Gift Ideas for Kids With a January Birthday

Got a kid with a January birthday? I’m right there with you. Camden got all the toys and fun stuff for Christmas, and we’ve finally found a place for everything. And then along comes that sneaky January birthday. The thought of Camden receiving more toys seems overwhelming, and honestly, he’s excited about the toys he already has, so he can’t think of anything to ask for. Here are some gift ideas for kids with a January birthday: things they’ll be excited to receive, but that don’t add more toys to the house.

..

Gift Ideas for Kids With a January Birthday

Experiences

An experience make a great gift for a kid with a January birthday, because (1) they’re fun, and (2) they give the birthday kid something to look forward to in a brand new year.

Some of the ideas we considered for Camden this year:

• a night at Great Wolf Lodge (stay on a weeknight; it’s way cheaper!)
• Bluey Live show
• Day Out With Thomas the Tank Engine
• Legoland

..

Yes Day!

Lots of people do ‘yes day’ with their kids as a summer activity. It’s based on the book Yes, Day, and the premise is that kids get to do whatever they want and parents will say ‘yes’ to everything. You set the rules (staying at home, going somewhere, times, budget, etc) and the birthday kid gets to choose what the day looks like. Bike ride in winter? YES! Lunch in front of the tv? YES! Birthday cake for dinner? YES!

..

Gift Cards for Things to Do//Memberships

Our boys were gifted a children’s museum membership and a zoo membership as Christmas gifts, and they would make such great birthday gifts too. No ‘stuff,’ but plenty exciting because that gives families lots of things to do, especially in the dreary winter months.

We put gift cards on Camden’s list (with his input) for places he loves to go. January starts the dreariest months here in the Midwest, and it becomes hard to go to playgrounds. That means that gift cards to go do something are extra appreciated by Cam.

Here are some gift card ideas for kids with a January birthday:

• movie theaters
• children’s museums
• zoos
• arcades // laser tag
• indoor playgrounds/play spaces
• trampoline parks
• swimming pools // indoor aquatic centers
• restaurants that the kids enjoy

..

Subscription Box

My mom got Camden a KiwiCo subscription for a few months last year, and he loved it. It gave him something to look forward to, the boxes were fun, and he learned a lot too.

We ended up going with a Little Passports Science Junior subscription, because Camden is soooo motivated by science experiments. Plus, whether we homeschool him next year or send him to half-day kindergarten, science instruction will be on me, so this is a great building block for that. Little Passports runs 25% off sales fairly often, so check for a deal before you buy!

BookRoo is another one we love – I got that for Camden last year. He loves getting 2 new books in the mail every month. He recognizes the blue and yellow box, and always singsongs “the mail is for meeeee!” when it comes.

..

Digital Subscriptions

Digital subscriptions to favorite apps and programs make a great gift that can be used for the whole year.

Some of our favorites for the preschool age:

• ABC Mouse
• Crayola Create & Play
• Apple Arcade
• Reading Eggs
• Brain Pop Jr. (Brain Pop for older kids)
• Noggin (Nickelodeon’s app with games, shows and more)

If you’re looking for more non-toy gift ideas for toddlers and preschoolers, I’ve got an entire post here! It can be easy to make January birthdays special, without adding even more toys and stuff to your house!