surprise for kids to discover and a huge boost for their imagination. And the best part – all supplies (learning kit includes all project supplies, a reading book, snack, fun extras, parent guide and easy-to-follow photo instructions) are included so you don’t have to researching projects and track down the supplies yourself. They’re delivered straight to your door, which busy Moms love.
Surprise Ride subscriptions are available on a month-by-month, 6-month or 12-month basis. Alternatively, you can order single boxes and select the theme best suited for your child.
– STEM –
Creation Crate
Introducing STEM subscription boxes that can teach you electronics, coding, engineering and high-level problem solving.
Learn how to build engineering projects and program electronics with instructions and components sent to your door each month.
Each month will get progressively more challenging with new lessons and instructions for building.
There three options for monthly subscription boxes including
- Junior Engineering Creation Crate (Ages 8+),
- Standard Electronics and Programming Creation Crate (Ages 12 – Adult),
- and Girls That Make your own wearable technology! (Ages 12 – Adult.)
– READING & LEARNING –
Prime Book Box
A Box of Books Delivered to Your Doorstep! Amazon just launched Prime Book Box, which is a subscription that delivers hand-picked two (2) children’s hardcover books every 1, 2, or 3 months at a steep discount. Inspire a love of reading—new adventures await in every box!
Ages are broken up by Baby 0 – 2, Ages 3 – 5, Ages 6 – 8 and Ages 9 – 12.
– LEARNING –
Little Passports
Teach your kids all about the world, with a monthly adventure from Little Passports that focuses on geography, history, culture and language. Choose from the Early Explorers (ages 3-5), the World Edition (ages 6-10), or the USA Edition (ages 7-12).
Featured destinations (a new country or US State is featured each month) will be accompanying by souvenirs, pop-out models, activities, stickers and other fun goodies. It’s a really fun and unique way to inspire kids to learn about new cultures and inspire them to travel.
Look into the 12-month subscription to Little Passports – I know your kids will love it!
Psst… Use These Blank Gift Certificates to Go With Your Subscription Box Gift
MORE EPIC GIFT GUIDES:
- Ultimate Guide: 200+ Practical Non Toy Gifts for Kids That Aren’t Junk
- Best Board Games for Kids and Families to Play Together
- Best Gifts for Kids Who Love Arts and Crafts
- Best Outdoor Toys for Kids to Promote Active Play & Healthy Habits
- 40+ Unique Stocking Stuffers for Baby – Toddler (Ages 0 – 3)
- Non-Toy Gifts for Giving Children Experiences Not Things
- Gifts for Kids to Receive in the Mail All Year Round
HOLIDAY RESOURCES:
- 30 Easy Elf Ideas: Easy Elf on the Shelf Ideas For Busy Parents
- Elf on the Shelf Printable “I Caught You Being Good” Notecards
- Letter to Santa & Certificate for Making Santa’s Nice List
Chelsea I truly love this post. We are very minimal when it comes to gift giving. Gifts are usually handmade, second hand or a ‘needed’ item for a new stage in development. We do similar gift giving at Christmas time amongst family and friends but never thought to do this for birthdays. I will certainly be keeping something tangible like this in mind for next year and am off to visit the blogs mentioned above now! ?
I love these ideas for birthdays too! So much more useful and meaningful than another toy from the store.