Hey, friend! If you are still trying to wrap up your Christmas shopping, you are not alone. In an effort to help you finish off that list I’m a few of our time-tested unique and creative last-minute gift ideas today. Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. Full disclosure available here.
I am celebrating my 14th Christmas as a mother and my 7th year as a mother to 4 kids, which only means that I have bought just about my limit of Legos in my lifetime. Or at least until I become a grandparent. I shouldn’t count that season out.
In all seriousness though, Christmas and birthdays can be tough when you would like to purchase a few nice gifts and yet don’t really want more STUFF piling up in your home. Or more Legos. (Don’t get defensive here. We love Legos. But limits are good, right?)
So in this season that naturally comes with expectation and a little pressure sprinkled on top, I throw a fair amount of gift constraint on top of that. I’m not much for the season’s top toys and bestsellers. I prefer the less common treasures that encourage thinking and growth. I want stuff my kids will use, stuff that will last, or specifically expendable stuff meant to be used and tossed. Gifts that encourage learning and creativity and yet still play toward my kids personalities and interests are just the thing I’m hunting for.
And this is how I make myself (and occassionally my husband) crazy at Christmas, you see? But I actually enjoy the hunt. I like reading reviews and thinking through unique gift ideas rather than grabbing the first thing off the shelf. In case you find yourself in similar shoes, I thought I would share a few things we have loved and a few I’m hoping we will love this year. Hopefully you will find some unique, last-minute ideas here for the kids in your life as well.
Games
We have hit the stage of life where we can play real games, with real strategy and have real fun. As opposed to, say, Candy Land for the 456th times. But not all games are created equally. Lately, Gamewright games (Not an ad for them, friends. We just like them!) have been a hit for our mix of ages (6-13). We’ve been playing a lot of Quixx, just picked up Sleeping Queens, and Dragonwood and Go Sushi will soon be under the tree.
Audio
Audio books have made great gifts in our home, and this year I’m particularly loving this one. If I can find more ways to weave the Word into my kids hearts, I’m going to do it, friend. Adventum is a newly released audio version of the book of Genesis. This is a straight up reading of the Word and puts the Bible in color for your kids as they listen to the Creation account and other familiar Bible stories come to life with all the theatrical sounds effects. Follow this link to listen to a sample.
Books
Okay, this might not be all that unique because I buy books every year, but the hunt to find the best books to engage my kids is always special. Series are one of my favorite ways to hook my young readers (I’m adding to my girl’s collection of this series, the family collection of this one, and hoping to hook the boy with this one over here).
But one really fun idea is to grab a book from Caroline Rose Starr this year. She is offering a signed book plate to anyone who purchases one of her books (details on her IG account). My daughter read May B this summer and really liked it. She and my niece will find personalized and signed copies of Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine under the tree this year. How fun is that?
NOTE: Amazon still has their awesome book coupon code running. Just enter GIFTBOOK18 at checkout for $5 off a book purchase of $20 or more. You can find more of my favorite books to gift over here.
Magazines
This is an idea that you might overlook, but magazine subscriptions are great because they are the gift that keeps on giving and they are disposable – both wins in my opinion. My six year old will be getting a copy of Ranger Rick and I’m also ordering a subscription of For Girls Like You. (Tip: Grab a copy of the magazine from your local bookstore to put under the tree, because your first issue is not likely to arrive in time for Christmas).
Arts and Crafts
One of the best things about siblings: sharing. One of the worst things siblings: Also, sharing.
My crafty daughter once complained that the paint colors she liked were always empty or the marker colors she liked were always missing because someone else lost them. For Christmas that year I gave her her own art bin complete with all kinds of supplies that she didn’t have to share. It was fairly affordable and easy (I just printed a fun label and stuck in on a cute storage tub filled with supplies) and she was thrilled. Done. She has also loved the creative gifts below over the years. Oh, and a favorite that still gets used around here – that thrift store typewriter.
Smarty Pants Toys
I’ve mentioned before the Stem Lab monthly subscriptions that my family has loved, but this year I also purchased a Kiwi co engineering subscription. Every review I have read on these kits is excellent and their coupon code at this link makes them affordable to try out. Start a new subscription or just order one for under the tree. Either way, they ship fast so you should still have time to get one here before Christmas.
Nerf Armory
This is not minimalist, nor disposable. It means there will be foam darts in places like your light fixtures (yes, found one there the other day.) But it’s not Legos, right? My family is at a really good age for an all out Nerf war and I happened upon this 300 pack of knock-off Nerf darts (with excellent reviews, for less that $13!). Yes, that means I’m signing up for hundreds of Nerf darts littered throughout my home and my light fixtures, but it’s not as bad as stepping on Legos. So I think I’m going to pull the trigger on this one. 😉
Also, a less messy alternative to Nerf guns are these laser guns. We’ve had similar ones for a few years now, and they are one gift that has been well used and well loved around here.
Classes and Experiences
These may not be quite as fun to unwrap on Christmas Day, but tickets/gift cards for fun experiences make for memories that last longer than most gifts do. Try gift cards to a pottery shop, concert or orchestra tickets, tickets for sporting events or a gift certificate for horse riding lessons. If weather permits, get a lift ticket for the nearest ski hill or think ahead and purchase swim passes for the summer. The best part? Each of these are disposable and can be purchased quite easily at the last minute. Win!
There you are. If you need a few more fun ideas for the whole family, you can find last years list of 25 unique last minute ideas over here – Bacon bar soap anyone? 😉. Finish off your shopping list now, friend, and you’ll have a whole week to sit back and enjoy the reason we celebrate.
Merry Christmas!
Katie
