The Tot Tutor: gifts for kids

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🎄100 Experiences to Gift Children for a Special Day or Holiday

When it comes to celebrating a special day or holiday, gifting experiences instead of material items can create lifelong memories. Experiences foster learning, bonding, and joy, making them gifts that truly last. Here are 100 meaningful and fun experiences for young children:

Adventure & Exploration

1. Visit a zoo or aquarium.

2. Go on a nature hike with a scavenger hunt.

3. Plan a day trip to a local national park.

4. Ride a scenic train.

5. Explore a cave or cavern.

6. Take a family bike ride on a new trail.

7. Spend the day at a beach building sandcastles.

8. Enjoy a paddleboat or kayak rental.

9. Go camping (backyard camping counts!).

10. Explore a local botanical garden.

Hands-On Activities

11. Attend a pottery-painting session.

12. Visit a science museum with interactive exhibits.

13. Take a cooking or baking class for kids.

14. Build and launch model rockets.

15. Learn to make candles or soap.

16. Try woodworking or building a birdhouse.

17. Host a tie-dye party.

18. Spend an afternoon crafting at home with new supplies.

19. Plant a garden together.

20. Create a DIY art gallery of their work.

Circus

Performances & Entertainment

21. See a kid-friendly theater production.

22. Attend a puppet show.

23. Watch a circus performance.

24. Take them to a planetarium.

25. Attend a family-friendly concert.

26. Enjoy a drive-in or outdoor movie night.

27. Watch a local parade.

28. See a magic show.

29. Attend a storytelling event at the library.

30. Experience a fireworks display.

Learning & Enrichment

31. Enroll in a music class (ukulele, drums, etc.).

32. Visit a history museum.

33. Tour a fire station or police station.

34. Spend the day at a planetarium or observatory.

35. Explore a children’s museum.

36. Visit a farm and learn about animals.

37. Try geocaching as a family.

38. Attend a kids’ workshop at a home improvement store.

39. Take a mini photography lesson.

40. Learn basic survival skills like building a shelter or starting a fire.

Sports & Fitness

41. Try an indoor rock-climbing wall.

42. Go ice skating or roller skating.

43. Attend a sports game together.

44. Learn archery at a local range.

45. Spend a day skiing or snowboarding.

46. Enroll in a martial arts or dance class.

47. Go mini-golfing.

48. Rent a batting cage.

49. Learn horseback riding.

50. Spend the day at an indoor trampoline park.

Seasonal Fun

51. Go apple or pumpkin picking.

52. Take a hayride.

53. Visit a holiday light display.

54. Host a backyard water balloon fight.

55. Build a snowman or have a snowball fight.

56. Visit a sunflower or tulip field.

57. Carve pumpkins together.

58. Enjoy a sledding day.

59. Celebrate with a hot cocoa and cookie party.

60. Attend a holiday-themed festival.

Home-Based Fun

61. Have a family game night with new games.

62. Host a DIY spa day (face masks, manicures, etc.).

63. Plan a backyard movie night with popcorn.

64. Organize a treasure hunt at home.

65. Cook a favorite meal together.

66. Create a scrapbook or memory book.

67. Plan a themed dress-up day with costumes.

68. Host a family karaoke session.

69. Make ice cream or pizza from scratch.

70. Build a blanket fort and read stories.

Animals & Nature

71. Visit a petting zoo.

72. Go birdwatching with a guidebook.

73. Volunteer at an animal shelter (if age-appropriate).

74. Attend a butterfly release or exhibit.

75. Adopt and care for a small plant or flower.

76. Watch turtles at a local pond.

77. Spend the day fishing.

78. Visit a local animal sanctuary.

79. Go stargazing with a telescope or binoculars.

80. Take a guided tour to spot local wildlife.

Special Treats & Surprises

81. Create a custom sundae at an ice cream shop.

82. Enjoy breakfast at a pancake house.

83. Take a trip to a bakery to choose a special treat.

84. Visit a candy-making workshop.

85. Host a backyard picnic with their favorite foods.

86. Go out for a kid-friendly afternoon tea.

87. Attend a chocolate or dessert-making class.

88. Take a behind-the-scenes tour of a favorite restaurant.

89. Create a popcorn and candy bar for movie night.

90. Visit a food truck festival.

Giving Back

91. Volunteer at a park cleanup event.

92. Bake cookies to deliver to a neighbor.

93. Shop for items to donate to a local charity.

94. Sponsor an animal at a zoo or sanctuary.

95. Plant a tree together.

96. Write and send cards to nursing home residents.

97. Assemble care packages for those in need.

98. Host a “kindness day” with random acts of kindness.

99. Participate in a charity walk or event.

100. Donate gently used toys to a local shelter together.

Take Away

The best gifts for children often aren’t things—they’re memories and connections. Whether it’s a small outing or an all-day adventure, giving experiences encourages creativity, builds relationships, and provides fun for everyone involved. Try one of these ideas this year and watch the magic unfold!

What’s your favorite experience gift for kids? Let us know in the comments below!

10 Fun Fitness Activities for Children

In the words of a wise five year old on a cold Winter’s day, ”Can you put on some Cosmic Yoga, I need to exercise so that I can grow new brain cells.”

