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Choosing non-toy gifts for 5-year-olds is an easy way to help them to develop different types of skills, to reduce clutter and materialism, and to adopt a more environmental-friendly approach to gift giving.
Toys are not an evil to be overcome at all costs, but too many toys can stifle your child’s creativity.
Researchers have found that toys limit kids’ creativity and increase children’s dependence on external stimuli to deal with boredom. They say that reducing the amount of toys can help kids develop important skills such as cooperation, organization and creativity.
According to Claire Lerner, a childhood development researcher, having too many toys is bad for kids. She says that the fewer the toys children have, the more frequently they play with them.
Lerner says that too many toys may distract kids and prevent them from reaping important benefits.
Why privilege non-toy gifts for 5-year-olds?
If your kids are anything like mine, most toys are greeted with enthusiasm at first, and then quickly join the pile of other toys and are forgotten as they turn their attention to something else.
Non-toys gifts are therefore a great choice if you’re looking for an alternative to toys.
Several researchers have found that gifts such as experiences are remembered for longer, and more fondly, than toys.
Non-toys gifts also tend to be used for longer periods instead of simply being forgotten at the bottom of a drawer.
Here are a few options if you are looking for gifts that aren’t toys for your 5-year-old.
7 non-toy gifts that your 5-year-old will love
1) Fun bedding
Your 5-year-old will love receiving bedding as a gift, especially if it features their favorite characters. JSD has really cool microfiber bed sheets that you’ll both love. If sheets are not for you, why not get them funky pillows like these decorative scented pillows or even a duvet cover set.
2) Hair accessories
If you have a girl, beautiful hair accessories such as bows on clips and headbands are non-toy gifts that your 5-year-old will appreciate, on condition that they like “girly stuff”. If not, you could also offer them a wet brush to make detangling hair easy (easier 😊).
If you have a sporty boy, check out these funky sweatbands.
3) Cool pajamas
Fun pajamas are among my favorite non-toy gift for kids of all ages. If you’re looking for cool, comfy, durable, and reasonably-priced pajamas, you will not be disappointed by pajamas from Hanna Andersson or by Burt’s Bees Pajamas.
4) Reusable water bottles
Wouldn’t your child love a reusable water bottle, just for them? You’ll have a hard time choosing from all the spill proof, dishwater safe bottles proposed by Contigo.
5) Kid-sized umbrella
My daughter has had a kid-sized umbrella ever since she was three, and the umbrella comes out as soon as it so much as drizzles. Stephen Joseph has amazing color-changing umbrellas, and they also propose fun raincoats and rainboots.
6) Kid-sized tools
Instead of getting your kids toy versions of everyday objects, why not get them real age-appropriate tools to help them build their sense of autonomy while learning new skills? Check out Curious chef for all the kid-friendly kitchen tools that they’ll love, or real kid-friendly gardening tools that they can use.
7) Coupons
Coupons are my all-time favorite non-toy gift idea for kids of all ages. I am a big fan because they are free, always appreciated, and can be used all-year round.
Coupons are also great non-toy gifts because they can be adapted to your family and to your kids’ personalities and to what they like.
Here are coupons that you can download for free and use with your kids.
Additional non-toy gifts for 5-year-olds
Here are a few additional non-toy gifts that your five year old will love:
- A funky tent that they can use indoors and outdoors.
- An alarm clock.
- Cool underwear with their favorite characters – Super Mario or Spiderman briefs, or colorful panties for girls.
- An electric toothbrush
- A nightlight or flashlight
- Lessons, for example swimming lessons
Final thoughts
How do you know how to choose great non-toy gifts for 5-year-olds? An easy way to ensure that your gift will be appreciated is to focus on what you child likes or needs, and then add their favorite characters to ensure that something “useful” (for example underwear) is perceived as a gift.
Also remember that at age 5, children will appreciate simple and often free gifts such as coupons that allow them to stay up a little longer, have an extra treat, choose their own cereal, spend special time with a parent, and so on.
What other great non-toy gifts for 5-year-olds should be on the list? Let us know in the comments section below.
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