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This Reading Mama

Gift Ideas for Kids: No Batteries Required!

By thisreadingmama 4 Comments

What happened to the good ole’ days when toys were just toys? No batteries required. Well this year, we’re bringing them because I’m tired of buying all those batteries, ya’ll!

Gift Ideas for Kids - NO Batteries Required - This Reading Mama

*This post contains affiliate links.
**Before buying any toys, please look at the suggested age range.  Young children should always be supervised when playing the toys that contain small pieces.

Toys like these are attractive to me for several reasons: 1- no batteries are required, 2- they are are very open-ended, meaning that they can be played with in several different ways, 3- kids love them, 4- they make great gifts for those hard-to-buy-for kind of kids, and 5-most of them work well for multi-ages; making it a hit for more than one kiddo. For all of these reasons (and more), these gift ideas for kids work well for any occasion!

 

Gift Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

Gift Ideas for Kids - Babies and Tots - No Batteries Required

1.  Stack and Roll Cups– the number 1 hands-down coolest toy for babies ever. 🙂 I hated to pass ours along when my youngest outgrew it.

2. Shape Sorter

3. Soft Blocks

4. Puzzles (any puzzle by Melissa & Doug has been a favorite at our house!)

5. Stacking Peg Board – My Kindergartner still likes to play with this one!

6. Pound and Roll Tower

 

Gift Ideas for Kids: The Engineer

Gift Ideas for the Engineer - No Batteries Required

1. Zoobs– SOME of their sets DO require batteries, but the basic sets do not.

2. Magformers– We have several of their sets. Every one of the sets has been awesome! Even mom gets in on playing with them. 🙂

3. Wooden Marble Run– we also have the Domino Set. My son loves to combine the two. If you’re looking for a plastic marble run, we’ve had this one for 7 years and it has outlasted all four kids. Very sturdy!

4. SMARTMAX Magnetic Toys pieces- If you’re going to be series about this one, you need the straight and curved sets. We also have a car set. The combinations are endless.

5. Automoblox– These little sets are so neat; even hubby likes to play with them. You can make SO many different kinds of cars with them…and they’re great for fine motor skills!

 

Gift Ideas for Kids: The Artist

Gift Ideas for Kids - The Artist - No Batteries Required

1. Folding Lap Desk– It’s one of the best purchases I ever made for schoolwork or car rides! My kids use them all.the.time. We have the blue, green & pink.

2. Stencils

3. Easel– The IKEA easel is the cheapest one I’ve seen.  We love ours!

2. Stencils

4. Water Color Paint – perfect for the younger artist who likes to paint everywhere. 🙂

5. Play, Draw, Create-Reusable Drawing and Magnet Kits– there are kits for boys, girls, and one that either would enjoy.

6. Playdough Tools

 

Gift Ideas for Kids: The Imagination

Gift Ideas for the Imagination - No Batteries Required

 1. Dress Up Clothes

2. Food Sets– We have several sets of food. My kids like the ones that can be cut apart. Learning Resources also has some cute food sets

3. Car Ramps- The one pictured is the one we have, but there are so many to choose from.

4. String Games– I LOVED these as a little girl.

5. Cash Register (solar powered!)

 

Gift Ideas for Kids: Active Kids

Gift Ideas for Active Kids - No Batteries Required

1. Stomp Rockets – My kids have really enjoyed ours. There are sets for older kids as well.

2. Nerf Ball- This one whistles and I only recommend it for outside use!

3. Ball Pit/Tent– We’ve had several (and replaced several) until we got this one. AND it folds up for easy storage! Well worth the money.

4. Crawling tunnel– My kids like to combine ours with the ball pit.

5. Indoor Trampoline- This one is the exact one we have. We bought it because it can hold up to 250 lbs, but if you have younger kids and want something a little safer for them, there are many options.

 

 

So, enjoy skipping the battery aisle and the absence of the, “I need new batteries!” mantra from the kids (I know you won’t miss that).  You can also feel better about helping the environment.  A win-win for everyone!  No Batteries Required gifts ideas for kids are definitely the way to go, no matter the occasion!

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~Becky

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Comments

  1. Joyce @Childhood Beckons says

    December 19, 2012 at 1:42 am

    This is such a fantastic list! You have something for everyone! We are huge fans of open ended toys. Thanks so much for the ideas!

    Reply
    • thisreadingmama says

      December 19, 2012 at 7:17 am

      Thank you, Joyce! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Lindsay @ Bytes of Memory says

    December 19, 2012 at 7:31 am

    Great list!! I too love battery free toys! 🙂 This year we got some links, paper and a fishing pole 🙂

    Reply
  3. Mark @ Inspiring Toys says

    February 5, 2015 at 12:31 pm

    Fantastic list. The products on this list are still very popular especially the Zoobs,

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Becky, a homeschooling mama with 4 blessings who keep me on my toes {and knees}. Before homeschooling, I was a classroom teacher (M.Ed.) and reading tutor. Read more about me here.

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