Let’s ditch the devices every now and again to make exercise great again and fun again beginning with our children. Exercise is a necessary part of healthy full filling life and so in this blog post I’ll be sharing some fun fitness activities for kids (and maybe parents and caregivers too).

Run around a grassy area or large open space. This could be a back yard or a park and does not require any toys. The beauty about childhood is that they are still discovering their world so what may seem ordinary to adults is an adventure for them.
As mentioned earlier, Cosmic Yoga, Brain Gym and other exercise programs for kids on YouTube are available for free once you have the internet. They can have their own mini sweat session anywhere.
Traditional children’s games such as Simon Says, Head Shoulders Knees & Toes, What Time is It Mr. Wolf, How Many Steps To Reach The Queen, Red Light, Green Light, Freeze Dance are always great options to provide a fitness burst.
Team sporting activities such as Soccer, Baseball, Basketball, Cricket, Hockey etc. not only help with fitness but emphasizes team work and coordinated movement amongst others such as family and peers.
Random dance parties because this is the stuff of life. Human beings (kids included) do not need any more reason than pleasure itself to move our bodies and burst out in spontaneous dance.
Individual sporting activities such as swimming, gymnastics, tennis, martial arts etc. not only provide fitness but develops self confidence and determination.
Playgrounds. To a child, life is one big playground but for the adults who value our sanity we research and bring them to the places they can have the safest and best play experiences. Whether that’s in the back yard, at a local park, indoor playground, or even in the airport! (Yes even airports have playgrounds for kids to play as they wait to board a flight.)
Short nature walks or mini hikes. You’d be surprised how much your stroller sweetie enjoys a brisk stroll through a trail or nature reserve.
Ride On Toys like tricycles, bicycles, scooters, wiggle cars etc. provide opportunities for them to work on their coordination and flex their muscles.
Last and most obvious...Exercise Toys for kids like trampolines, the Flybar, jump ropes etc. are great options for any child on their lifelong fun fitness journey.

10 Non Toy Gift Ideas for Kids

Point of View: You're only days away from that special holiday, birthday or special milestone of a child in your life and you are searching your brain for the perfect gift.

Spoiler Alert: That perfect gift does not have to be a toy. Here are 10 non-toy gift ideas for that special little someone in your life.

1. A Subscription that is not toy based and there are are loads out there. It can be for a body care product, art supplies or snack on Amazon or Walmart. Or it could be for an educational app like Leap Frog , ABC Mouse or Osmo etc.

2. A Monthly or Annual Membership at a place of learning like the Science Centre, Kumon or Coding Ninjas etc.

3. Cover the cost of a new extra curricular activity such as music lessons, dancing lessons, sports etc or gear/equipment that they need to participate in extra curricular activities.

4. New Clothes and or Shoes. That saying 'they grow up so fast' is 100% Facts.

5. Annual Membership or Season Pass to a place of Fun! Think amusement parks, water parks, indoor playgrounds etc.

Zoo/Petting Farm that offers Membership

6. A movie day/night where you cover the cost of the ticket and the movie snacks.

7. Tickets to a performing event or game. Think musicals or big arena sports matches.

8. Contribute to their travel fund so they can catch flights not...whatever the young people say.

9. Contribute to their future education fund. If they don't have one start one on their behalf.

10. Buy them profitable Shares, GICs or Gold. Think some form of monetary investment in their future as opposed to giving the money for ice cream or the piggy bank.

Comment below if you have any other ideas for non toy gifts that we can give to our little ones. 💚

Best Independent Play Toddler Activities: Puzzles

Whoever came up with the idea of puzzles for little children is a genius. Thank you whoever, wherever you are! Who would have thought that cutting up a big picture into 24, 36, 48 pieces or more could capture the attention of even the most unfocused child?

Trust me, if you don't have puzzles in your bag of independent play (caregiver break) tricks, take this as your invitation to get or make some!

As mentioned before, you can find or make puzzles of various shapes, pieces etc to suit the temperament and taste of any child. So if a child is constantly struggling with a puzzle you can pick one with fewer pieces until they're ready to advance to a puzzle with more pieces.

On the other hand, if a child is bored with a puzzle, you can select one with more pieces or a puzzle that is of interest to the child.

There are just so many things I really like and appreciate about puzzles for small kids and of course I'm going to share that with you!

Benefits of Puzzles for Little Kids

1. Opportunity for Independent play

2. Can provide an opportunity for collaboration and team work if 2 or more children or family members tackle a puzzle togther.

3. Teaches logic & strategy

4. Teaches spatial awareness. It takes alot of brain power and practice at an early age to figure out our relationship to our surrounding. Putting various puzzle shapes together helps to develop spatial awareness which is a keystone skill that is transferable to many aspects of their growing lives. Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Navigating, Strategic Planning etc.

5. Helps to develop problem solving skills.

6. Gives an opportunity to practice self-regulation because let's face it lots of emotions can come up when you're solving something that seems unsolvable. It's definitely grounds to practice working through frustration.

7. Teaches focus and concentration

8. Can be used as a fun tool to introduce or reinforce various subject matter. Any topic of interest can be made into a puzzle; whether numbers, alphabet, dinosaurs, the solar system etc.

9. Helps build perseverance

10. Helps build self-confidence in a child especially once they see the big picture aka the visual representation of all they have worked through and completed.

Here are some puzzles my toddlers and I have enjoyed playing:

1. Animal Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles