Meaningful Children's Gifts - Budget Friendly - All Ages!

A meaningful children’s gift guide with toys, games and books that spark the imagination, encourage outdoor play and aren’t likely to sit abandoned on the shelf by January 1st. This guide isn’t your usual children’s gift guide, this one is different. Read on for some great ideas from my personal Christmas lists or items we already own and love!

*Disclosure: Some or all of the links in this post are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

If you are anything like me, you are probably a little fed up with the “conventional” gifts that Target or Walmart tell us we need for our kids every year. It’s not that we don’t love giving our kids gifts, it’s just that we see how little they are used and where they end up 6 months after Christmas. The plastic, brightly colored, noisy and annoying toys don’t keep their interest for long. Once my kids find out what they do, it doesn’t matter how badly they wanted it(I’m looking at you HATCHIMAL >.<) the toy goes to the shelf or toy box and sits…and sits…

I am determined for this year to be different. I am aiming to get my children gifts that are going to spark their imagination and encourage hours of fun and play, not easily entertain them for 2 minutes and then on to the next thing. This is a list of toys from my own Christmas lists or from items we already own and love. I really hope this is helpful to you and maybe together, we can give our children meaningful gifts and in the process, keep some out of the landfills.

Youngsters

Wooden toys similar to this one have always been a big hit in our family. I love that the functions are very simple and there are no annoying sounds or flashing lights – win win win! https://amzn.to/2CTmDjx

Wooden Puzzles – We had a set very similar to this when my big kids were younger. They are so fun and really engage the mind as well as fine motor skills. No tiny pieces to worry about and I love the wood. This one is on my list for my 14 month old this year. https://amzn.to/2XoUQAY

Plush Dolls – For the doll loving gals; hearts of yarn plush dolls are just the cutest, aren’t they? Made of real yarn, cotton and beautiful fabrics, these dolls quickly made their way onto my lists for my girls this year. https://amzn.to/2NZf7Kd

Tea Set – A wooden tea set is a great gift for children. I have found that babies even as young as 6-8 months can properly play with a tea set and quite enjoy it. My 5-6 year olds do too, definitely a gift that is great for a wide age range. https://amzn.to/2Kw9eCa

Musical Instruments – What child doesn’t love music? All 4 of my kids have loved instruments from a young age. The wooden design of this is what drew me in. I can picture my 14 month old as well as my 6 year old loving this toy. https://amzn.to/37hwrly

Wooden Blocks – Can you ever go wrong with wooden blocks? These blocks entertain my kids for hours at a time. We have two of these huge sets and they are wonderful to have around. Can’t recommend these enough. https://amzn.to/37hwrly

Lastly for the youngsters – books, of course! There are so many wonderful books for the littles in your life, but these are definitely a favorite of ours! The flap lifting fun keeps even the younger babies engaged and curious. Beautiful colors and illustrations in these. https://amzn.to/37hwrly

Elementary Aged Kids – Boys & Girls

I’ve been seeing these wobble boards for a couple years now and I think they look like so much fun. I could totally see my bigger kids playing with it for hours together. We do not own one, yet, but maybe this will be the year 😉 https://amzn.to/2XqC0JH

The big kids version of blocks – we love these magnatiles. We actually have the cheaper Picasso tiles(linked & shown here), because you can get so many more tiles for a similar price. And with these tiles, more really is more. The options are obviously very limited with small sets. We have this set and love it – the quality is great too! https://amzn.to/345sIpe

My kids recently got a cheap bow and arrow set from $5 below and they went absolutely nuts over them. Of course the ‘arrows’ were bent and broken within just a few days, but they loved them so much so these wooden arrows are going on our list this year. https://amzn.to/2Kwk6Qu

Thumb Piano – look how neat this is! Look it up on amazon or YouTube to see how it works. Seems like a super fun gift for kids to play with and to learn about tones and music. https://amzn.to/2CWB7z4

Beeswax Crayons – we absolutely love this set. The color is so pigmented and smooth. I love their triangular shape to encourage proper finger grip and they are thicker than regular crayons so they don’t break easily at all. We’ve had ours for over a year and not a single one has broken. A favorite, for sure! https://amzn.to/345sIpe

Quality Watercolors – I love supplying my kids with quality art supplies. I’m not talking about break-the-bank stuff, just not dollar store either 😉 These watercolors have lasted us YEARS. The colors are beautiful and the pigment is fantastic. https://amzn.to/2CTrMbl

Tangram Puzzles – this one is on our list this year for my 5 year olds and 6 year old. Definitely one that will engage their brain and isn’t a one-time-use-toy. I have a feeling they will enjoy this one for years to come. https://amzn.to/34b7hTm

Wooden Cleaning Set – this set is a favorite in our house! From my 14 month old to my 6 year old, we use this set daily! When my daughter asked for it a couple years ago I didn’t think it would actually be useful, but I was wrong. The kids love this and it’s actually helpful – big win! https://amzn.to/2OjCDAI

Curious Chef Knives – another household tool that has been genuinely useful in our house. My 5 year olds and 6 year old chopped all of the ngredients for my weekly kale salad(kale, red onions, peppers…) completely on their own. These knives are safe, but effective. My kids love helping in the kitchen so these are perfect. I read tons of reviews before I purchased this exact set and these won. https://amzn.to/37ethii

Window Bird Feeder – we have this exact bird feeder and I can’t tell you how wonderful it is. We have it on our bay window right by our kitchen table and during every single meal we watch tons of birds come and go. My kids have learned so much about birds and the various species. The suction cups and good quality and it doesn’t fall off the window. Can’t recommend this one enough! https://amzn.to/32RStYA

Spy Birdhouse – this one is on our list this year. My kids are so fascinated by birds(thanks to the above mentioned window bird feeder that gets us up close with them!) and as soon as I saw this I knew we needed it. https://amzn.to/35cSfwI

Binoculars – we have this set and it’s wonderful for bird watching in our backyard. Good quality and great size for young kids. We just need more than one set, so there is less arguing over it 😛 https://amzn.to/345tkv2

Birds Guide – if you are going to go through all this trouble to attract birds, you definitely want a guide for the kids to be able to identify the birds and learn more about them. We have a few guides, but this one is on our list this year. The pictures are STUNNING and I love all the details it covers. https://amzn.to/2rUdaGp

Birds, Nests and Eggs – we love this book. Covers a lot of the birds we see in our backyard regularly. https://amzn.to/2QwDrFg

Books – No Christmas guide is complete without some books, right?! These have been such a favorite of ours. The illustrations are beautiful and the lift-the-flap style makes these great books for kids to look at on their own. Car rides, plane rides, rest times…anytime. https://amzn.to/2QwwN1I

And that wraps up my 2019 Meaningful Children’s Gift Guide. I hope you found this helpful and I hope it will encourage you to find meaningful gifts for your children this year! Merry Christmas!

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Youngsters

Elementary Aged Kids – Boys & Girls

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