I’ve seen the minimalist Christmas gift lists trending on social media before: Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. I loved the idea, especially after finding myself wanting to buy *all the things* for Moose’s first Christmas. This viral list, however, felt too limiting. I didn’t feel like it embodied the things our family values: experiences, imagination, creativity, and education.
Thinking back to my childhood Christmas memories, every year my mom would always get me two things: some type of craft and a science experiment kit. We would always make memories doing these two things together as a family before school went back in session. These are my favorite Christmas memories. In order to continue this tradition with my son, I created my own minimalist Christmas gift guide.
Remember, in the spirit of minimalism, you do not have to gift in every category every year. Some of these gifts come from us and some come from Santa. (Check out our Second Hand Santa tradition for more minimalist Christmas tradition ideas.)
Minimalist Christmas Gift Guide Categories
- Something you want
- Something you need
- Something to wear
- Something to read
- Something to do
- Something to create
- Something to educate
Gift Ideas for Each Category
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Something You Want
This is the gift that your child most wants. Pick an item from their wish list that they will be most excited about opening on Christmas morning.
Something You Need
This category is also dependent on your child and might involve some creativity. I found that transitioning into toddlerhood there were plenty of things to choose from that my kiddo needed that we hadn’t received at our baby shower, like more advanced sippy cups and silicone bibs. If your baby is going to be starting solids soon, do they need a new high chair? This year, Moose is going to be outgrowing his crib right around Christmas, so he will be getting a new big boy bed with new sheets and a comforter. Does your big kid need new cool school supplies, a new water bottle for school, or supplies/gear for an extracurricular activity? Use this category as a way to include something that you’ll need to buy anyway.
Something to Wear
Some ideas for the Something to Wear category include:
- Cute Christmas Jammies
- A New Beanie
- Winter Mittens
- A New Winter Coat
- New Shoes (we like these barefoot shoes for growing tootsies)
- Designer brands that you wouldn’t normally buy for the big kids
Something to Read
To instill a love of reading you should always try to match books to your child’s interests. In elementary school I was obsessed with horses. One year for Christmas my mom got me a subscription for a series of chapter books called Pony Pals. When I outgrew those, she found another chapter book subscription called Saddle Club. I still remember these Christmas presents to this day. With that in mind, here are some of our favorite book suggestions:
Board Books
- Baby Lit Book Set – Includes Romeo and Juliet, Wizard of Oz, Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, Moby Dick, Jane Eyre, Alice in Wonderland, and Jungle Book
- Quantum Physics for Babies Book Set
- Little Naturalists: Henry David Thoreau in the Woods
- Little Naturalists: Jane Goodall is a Friend to All
- Woodland Dance by Sandra Boynton
- Little Blue Truck
- B is for Bison – A National Park Primer
Paperback Storybooks
- Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
- The Wonky Donkey
- A Teacher in the Wild
- Guess How Much I Love You
- Llama Llama Red Pajama
- The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs
- Alabama Spitfire – The Story of Harper Lee and To Kill A Mockingbird
Chapter Books
- Magic Treehouse Box Set
- The Boxcar Children Mysteries Box Set
- Where the Sidewalk Ends
- Because of Winn Dixie
- Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls – The Chapter Book Collection
- Best of Children’s Classics Box Set
Something to Do
“Something to do” is my favorite category. These include experience gifts. Some ideas include:
- Strider Balance Bike or a bike trailer for family bike rides
- Tickets to a local museum (I love using Groupon for this)
- Tickets to the zoo or aquarium
- A board game that the family can play together
- Tickets to a concert or sporting event
- Music lessons
- Movie tickets
- Gardening tools
- Montessori Helper Tower for helping in the kitchen
- Petting zoo or horseback riding experience
- Escape room tickets
- Rock climbing membership
- Gear for a family camping trip, such as this Morrison Outdoor sleeping bag sleep sack (they come in different temperature ratings and toddler sizes too), a camping high chair, the Osprey Poco hiking carrier, or for big kids, a new sleeping bag or their own tent for backyard camping.
- Gear for a family beach trip, such as beach toys or a California Beach Co Pop Up Playpen.
Something to Create
Some of my favorite Christmas gifts as a child were crafting kits. My mom and I would do them together after Christmas before I went back to school and those were memories that can never be replaced. Instilling imaginative play and creativity in my son is a tradition that I am excited to continue from my childhood.
For Little Kids
- Crayons and coloring books
- Color Wonder Coloring Pages
- Lincoln Logs
- Magnetic Tiles
- Lego Duplos
- Play Doh
- Create music with these Montessori wooden instruments
For Big Kids
- I still remember getting this exact loom for Christmas one year. My mom still has the potholders that I made with it.
- Boys may be more excited about this Minecraft Pixel Art.
- Magic Rainbow Scratch Paper
- Clay Dinosaur Modeling Kit
- Spin Art Machine
- Legos
- Balloon Animals Kit
Something to Educate
While my mom and I would always do my craft gifts together, every year I also got a science kit that my dad and I would do together at the kitchen table before I went back to school. I have the fondest memories of those evenings.
For Little Kids
- Toddler Busy Board Book for Fine Motor Skills
- Alphabet, Numbers, and Shapes Wooden Puzzles
- Montessori Fine Motor and Color Matching Toy
- Montessori Object Permanence Box
- Montessori Sorting and Matching Carrots
- Fine Motor Skill Stuffed Owl
- Mushroom Identification Puzzle
For Big Kids
- Mega Fossil Dig Kit
- Break Open Geodes
- Mega Crystal Growing Kit
- Mushroom Grow Kit
- Aquaponics Garden
- Root Viewer Garden Kit
- Slime and Putty Lab
More Minimalist Christmas Ideas
Check out Second Hand Santa for more minimalist Christmas traditions to start with your kids this year!
Feedback
Did you use these categories for your gift giving this year? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!
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