We recently made what we have affectionately dubbed another “Goodwill Run” at our house and after looking at the contents decluttered this last go around – I was inspired to pick this previous post idea back up and… just run with it. After several rounds of decluttering and parenting lessons learned, I am compiling a list of things not to buy for kids as gifts. Just please, don’t. This is for all parents out there.
We also just had two birthdays at our house last month (budget breakdown is coming – probably) and thankfully our friends and family are well aware of our efforts to minimize mess and control the chaos that is our kids’ toy collection. For the most part, we knew what to expect and people asked what our kids needed or could have. That’s always appreciated!
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THINGS NOT TO BUY FOR KIDS AS GIFTS
The following list is my little rant on things that are now banned from our house. I’m sure after reviewing the list you just might agree with me. Parents everywhere, this is for you!
STICKERS AND STICKER BOOKS
The first item on this list is usually an easy find and I’m sure we’ve almost all bought them. I am no longer a fan of sticker books for one reason and one reason only – the stickers end up EVERYWHERE but in the book and then they’re done with it. It’s another one-time-use product I’ve decided to ban from our house and will never gift again.
I am actually over stickers entirely at this point; I know kids love stickers, but how often does your kid get a sticker when out and about and it actually makes it home? It’s just trash in the end and I’ll pass. We’re trying to be a bit more environmentally conscious with our choices and this is a no-brainer. No more stickers, please.
LOLS AND ANYTHING SIMILAR
At first glance, they’re just kind of annoying. At a second and third glance, they’re just entirely inappropriate for our daughter and how we want her to see girls dress. We made the mistake of letting family members indulge our daughter in some LOLs last year for her birthday and we learned the hard way that these dolls are kinda nasty. This one definitely deserves a spot on the top of the list of things not to buy for kids as gifts.
Did you know they spit water? Just why? That part was annoying, but what happens to their little doll bodies after they’re submerged in ice water is just downright disturbing. We threw them away and banned them from ever entering our house again. At best they’re mold traps and at worst they’re a horrible influence on your daughter’s fashion sense.
Any similar doll lines such as Brats are also permanently banned. The bottom line is if you know your friends wouldn’t let their kid dress like the doll, don’t buy it.
HOLIDAY STUFFED ANIMALS
I will admit that one of my favorite stuffed animals growing up was “special” and gifted from a department store. However, in light of the personalization craze out there I think it’s gone overboard; does your child really need a new stuffed rabbit in their Easter basket every year or a dated teddy bear every Christmas? I don’t think so.
I do make an exception for handmade items as those truly are special. There is a crocheted chick in a sock egg in my daughter’s stuffed animal collection my aunt made me as a child. It’s not going anywhere and neither are the stuffed bunnies my mom made Ella one of her last Easters.
My problem is with a regular influx of stuffed animals for no other reason than there’s a year embroidered on its foot. The point is kind of lost on me…
ALL THE GLITTER
If you love your friends and family you will help them avoid the glitter! It’s so fun but it never goes away! We love to craft here, but I want to find less wasteful craft ideas. We can go through so much construction paper, feathers, and popsicle sticks that come in craft kits only to take a picture and throw them away a week later.
Want to know the truth about all that sparkly stuff? It’s really not necessary – if they don’t see it in the house they don’t feel like they’re missing out. My kids love nothing more than finding small rocks in their grandparents’ flowerbeds and painting them. When they’re done the rocks go right back in the flowerbeds to serve as “decoration” and there’s no sparkly mess or packaging waste. It’s a win/win.
And if you don’t have kids, be careful what you gift your friends and family member’s kids… it can come back to haunt you.
A WHOLE LOT OF LITTLE THINGS PACKAGED AS ONE GIFT
I’ve been guilty of this myself in the past – you have a certain price point you want to stick with and one “big” gift catches your eye but it’s out of budget… So what do you do? You pick up a whole bunch of “little things” that somehow “go together” and give them as a single gift. Problem solved!
