Unplugged Christmas gift ideas for kids
This holiday season, I wanted to create a gift guide for kids that will keep them busy, and unplugged.
Rather than adding more toys to the ever growing pile, I wanted to share some ideas that keeps kids using their creativity more, the gift of experience, and more!
On the blog I will share some unplugged Christmas gift ideas for kids. I highlight some of our little ones favorite things, some charities to donate to, and experiences that will keep kids busy past the holiday season!
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Gift ideas to let kids creativity flowing
Books
Books! Nothing like fun books to keep kids busy and unplugged. Our little one has been obsessed with the Elephant and Piggie book series. They are so hilarious and engaging.
We got her the Elephant and Piggie book set last Christmas and it has since been her favorite. Another Mo Willems book series we love are the Unlimited squirrel books.
Art Case
When kids have the necessary tools to be creative, you’ll be surprised at what they can accomplish. We love this Crayola Art Case. It’s the ultimate creativity kit that has it all.
Magazine subscriptions
For Christmas this year, why not give the kids a fun magazine subscription? We love the High Five magazines, which are perfect for younger kids.
Our little one has been getting these monthly and she’s always excited when they come in the mail.
These Highlights Top Secret Adventures mystery detective game for kids looks amazing.
It’s a monthly subscription box, that kids will absolutely love. Im getting a subscription for our little one, which I’m excited about!
Create your own books
I believe our little one is a born author. She has been creating her own book series since she started reading and writing, and these Illustory create your own book set is such an amazing invention!
You let the kids draw and write a book, then send it to have the books printed! Such a great idea! The set also includes a Create your own Comic Book as well!
Mindful Journals and books for Kids
We all need ways to teach our kids to be more mindful! This 3 minute Gratitude Journal is definitely something I want to give my little one this Christmas. It has so many great ideas to help kids be more grateful and mindful each day. We love these other book ideas as well!
Experience Gift Ideas
One of the best gift ideas for kids are experiences! This is the gift that will give the kids something to look forward to and expand their minds! Plus it’s a great way to find things to do over the winter break!
One idea is to create an advent calendar with various things including experience ideas for the whole family! You can include some free and paid experiences, mixed in with some candy and small surprises!
These don’t necessarily have to be expensive things, be creative and think of some fun experiences to do as a family!
READ NEXT: A Guide to Washington DC with kids
Some Experience Gift Ideas:
Children’s Museums
- Most cities have their own version of a Children’s Museum, and I think this idea is always a hit with the kids.
- We love the National Children’s Museum in DC, which is open Thurs-Sun with 2 sessions to choose from (9:30am-12:30pm or 1:30pm-4:30pm) Make sure to purchase tickets online here and costs $15.95 ages 1 and up (free for kids under 1)
Natural History Museums
- Most cities also have a Natural History Museum as well, and what kid doesn’t love seeing a Dino exhibit, mummies, and fossils!
- In Washington DC, the Smithsonian Natural History Museum is our little ones favorite and it’s FREE!
Art Museums
- I think a visit to an Art Museum is great for kids to expand their minds. Find one that the kids will love, and make sure to create a scavenger hunt to keep them engaged! Most Art museums have kids activity pages for them to enjoy.
- We love the National Gallery of Art in Washgington DC, and they offer a fun scavenger hunt experience for kids, which you can download here.
Museum of Flight
- I’m sure most cities have some kind of Flight Museum, whether they’re about planes or space shuttles. Kids love seeing how things work, and love all things flight! Find one in your city, or somewhere nearby and plan a fun family outing this winter!
- The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Air and Space museum in Northern Virginia is our fave and is free to visit. You would only need to pay for parking which costs $15, and is open Thurs-Mon. from 10am-5:30pm.
A Zoo experience
- A visit to the Zoo will never disappoint! Kids love zoo animals and this will be a hit! In DC, we love the National Zoo, which is FREE to enter (if you’re driving parking costs $30 per vehicle). You must reserve daily passes online for admission here.
An Indoor Play Area
- Most indoor play areas are now open with modified health and safety measures. Plan a fun day out to a local indoor play area for kids, and they will thank you!
- Some places we love in the DC area, are Scramble in Alexandria & Falls Church (reservations are recommend which you can book here).
- Super, Awesome & Amazing at the St. James, which includes and indoor waterpark, climbing obstacles and more. Hours are Mon-Wed: Closed/Thurs-Fri: 3-8 PM /Sat-Sun: 9 AM – 8 PM Waterpark is open Sat-Sun: 10am-6pm. Passes must be purchase onsite.
