Ideas for presents for kids that are to toys and do not take up too much room but are still 'things'

[ridingsixwhitehorses]

All our relatives like to buy things rather than give money or experiences and we just have soon much stuff. So I thought I would share the non toy things I've come up for the to buy in the past in the hope that you can share some others for this year:

Duvet sets (these are good as new ones can be bought every couple of years with whatever character they are into)

Character towels

Cool clothes - ds got a personalised jacket from GPs from disney store - was fab He wears it loads.

Felt tips etc - these are things but can just replace old many ones with new ones so not a net gain on things

Bubble bath type stuff

Garden toys - things, but at least not in the house

Storage like toy box or wooden chest.
Dressing up clothes.
Sports or hobby accessories.
Bath toys as they need replacing often due to mould.
Arts and craft stuff.
Money box or ornaments
Jewellery holder
Medal Board if sporty or skilled
Photo book of the year gone by.

Mine are getting handmade crochet blanket this year for this very reason.

Play doh
Craft supplies
Boxes of character themed cake mix
Character toothbrushes

DVDs
Novelty sweets from Japan (DIY candy is often showcased on YouTube)
Vouchers for iTunes/Google store so they can buy apps/music
Monthly Subscription box (ranges from
Gaming to crafts)

I get shoe vouchers for children I buy for
Other than that -

Decent school bag / lunch box
Dressing gown or slippers
Art supplies
Hat and scarf
Nice storage for toys (next)

Swim cossie
Cushions
Twinkly lights
Bookends
Bedroom art prints
Audio books
Swim towels
Swim toys
Suitcase/ backpack/ weekend bag
Sports stuff

We've had some success with MIL buying -

craft supplies
hair clips/bands/bobbles
tights
Socks

rucksack
cake dec stuff
crafty bits
cushion
fairy lights
subscription to fave mag/comic
subscription to get deleivered monthly flowers/brownies etc
t shirt
dress up stuff
colour books
flannel that expand
mug or funky cups.
placemats.
book collection.
audio books subscription
dvds
cds
slippers
socks
pjs

Good books, I love keepsake ones. My DM bought my DD the Nutcracker a few years ago which gets read every Xmas.

Other hits have been books like '100 things to do on a rainy day'.

Tickets or money towards tickets for something, e.g a day out like Warwick Castle etc.

Gift cards. DD thinks having lunch at Jamie's is the height of sophistication and paying for hers with a £10 gift card is v cool!

Following for ideas for our 5yo and 3yo

Another one hoping to get ideas!

Tech stuff and gadgets are good as they get older; smart light bulbs/light bulb adapters that allow lights to be turned on/off via apps or voice commands are on my list for this year. You can also buy remote control lightbulbs that work without an app.Both DC loved their bluetooth headphones a few years ago. Powerbanks, child-friendly fitness trackers, etc.

Upgrades for existing toys; more clothes/outfits for dolls and teddies, the Playmobil website sell extensions for most of their big playsets (houses, castles, farms etc), Lego that will tidy away in existing boxes, etc.

I think it's already been said, but those supersoft blankets are fantastic and used to build dens as well as snuggle up under.

A decent wind up torch is fun and might be a good idea if you have a child into Scouting/Guiding, as you will probably need to buy one at some point anyway.

For small children, a tuff spot is a great idea, and prompts lots of open ended play.

I definitely second adding to toys children already have (upto a point - we have 5 boxes of wooden trainset!!!!).

Camera

Nature stuff - bug hunting kits

Craft type sets - yes they add bulk, but they aren't around for long

I still remember the year DSis and I got umbrellas for Christmas - we were so excited. Mine was pink and hers was striped and we ran straight outside to put them up even though it wasn't raining . I remember taking it to preschool so can only have been about 3.

We have done little craft packs before, and also dotcomgiftshop do small rucksacks (keep an eye out for sales) to put a few little bits in.

Maybe better for birthdays due to time of year but we have also given little growing kits (the sort where you get a pot with the soil already in it and quick grow seeds to sprinkle on) - they seemed to go down really well!

Camera
Den building kits
Cyrstal/gem mining sets (decent box size, left with a few gemstones once complete)
Character swimming towels
Walkie talkies
Posters/pictures for bedroom walls
Calendars
Headphones
Portable speakers

There are some great ideas for small gifts listed here