Only, not really. I’ve found that I typically paid more and came up with a lot less meaningful gift than if I’d just bought the original item. I do take exception here to curated gifts, those are awesome – my sister has curated little craft kits for our daughter and she loved them. It created hours of entertainment and everything needed was included.
If you’re going to get several items just make sure there’s a point; otherwise you’re literally gifting clutter. And what’s the point of that?
DECORATIVE OR PERSONALIZED ITEMS WHEN YOU HAVEN’T SEEN THEIR ROOM OR KNOW THEIR TASTE
I’ll be honest; we’ve been gifted some pretty tacky personalized stuff before. I felt guilty that the gifter had spent so much time and effort on the item, but there was no way it was going up in our daughter’s room. One particularly garish labor of love spent at least two years in the top shelf of a closet before I let go of the guilt and donated the thing.
It makes no sense to spend that much time, effort, and probably money on something without asking for the recipient’s color choice or style. You can give hints or ask basic questions without giving away the surprise. Actually, this doesn’t just go for kids; this applies to wedding presents, baby showers, any gift really.
SURPRISE EGGS, HATCHIMALS, ETC
There are too many of these to name, but the bottom line is it’s a whole lot of trash to find one mystery item in the middle of it all. And it’s usually the size of a quarter. I don’t get it and I really don’t want these filling up the toy baskets at our house.
I understand there is a huge hype with these toys and kids love them, but the funny thing is… if you monitor your kids’ viewing choices and don’t just wander down the toy aisles they don’t really notice the hype. The other annoying thing with these little doodads is they get lost in no time and then everyone’s upset. They’re a waste of money in my humble opinion.
WHAT YOU SHOULD BUY AS GIFTS FOR KIDS
You’ve heard my rant on things not to buy as gifts as kids, so here are a few suggestions I recommend you DO buy instead.
EXPERIENCES!
Experiences are always a great gift idea! Ask mom or dad what the kids are into and then get them a gift certificate to a local business to cover the cost of the activity! Great examples include bowling, mini-golf, and indoor trampoline parks.
If kids are learning about money and starting to go out with friends gift certificates to their favorite coffee shop or bookstore are also great ideas; you’re giving them the option to choose what they want to buy and it shows you have taken an interest in their preferences.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money to give the gift of a great time, a new memory they have you to thank for, and better yet – no gift wrap is required! You can even make it a package deal and take them on the experience as part of the gift without mom or dad.
Our daughter was gifted a day-camp experience at a local bakery with her grandparents and she loved it! We also loved the goodies she came home with!
EDUCATIONAL GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
Find a fun board game or activity that pertains to the kid’s interest. Books and interactive games are great ways to encourage a child to discover more about the world around them. And as a parent, I can appreciate every opportunity for them to avoid screen time.
If the kid is a nature lover, look into nature’s explorer kits or a fun science activity such as this Grow N Glow Terrarium. For crafty girls in the tweens and early teens, STMT kits are amazing gifts! I love gifting these sets; they are always tastefully made and there are so many to choose from. If you are buying for an avid journaler, beader, nail polish, or makeup enthusiast, there is a kit for it they will love.
My biggest tip is to ask for ideas and if you have a really creative, off-the-wall idea – run it by the parents first. You’ll all be glad you did.
Have any gift horror stories of your own? What are your best go-to gift ideas when it comes to kids? I’d love to hear!
Oh, glitter were banned from our aunt’s house, far too many disasters! Personalised item can be great if you know well the kid and it’s something they would use, also the sound of experiences sounds better than a doll! I would add books to it x
As a mother myself, I completely feel this! I hate all naff that my son gets at birthdays and Christmas. All the stickers really do go everywhere but the book!
What the hell are LOLs dolls? I’ve never heard of them, but I’m not a parent or a kid. Are they emoji dolls or something? Educational games and experiences sound like a great idea, should I ever need to buy a kid a gift, I’ll try to stick to one of those two
They’re awful is what they are! They have short bodies, big heads, and weird to inappropriate clothing. They look like toddlers going to a club. Good choices! Your friends will thank you.