Each year we give our kids 3 gifts each, so these are the gifts we are giving our kids for Christmas this year. This year, they are 13, 11, 9, and 4.5 years old!
Every year, we give our kids three gifts each – something they want, something they need, and something spiritual.
A lot of people we know do something similar with 4 gifts: want, need, wear, and read.
We started this tradition when our firstborn was a baby. Some friends of ours had 2 children at the time, and she was pregnant with her third when I was pregnant with our first. They did this with their children, and we loved the idea so much that we adopted it ourselves.
Our kids have never known any different, so there hasn’t been an issue with complaining (at least not yet). It also helps us to limit the number of gifts and to keep them intentional and helps us not to overspend .
Our family also explains Santa Claus in such a way that we focus on the story of who Saint Nicholas really was and what he did. We have also instituted other traditions that our children love. We use Star from Afar, celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6, and commemorate El Día de los Tres Reyes (3 Kings Day or Epiphany) on January 6.
Our kids do get more gifts from other relatives, but the last couple of years, we have put some of that money into a travel fund that we will eventually use for a vacation, experience, etc. We have just decided that we don’t need more “stuff” in our home, and our kids have really enjoyed the trips we have taken and still talk about them all the time, including our 4 year old.
You can check out what we gave our kids the last few years here (for some reason we are missing 2018):
- 2013 Christmas
- 2014 Christmas
- 2015 Christmas
- 2016 Christmas
- 2017 Christmas
- 2019 Christmas
- 2020 Christmas
What are we giving our kids for Christmas in 2021?
Without further ado, check out what we are giving our kids for Christmas this year!*
(* Please keep in mind that some of the prices may be different since we purchased our items. I have noticed that some items may be currently unavailable or have inflated prices.)
Something they want:
The kids can choose one item that they really want, and it can be anything from a toy, clothing, or other activity they are interested in.
Our girls have been in love with LEGO (on Zulily <– check for discounts) for years, and they are often what they ask for.
This year, our oldest daughter wanted this Lego Ideas Winnie the Pooh (on Zulily) Paris set ever since she saw it. She still loves LEGO but has gotten to where she wants more of a challenge.
All of our kids will play with LEGO for hours on end. Right now, I think we have enough LEGO to build our own full-size hotel, but our middle daughter asked for the LEGO Friends Heartlake City Grand Hotel (on LEGO.com).
LEGO, LEGO, and more LEGO…But, I really don’t mind because they provide hours of entertainment and creativity for them. They are also one of those things that we will probably keep for our own grandchildren should we eventually have them. Our youngest daughter has started to build bigger sets, so she wanted something bigger from Harry Potter. When she saw the Chamber of Secrets set (on Zulily <– check for discounts).
Little man is really into superheroes, cars, and Baby Yoda right now. Since he loves cars, we found something that combines both Baby Yoda and cars. This radio-controlled “The Child” car came from Costco (for $25 or $30), but I found it at Walmart for a little more or on Ebay. He got a similar one last year that was Hulk and loves it.
Something they need:
Our kids truly don’t need anything at this point; however, there are a few things that could qualify. It is also important for us to nurture the interests of our children, so sometimes “needs” can take a different form in the gifts we are giving our kids for Christmas. You can check out our past posts above to see what kinds of things we have given.
We live in North Carolina (but not in the mountains), so the winters aren’t brutal compared to other places, but it does get cold during the winter. Our coldest daughter has outgrown all of her thicker winter coats, so she requested a puffy jacket for a fur hood. We got this one on Zulily, but I had also picked out this one just in case.
Our middle daughter asked for some shoes for Christmas, and when she saw these Vans, she absolutely loved them. They are women’s size, but I read several places that girls can wear women’s sizes if you decrease the size by 1.5 or 2 sizes, so we will see if these work. I got these at Kohl’s and used a 30% off plus some Kohl’s cash to knock the price down.
Our 3rd daughter loves wrapping up in a cozy blanket and is always borrowing a weighted blanket from her brother or her sister. She also loves unicorns, so this 7 lb.weighted blanket was perfect for her.
If you have children, you know how fast they grow and go through shoes. Little man has outgrown all of his tennis shoes right now, so he needed some new ones for every day use. I also didn’t want to spend a lot since they will be outgrown quickly and will be used for playtime. I got these at Carter’s for Buy 1 Get 1 Free (Check out their sales for 60%+ off).
Something spiritual:
This is perhaps the most difficult area to buy for, but it is an area that we want to foster with what we are giving our kids for Christmas. Sometimes it involves more applicable items like devotionals or a new age-appropriate Bible. Other times it involves something more whimsical that can still have a little lesson to go with it.
The tween/teen years are upon us, and we know this is a delicate yet important stage in our oldest daughter’s development. We want her to grow in her relationship with God and understand who He says she is.
Sometimes the spiritual part of our 3 gifts can be difficult without repeating things. This year, we were so excited to find these Teens with Christ Box. They look like so much fun, and I think our older two girls are going to love them. Subscription boxes are a great gift, and there is usually something to fit any interest. We included a few in our 2021 gift guide on the non-toy page.
We also found a subscription box that we think the younger two kid will enjoy as well. They love getting stuff in the mail, so I think they will have fun with this Hello Bible boxes. There is an explorer box for our 3rd daughter and a junior box for our son.
For more spiritual gift ideas for your little ones, check out our post on 65+ gift ideas to foster spiritual growth.
Our Dog
This year, we are getting our dog a subscription box as well. I am not an animal person, but I love our labradoodle, and I think that she will really like this BarkBox. It is filled with toys and treats that are your pet is sure to enjoy!
Stocking Stuffers
In addition to the 3 gifts we are giving our kids for Christmas, we also stuff their stockings with smaller non-junk stocking stuffer items. This year, this will include fun socks, scrunchy scarf hair ties, non-toxic fingernail polish, a box of band-aids, Lexie lip balm, FRF bath bombs, candy, bubble bath, and other items from this list.
Family Gift
This year we are also thinking about finding a gift that the family could enjoy together. We haven’t made up our minds yet, but are thinking something like an idea box, board game, book series, TV/movie series, Amazon Prime Video, or other activity that we would all like to do.
If you need more ideas, check out some of the gift lists in our Ultimate Gift Guide.
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