Beyond Buying More "Stuff"...Rethinking Gift Giving

It is once again gift giving season. I love giving gifts and put a lot of thought into this process. Several years ago, I remember spending tons of money on the latest toys and well, those expensive toys are pretty much living a permanent existence in those fabric cube bins. You know, those ones you buy from Target so the clutter isn't all over your house all the time. You start being all organized with cars in one bin, art supplies in another, Legos in another (well about half the bins you bought). They give you the thought of organization, but rarely stay that way when kids dump everything out on the floor and mix it all up. Oh, they don't play with the toys in them. The game is to make the biggest mess possible to give mom or dad something to do. 

So, after realizing we were swimming in "stuff," I started rethinking my kids gifts. If you are in search of some unconventional gift ideas that will not add to the clutter in your house, here are my favorites!

• Pre-purchase Summer Camp 
• One year my oldest son unwrapped a trip to Space Camp. Last year, my youngest son received his first overnight experience at Camp Sealth on a little Pacific Northwest Island. How fun!

• Movie Passes 
• They sometimes offer specials, for example, if you buy a $50 gift card, then you get $10 free at the concession stand. Funding a family night out doesn't clutter the house and will give you a new movie to talk about.

• Adopt an injured or endangered animal
• This year, I adopted a seal pup from the National Marine Life Center for my son who wants to be a marine biologist. The World Wildlife Fund also has Adoption opportunities of both land and sea animals. They will send you a certificate, photo, and often a stuffed animal of that particular type of animal. Okay, so a little clutter, but it just reminds you of the good deed you did helping an injured or endangered animal.

• Purchase tickets to a sports or theater event
• These tickets can be pricey, so why not use them as a gift. You know you were going to buy them anyway, right?

• Trampoline park passes 
• Kids get some time away from video games to exercise! 

• Career Experiences 
• Search for experiences that give kids a glimpse of future careers: Marine Biologist for the Day at the aquarium or Zookeeper for the Day at the zoo.

• Indoor Skydiving Passes 
• Purchase the photo/video package so they can enjoy their experience over and over again.

• Cooking Class
• Find out if a local business, restaurant, or culinary school offers family cooking classes. Place a personalized kid's apron in the box with a card explaining the experience or create an invitation with the details included.

• Museum Tickets
• Wrap up museum tickets or a museum membership card. Include the museum's brochure for them to plan out their visit.

• Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt
• Gift cards to an ice cream or yogurt shop, so after spending time Indoor Skydiving, Indoor Rock Climbing, Ice Skating, or jumping at the Trampoline Park, they already have the funds for a special treat on the way home. 

I could list about a hundred ideas, but I know you don't have time to read them all. I hope this short list will help you start to think outside the box. Rather than buying "stuff" that ends up in those worn, tattered fabric bins from Target, think about what experiences or activities you can provide your children without the added stress of having to buy more fabric bins to hide more "stuff". Wishing you a clutter free holiday season!