Holiday Gift Guide: Non-Toys for Girls

I love giving gifts. I love picking out THE perfect gift for a friend or family member. Now that I have kids I love thinking about gifts that will inspire them, spark creativity or just make them excited! Leigh and I have a few gift guides in the works and I’m excited to share this first one with you!

Lydia is only 3 but she has more toys than a small country. We have a playroom for goodness sakes! A room to store her toys! And to make matters worse, her birthday is 12 days after Christmas! I have purposed to NEVER buy her a toy. I try to buy things that will be just as exciting—only without all the plastic, lights and  speakers!

And now, here are my Top NON TOY Gift Picks for Girls of Any Age:

1. Umbrella

I know. This sounds silly. But having your own cool umbrella is—well, cool! I have a rainbow umbrella and my kids think it’s an adventure every time it rains. Lydia will be getting an umbrella this year and I’m kinda leaning toward this kitty umbrella above. Cute, right?

2. Hula Hoops

Lydia’s ballet teacher incorporates lots of fun active play in their class. They use scarves, the balance beam, a parachute and  hula hoops! The girls love every bit of it! I don’t think I want a balance beam in the house but a hula hoop I can do! Hula hoops come in all different sizes so I’ll be getting Lydia the mini hula hoop this year!

3. Jump Rope & Rhyme Book

Lydia is enthralled with jump ropes. I was trying to teach her to jump rope (unsuccessfully) and then remembered the rhyme, “Bubblegum, bubblegum in a dish…” but after that I was stuck. So, when I saw this book, Anna Banana: 101 Jump Rope Rhymesat the thrift store, I had to get it! We have had a lot of fun with this book. I think it would be a fun gift for older elementary girls coupled with a nice jump rope.

4. Anything from Crayola

I love Crayola products. They are quality AND very creative. I’ve told you how much we love the Washable Window Markers. We also have this Color Wonder™ Glitter Paint & Large Paper which Lydia loves because the paper is about 3 feet wide. Even a pack of colored pencils and a blank pad of paper would be a fun gift for a budding artist. Or a gift basket filled with lots of fun Crayola products!

5. Handmade, Vintage or Old-Fashioned Toys

I love the idea of kids having the same toys as their parents. Or their grandparents’. Etsy is full of sweet handmade dolls and other toys that would be perfect for a little girl. I love this little “lumpling” doll from Amy Rue.

For Lydia, I’m planning on getting her a Raggedy Ann doll. We have been listening to the audio version of Raggedy Ann from the library. It is an absolutely precious book and Lydia is enthralled with it. I think any girl would be excited to have her very own Raggedy (like this one from oh sew dollin’s etsy shop) along with a Raggedy Ann Stories book!

6. An Experience!

My very favorite gifts are more than objects—I like memories! In Atlanta we have a local magazine called Atlanta Parent. It lists all the local festivals, storytimes, camps and free activities. Try scouring one of these magazines or local blogs to find cool local kids events at the museum, specialty shops (like American Girl) or a big traveling show like Disney on Ice! You can put the tickets in a picture frame, tie them around an appropriate doll or book and it will be a fun gift for any age!

7. Sticker Book

When I was a kid, I collected stickers. I don’t think that’s cool anymore. But there are some amazing sticker books out there now. My favorite is by Phidal. The stickers are reusable with games and activities. Lydia has done matching, counting and color recognition with these books. AND they keep her busy for days! Her favorite is the Fairies Forever Sticker Book. Of course.

8. Start a Collection. Foreign money, nutcrackers, snowglobes, vintage book series, blown glass or a charm bracelet. You can couple this gift with the “supplies” that go with it (a book for storing stamps, a special shelf for the snowglobes, a book identifying money, etc.). The best part of this gift is that you never wonder what to buy again. You’ve got a set gift for years to come. It’s a tradition and gift in one!

9. Personalization.

Lydia loves to see her name on anything. Of course, you can never find “LYDIA” on stickers or a pencil. But kids still love to see “their” letter! I love this Peacock print from English Muffin’s etsy shop. (I know, I don’t have anyone in my family that starts with P–I should have named Lydia Polly!)

If you don’t want to do a letter or a name, there’s always another special even that is unique to your child–their birth month! This is the January print from Sarah Jane Studios. She has a print from every month and each one is as sweet and wonderful as this one.

Of course, there are always personalized necklaces, bags and shirts. Look for something your child would like and get their name on it! It adds extra pizzazz to a very normal gift.

10. Chinese Jump Rope

I may do an entire post on Chinese Jump Rope one day.  I had a Chinese Jump Rope as a kid and thought it was so cool. Then, when I lived in Florida, I subbed for a PE Teacher. He only did non-competitive sports in his class. One whole unit was on Chinese Jump Rope. I have never seen so many creative games and excited kids!

What’s your favorite NON-toy gift for a girl? Please share in the comments!

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If you’ve got a Holiday Gift Guide on your blog, please feel free to link it below! It can be a gift guide of any theme as long as it’s family friendly! I just know how much I love to see what others give and it would be great to see all our super ideas in one spot!

Please grab our button below or link to us in your post so others can join in on the great Holiday gift ideas!

(cool lego christmas tree photo by balakov)