Non Toy Christmas and Birthday Gift Ideas For Creative Kids

Christmas Gifts for Kids that Aren’t More Toys

Christmas is so special but can be an overwhelming time of clutter! With toy boxes full, shelves stuffed, and closets bursting, do the kids NEED any more? Of course, but how about I give you handfuls of wonderful non toy gifts for kids? I’ve found the perfect craft kit and science kit gifts for kids that will get use all year.

Christmas is coming!

No seriously. It’s REALLY coming! Thanksgiving is a week from yesterday. The holidays are flying by and they just started.

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Christmas = Toys

But really, does it have to? My kids LOVE toys, that’s what they think they want. Until they see all the wonderful options available for craft and science kits. At least for my 7 year old.

Both of my girls’ birthdays are only a couple months before Christmas. Which means we already went through everything, donated the ones they were ready to part with, and refilled with new interests. They aren’t ready to do that again!

They love all their toys and our home is literally bursting with toys. There is no question in any corner of our house that we have young children. It’s usually pretty clean and organized, but there are definitely play stations everywhere.

If you ARE looking for amazing toys for baby or classic toys for kids check out our favorite roundup of goodies for this season!

So what gifts will stimulate their minds and not fill the toy bins?

Amazon has an almost endless availability of amazing craft kits and science kits. I KNOW they will get used up quickly and be tons of fun! Last year we purchased quite a few and they provided endless entertainment!

So I scoured the web for you and pulled together the 10 best top sellers for this holiday season! These sets span the entire school-aged kid category AND will be loved by girls and boys alike!

I happen to have a 10 year old girl this year (where has the time gone?!) and if you are in that same boat of motherhood as me this year, you will absolutely love this list I stumbled upon: The Best Gifts for 10-Year-Old Girls in 2020.

For the top toys for kids of any age check out Amazons top toy list for 2020.

The Non Toy Gifts For Kids Christmas List

Craft Kits

1. Make Your Own Water Globes

These Make Your Own Water Globes – Under the Sea Snow Globes will be such a fun creative craft to make this year! The kit includes all the materials needed to create your own clay scenes to encase in 3 adorable water globes!

2. My Giant Busy Box

I’m blown away that the ALEX Toys Little Hands My Giant Busy Box contains all the materials needed to create 16 different crafts for only $22.98! This Parent’s Choice Approved Award Winner includes buttons, dough, crayons, doilies, flowers, feathers, eyes, bags, pipe cleaners, frames, boards, stickers, paper, tissue, glue stick and full instructions for days of play.

3. Decorate Your Own Wooden Race Car and Monster Truck

I love that the Melissa & Doug Decorate-Your-Own Wooden Craft Kits Set – Race Car and Monster Truck not only provides the fun of crafting and creating, but you ALSO get a toy after completing the kit. A toy that your child created themselves. It’s a win-win. PLUS, for the holidays I was able to find you two kits for the price of one!

4. Drawing Stencil Kit for Kids (Large 54 Piece)

The most wonderful thing about the Drawing Stencil Kit for Kids Large 54-Piece| Fun Travel Activity Set is that it spans ages 3 to teen! The Stencils kit include a special storage case, 14 large plastic drawing stencils, 22 blank paper sheets, 14 colored pencils, 1 pencil sharpener and 2 clips. With 280 stencil shapes the possibilities are literally endless.

5. Green Kids Crafts – Discovery Box

For a really fun option that will keep giving all year long you MUST check out what the Green Kid Crafts Discovery Box has to offer. Similar to a magazine subscription, you can receive an awesome box of crafts, books, and projects tailored to your child’s age every month for one low price. You will receive award winning themed boxes each month that include 4-8 unique and engaging STEAM projects designed to foster a child’s creativity and confidence while helping to raise the nation’s next generation of creative leaders. Plus the box will include a magazine, achievement badges, and fun and learning activities. For a small literacy upgrade you will receive a book each month as well.

Green Kids Crafts have won a ridiculous amount of awards for their ability to engage and stimulate fun learning in children as well as their green aspects. They are an earth friendly company, and use only sustainable, safe materials in all of their products.

If a 3, 6, 9, or 12 month subscription is a bit more than you’re looking for they also have an amazing collection of science kits, craft kits, and discovery boxes available for purchase. This is my favorite gift idea of all because of the seemingly endless amount of options available.

It’s really a gift that keeps on giving all year!

Science Kits

1. National Geographic – Break Open 10 Geodes

Your kids get to break open their own crystal treasures when you give them the NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – Break Open 10 Geodes. You will get 10 real natural geodes ranging in size from a tennis ball to a ping pong ball AND a full-color learning guide as well. My daughter got geodes for Christmas one year and the fun of breaking them open to reveal the beauty inside is incomparable. They are STILL displayed on her ‘special stuff’ shelf 4 years later.

2. Disgusting Science Kit

The Scientific Explorer Disgusting Science Kit is absolutely too much fun! My daughter got this last year for Christmas and we literally had fun with it all year. You get to learn about yucky body stuff (what kid doesn’t love that!) by creating a stinky intestine, slimy snot, fake blood and learning how to grow friendly molds and bacteria!

3. Amsope Kids Microscope Kit

The AMSCOPE Microscope Kit For Beginners comes with everything your child needs to explore the unseen world around them. ANOTHER gift we got last year and STILL use! This is the best Microscope Kit for budding scientists with metal arm and base, 6 Magnifications from 20x to 1200x, a 52-Piece Accessory Set and Case. It’s also Awarded The 2016 Top Pick of Microscopes For Beginners!

4. The Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab

The The Magic School Bus – Chemistry Lab has so many different tests and experiments it’s amazing! Your young chemist will make sticky ice, use litmus paper, measure pH, perform chromatography, make bubble sculptures, wake-up fungus, create slime, form a bouncy ball, learn about density, produce a milk rainbow, plate copper, explode a volcano, and much more with 51 experiment cards!

5. Everything Kid’s Science Experiment Book

The #1 Amazon Bestselling The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book is your kids’ perfect guide to gathering household items to create dozens of mind-blowing, kid-tested science experiments. They will be guided to answer questions about the world around them through conducting experiments they won’t be able to wait to test themselves!

These are some of the best non toy Christmas gifts around this year. I can’t wait to stash some of these under the tree this year in my home. For our other gift guides already out this year check out:

I’m still debating which to bring out next. There’s a good chance it will be for the techies. Maybe the fit mom? Maybe the hygge gift guide?

Looking For More Amazing Gift Guides?

Lauren from Simply Well Balanced has put together a stellar list of gifts for the active kid! Check out the Ultimate Gift Guide For Active Kids!

I just love Halie from Mediocre Millennial Mom’s Ultimate Baby Gift Guide!

Not to mention her adorable gift guide for girly girls!

Plus Angela over at Projects With Kids has a perfect gift guide for crafty kids all under $20!

Which gift guide would you love to see? Let me know in the comments below!

Non Toy Christmas Gifts For Kids That Are Better Than Every Toy On Their List

Christmas Gifts for Kids that Aren’t More Toys