A Theatre experience
- During the holidays, there are a few theatre show experiences you can gift the kids. One thing you can look forward to are the Nutcracker shows, Disney on Ice and more!
- In Washington DC, the MGM National Harbor features the Cirque Dreams Holidaze show. On Dec. 16 & 17 (7pm)-Dec. 18 & 19 (12pm and 4pm). Ticket prices varies but start at $32.50. Get tickets here
- The Nutcracker at the Warner Theatre on Nov. 27 – Dec. 26, 2021. Times vary by date and tickets start at $85. Get tickets here (all guests ages 12 and over must be fully vaccinated to attend) Children under 12 will have to show proof of vaccination OR proof of a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours prior to the performance. Mask are required as well!
Other fun experience gift ideas:
- Sporting events tickets
- Musical Instruments lessons
- Cooking Lessons
- Art Classes
- Martial Arts Lessons
- Dancing Lessons
Great gift ideas for the little explorers or future scientists:
The Gift of Giving
I think one of the best gift ideas for kids is a gift of giving! Some ways we give back is by donating to a local charity, foodbank or Children’s Hospital. There are many opportunities to volunteer your time as well!
There are many charitable organizations to donate to. Sit with your kids and help them choose a charity they love and learn about their mission!
We always donate under our child’s name. She’s always so joyful when she receives those thank you letters in the mail!
- St. Judes Children’s Hospital
- Feeding America, or your local Foodbank
- The Make a Wish Foundation
- United Way
- Humane Society
- Childrens National
- Marines Toys for Tots
- Ronald Mcdonald House
- World Wildlife Fund
These books are a great idea for kids to learn more about kindness, generosity and caring:
The Gift of Travel
Last but not least, we love the idea of travel experiences over things. So why not gift the kids a trip, whether it’s exploring close to home or far away.
- A travel experience doesn’t have to be far away! You can also plan a fun local adventure visiting somewhere new nearby.
- Visit a new park, a new city, or plan an outdoor adventure. The main idea is to get the kids excited about seeing a new place, and let them get involved.
- I suggest watching travel videos together about places you’re visiting. Google search travel destinations and save some points of interest. Allow the kids to get into the travel planning and pick out some places or attractions they want to see!
Some Travel ideas:
- Gift a Disney Parks visit: One trip that our little one will never forget are our holiday visits to a Disney Park. We have spent the holidays at Disneyland Paris a few times, which was such a memorable experience.
- Make sure to reserve tickets and Disney hotels ahead of time to get the best prices. A great way to surprise the kids with the trip is by letting them open the Disney Bands as a present!
- Gift a Theme Park Holiday visit: A few years ago, we spent part of our winter break with a visit to Universal Orlando during the holidays, as well as a visit to Legoland Florida ringing in the New Year.
- Make sure to plan ahead as well, and a stay at one of the Universal Resorts which allows you early entry into the park for free, which means you can get onto most of the rides before the crowds!
- A road trip gift idea: We love road trips and have visited almost all the East Coast states, and most recently, a cross country road trip from Virginia to Washington State! We spent a week in Washington State and have a fun day trip itinerary to Seattle here.
- Some of our favorite destinations were our road trip adventures to Boston, including a day trip to Salem MA. Our weekend road trip through Maine, including a surprise road trip to the Thousand Islands Region of New York.
- Some of our favorite destinations close to DC, are our weekend trips to NYC, our day trips to Philadelphia, and our weekend visits to Williamsburg VA.
Explore some of our Travel Guides for inspiration here:
Travel gift ideas for kids
One of the best travel gift idea is a visit to a National Park! The kids will enjoy all the Junior Ranger Activities, and getting their National Passport book stamped, like this one pictured here:
Get the kids excited for their trip with these awesome luggage scooters! They’re a fun way for kids to get around the airports:
This Art Case came in handy during our long road trips, and on plane rides! They have eveything a kid needs to be creative, including markers, crayons, colored pencils, construction paper and more:
Another must have for long road trips and plane rides with kids are slime or putty. We love these playdoh slime kits. They’re perfect for keeping kids busy and not as messy as play doh:
How cool are these headphones for kids! no more worrying about them slipping, perfect for the littlest travelers:
This fidget toy set kept her busy for hours without resorting to screens! There are so many fidget toys for them to make travel time go faster:
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