When the thought of bringing one more piece of brightly-colored plastic into your home makes you want to sit down and weep, you need some alternatives gifts to toys. I mean, as often as a celebration in your kid's life happens (and with the village of people that love them), it doesn't take long before you're drowning in miniature Paw Patrol figurines.
All parents want to give their kid something special for their big day. But between grandma and the kid's friends, they are often given so many gifts for their birthdays, that your Buzz Lightyear just ends up buried under the Star Wars LEGO. And kids often can get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of all of those gifts. They take one look at the heap of DIY-slime kits and kinetic sand, then sigh and ask for the iPad.
Below, I've rounded up ideas for giving a kid the gift of an experience. It's a really lovely gift to give, actually, as you're giving the chid something to be excited about and look forward to, as well as the opportunity to make some lasting memories. Whether these will be good memories of chasing down a friend in laser tag, or haunting memories of how scary Mickey Mouse looked on ice skates — well that's all part of the fun and excitement of the gift!
The always exciting gift of mail.
Kids totally love getting stuff in the mail, and there are so many awesome subscription services for kids out there now, well beyond the usual Highlights magazine. My personal favorite is Little Passports, where kids are sent little activity sheets, photos, coins, and collectibles from around the world. I also really dig Comix Experience, which sends the child one new graphic kid's novel every month.
How about an elephant?
Or a sloth? Or a polar bear? The World Wildlife Fund has a really lovely "adopt-an-animal" program where kids can select an animal to virtually "adopt." The donation goes toward animal conservation, and (depending on the amount donated) the child is sent a stuffed animal, a photo, adoption certificate, a species card, and a gift bag.
The gift of drama!
Tickets to a children's play/the circus/Disney On Ice/Blue Man Group — these are all surefire wins. If your kid is musically inclined, tickets to a first concert always make for a very exciting gift. Wrap up some JoJo Siwa tickets along with this sequin coat, and ready yourself for your daughter's piercing screams of delight.