We had yet another clear out at the weekend. You know the type. When you go through all the toy boxes and throw away the random plastic tat collected from 100 party bags, or left over bits from board games that have long since been charity shopped.
I really don’t enjoy the level of consumerism that goes on in this day and age, but it’s very difficult to escape it – especially if you have children. Kids birthday parties must be responsible for at least 50% of the plastic rubbish that ends up in landfill each year.
But I get it. Buying birthday presents for kids you don’t know is hard. You don’t want to spend a lot, you don’t know them well enough to go rogue, so you end up in the supermarket toy aisle buying something generic for a tenner.
Anyway, this clear out finally did me in. No more environmentally unfriendly presents shall be gifted by my hand! I have compiled a list of kids present ideas that don’t create clutter and don’t go to waste.
There are some really good ideas here actually, if I do say so myself 💁♀️
Outdoor Activities
Yes, there are loads of plastic outdoor toys, but you don’t have to buy them just because they are obviuous.
Gardening
Gardening is great for kids, and you can find all sorts in this category. Wooden bug hotels and butterfly houses are popular, but biodegradable wildflower or veg growing kits exist too. You can even get mini greenhouses (although the windows are plastic in those, but at least they can be used for a long time).
Even a gardening set – spade, fork, rake, gloves, apron, watering can – made of wood and metal makes a great gift for the right kid.
Sports Equipment
If you want something more run of the mill, you can get something like a cricket set or a rounders set for a decent price. They will only stop being used when the kids outgrow them, and they can be recycled or given away afterwards.
Even good companies like Jaques of London have sports sets like this for under £30, so it’s a gift that can feel a bit special ven though it’s affordable.
Big Chalk
Drawing on the pavement feels a bit naughty, so kids love it, but it will wash away next time it rains, so the neighbours can’t complain. Big chalk is a winner every time. Big chalk gives a sense of freedom and fun that kids enjoy right the way through the primary years.
It last quite a long time too, and doesn’t leave any waste behind, not to mention being super cheap.
Crafting and Creativity
Some people think crafting gifts are a bit lame, but if you look a little harder there are loads of great ideas out there.
Make Your Own Moneybox
My son got one of these and loves it, but it doesn’t have to be a money box. It can be anything that has a use. You can even get bedroom lights you make yourself.
The reason these are good is because they are made of card so they are 100% recyclable, but they also have along term purpose. The moneybox, for example, is a Minecraft pig. It has a little drawer that pulls out and the pig nods every time you put a coin in. It took about half an hour to make, which was fun because my son could do most of it himself, and now it sits proudly on his chest of drawers. The pieces just pop out of a sheet of card then you fold the tabs as per the instructions to build it. No tools required, and it’s surprisingly sturdy.
Model Making
There is lots of scope here, but one gift we liked were these sort of slot together wooden dinosaur kits. You ended up with the skeleton of a t-Rex or a triceratops or whatever the dinosaur was. It was made out of pieces of light wood, which popped out of a frame then slotted together in the right order, a bit like a 3D puzzle.
Then they went on display in his bedroom, and were occasionally used to invade his Hot Wheels City.
Jewellery Making
My daughter is still too young for these, but our friends’ girls love them. You can get plastic ones, but you can also get kits to make bangles etc from completely natural materials. Like friendship bracelets with coloured wooden beads and that sort of thing.
You can get these for boys too. We’ve had a bracelet making kit for our son too. We made leather wrist bands and that sort of thing.
Baking Kits
There are all manner of these sorts of thing available. From fairly standard cookie making kits to much brighter and more imaginative options like rainbow bagel bread making kits.
They usually cost between £10 and £20 so it’s very easy to get something on a sensible budget too.
Experience Gifts
Maybe not one for kids you don’t know but experience gifts are brilliant for kids and the parents. An activity for the weekend that I don’t have to plan or pay for myself? Yes please!
Cinema Tickets
I like this idea a lot. It doesn’t come across as being overly familiar and costs about the same as regular present. All kids enjoy the cinema, and they can choose when to use it and what to go and see. It’s nothing more than a voucher really, but it feels a bit more interesting.
I will absolutely be doing this next time one of my kids are invited to the birthday party of some random in their class 😂
Football Stadium Tour
My Mum bought my little boy a Manchester United stadium tour, and paid for my fella to take him as well. I was fuming because she could have chosen something that I would have wanted to do instead, but nevertheless, I had two very happy boys that day.
It wasn’t expensive either, around £35 for both of them, so if your mini Messi supports a less famous team it will probably be cheaper. Also, check out my football knowledge – knowing about Messi ⚽ Probably an idea for kids you know well though. Family friends etc.
Something Active
Tickets to go to a climbing wall, or a trampoline park, or an inflatables place, or bowling – any of these are a fun morning or afternoon for the kids. If it’s a good friend of your children you could even arrange it so you go together. It’s a lovely gift that leads to more memories together.
The good thing about these is that you can scale up or down depending on how well you know the child. Indoor sky diving is a bit much for a random school friend, but it might be ideal for the child of your best friends.
Consumables
I guess some of the other ideas could fall into this category too, but nevertheless.
Bubble Bath and Fun Toiletries
People think bathroom sets are just for adults, but my little boy loves a spa experience. We had our bathroom renovated and gave him a spa experience when it was finished, and he asks for them all the time now. Yes, the fact that we let him eat Maltesers in the bath probably has something to do with it, but he enjoys the bubbles too.
You can get kid themed bath fizzers and all sorts. They need to wash anyway, so it may as well be fun.
Make Your Own Sweets
Buying chocolates or sweets as a gift is just lazy, but buying a ‘make your own sweets’ kit is pretty fun. An activity that they get to eat afterwards.
There are a good range of products that fall into this category, from decorating biscuits to literally making gummy sweets, so you can pick something suitable.
Science Sets
These are the least environmentally friendly thing on the list, I know, but they definitely don’t create clutter – and they are educational too. You create a volcano or whatever it is the kit includes, and once the experience has been had, the kit is used up.
There will be some rubbish to get rid of, but much of it will be recyclable.
So there you are. I hope some of those were useful ideas or at least sparked your imagination to help you think of other gift ideas that don’t create clutter or go to landfill.
Happy gifting!