It’s less than 48 hours until Christmas. This is not exactly the time you want to be rushing out to the mall or toy store for a last minute gift for one of the kids in your life. If you’re looking to please a kid and avoid the crowds, here are a couple ideas for gifts you can still get in time for the big day. The * gifts are ones that you can purchase online so you don’t even have to leave your computer!
*Monthly package subscriptions:
- BabbaBox – a themed box that includes all materials and instructions for 3-4 projects to make, activities, books and stories to read, and digital downloads. Designed for children ages 3-6.
- Kiwi Crate – Themed project kits (2 projects) and bonus materials and activity ideas for children 3-6 years old.
- Little Passports – little suitcases with letters, souvenirs, pictures, and more to teach kids about different parts of the world. (Available for half price now at Living Social)
*Membership:
- Brookfield Zoo
- Cantigny Park
- Children’s Museum – Kidswork in Frankfort, Children’s Museum of Oak Lawn, Wonder Works in Oak Park, Chicago Children’s Museum, DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville, Kohl Children’s Museum in Glenview, or the Discovery Center Museum in Rockford
- Morton Arboretum
- Legoland Discovery Center
- Museum of Science & Industry
- Shedd Aquarium
- Field Museum of Natural History
- Chicago Botanic Gardens
*Magazine subscription:
- High Five or Highlights – monthly magazines with stories, puzzles, games, and activities for kids 2-6 and 6-12.
- National Wildlife Federation – Three magazines to choose from, each for a different age group, starting at age 2.
- ZooBooks – a monthly magazine, available for different age groups, about animals. (These are available for half price at Eversave for the next 4 days!)
Grocery store/convenience store gift baskets:
(okay, you’re not exactly avoiding the crowds in a grocery store, but if you’re going anyway why not pick up a gift while you’re there?)
- Pizza – pizza crust, tomato sauce, pizza pan, pizza cutter (if the kids are old enough or for parents to use), cheese
- Arts/crafts – crayons, paper, glue & scissors (if old enough), cotton balls, paints, plastic tablecloth (Mom will appreciate this if it’s not your kid!)
- Sundaes – fun cups or bowls, spoons, chocolate (or other flavor) sauce, sprinkles, gummy candies, M&Ms
- Movie night – Movie, popcorn (if old enough), tickets, snacks, bottles water or juice boxes – package this in a large cardboard box so the child can make their own “car” for an indoor “drive-in” movie
- Game night – A family game, snacks, bottled water or juice boxes, small “prizes” for the winners (small toys or stickers)
Do you do any of your shopping at the last minute? Do you have any go-to last minute gifts for kids?
Cricket Magazine has a wide range of age-appropriate magazines from pre-reader to high school and covering literature, history, STEM topics, etc. We currently are getting issues from our library, but if we had the money we’d so have subscriptions for our almost-3-year-old. I grew up on Cricket and it really shaped the way I approached reading, introducing me to a lot of stuff I wouldn’t have encountered otherwise.