Non-Toy Gift Ideas for Ages 3-6

Note: Amazon links are affiliated

Monday I shared a list of non-toy gift ideas for babies and toddlers that you can look at here. Here I am with the next age range! Little Man is 5 years old now, and his list of toys he needs gets longer every time we walk down the toy aisle at Walmart. While he enjoys unwrapping and playing with the toys for a few days, after a while the toys have lost their newness and he starts wishing for something else.

It's been my desire to get away from so many toys and focus on the true meaning of Christmas. We still love to give gifts at Christmas, so I did want to share some non-toy gift ideas. I will also be sharing what I am getting my kids for Christmas in the next couple of weeks.

When typing these lists for you, I've worked very hard to make sure I only share what I've purchased and loved in the past. If I list anything we don't have, I will let you know. It is my goal to share things that are tried and true by my son.

As much as I hope this inspires and helps you, this Christmas, remember that you don't have to buy any of it! As someone who has really worked on my budget this year, I encourage you to stick to yours. I would much rather you have financial freedom, than get the few cents from these links. Kids desire our presence over presents(even if they don't say that)!




Art and Craft Supplies

My son loves creating with art supplies, and I'll often find him just drawing in a notebook, and coloring whatever thing he's created. He loves my journaling pens, and I think gel pens would be a great stocking stuffer for him!

We've often given him art supplies for Easter and Christmas, and here are my favorite supplies. You'll notice they are not top quality, because my son isn't as careful  with his things as he needs to be yet. I still stay away from Rose Art and other knock off brands, but Crayola works just fine with us.



Crayola Washable Watercolors, 16 Count (Pack of 2) Total 32 Count (I love that this is a 2 pack! My son is bad about mixing the colors.)
Crayola Big Paint Brushes (4 Count Round), Great for Kids

Gel Pens 30 Colors Gel Marker Set Colored Pen with 40% More Ink for Adult Coloring Books Drawing Doodling Crafts Scrapbooks Bullet Journaling (these pens are similar to what I was gifted for my journaling)
Sargent Art Premium Coloring Pencils, Pack of 50 Assorted Colors, 22-7251

Art kits are also a fun and consumable gift. I like things that we can create, then throw away (or give away) when we are done. Less to store, am I right?!

This is a boy version, but there are all kinds to choose from. We haven't done this exact kit, but have done something similar.


Click here for an art kit my son loved! I love the quality of the Melissa and Doug brand.








Clothing
Clothing begins to get 'boring' at this age, but you can still make it as fun as possible! I do this by giving things with their favorite character on them. My son loves his Spider-Man toboggan (or winter hat for you non-southerners) and Paw Patrol socks! I am linking what my son has and enjoyed receiving.

Nickelodeon Boys' Little Paw Patrol 5 Pack No Show, Bright Big Face, Fits Sock Size 6-8.5; Fits Shoe Size 7.5-3.5 (These have been on a favorites list before, but it's worth re-sharing, as they have really stood up to the wear and tare of a 4 and 5 year old little boy!)
Spiderman Cuff Beanie & Mitten Set Red/Black
We've also given character pajamas, as well. I have to say the quality is normally not that great, but my son still loves to get them. I normally pick up an inexpensive set during a Black Friday sale.

Outdoor 
Technically, some of these are toys, but since they get stored outside, maybe they don't quite count?! HA! Oh well, I want to mention my favorite outside 'toys' my son has enjoyed.


My son got a balance bike this past year from his grandparents and he has absolutely loved it! It has traveled with us to the park, my parents house, as well as being ridden all over our front yard. I couldn't find the exact model my son has, but this one is similar. This is a great transition toy to a real bike. It has helped my son ride the spider-man bike we gave him last year for Christmas.







Other outdoor favorites:
Bubbles
Chalk
Bubble Mower (Y'all, we realized the other day that my son has had this for 4 years and still plays with it all the time!)- I am linking the one we own, however, it has a lot of negative reviews. We have enjoyed ours though!


Books

Books are a favorite non-toy item to gift, however, I believe we are running out of room to store them as much as toys. I like to say I need more bookshelves, not that I have too many books! Here are some of my son's favorites.

My mom gifted this book to my son, and he absolutely loves it! Not only does it have easy, around the house items to do science experiments with, but my son just loves looking at the pictures. They have bright colored illustrations and great step by step pictures.








Some other favorite books:

The Magic School Bus Lost In The Solar System (my son loves all the Magic Schoolbus books!)

Richard Scarry's Bedtime Stories (Pictureback(R)) (I am linking my son's favorite of the Richard Scarry books)
My son also enjoys the Usborne Shine a light books, many of the classics (Go Dogs Go, Green Eggs and Ham, etc.), and anything search and find!

Games and Activities

A while back I did a post on my favorite games and activities that you can check out here.
I also recommend Smart Farmers from Timberdoodle. You can click on my link and check out other games and activities on their website that are fun and educational!

Below as part of my Amazon recommendations, are a few things that are on my wishlist, but we haven't tried yet! Let me know, what are your favorite non-toy gifts for this age range?