Need some holiday gift ideas? Why not think about presents that will help support children’s health and wellness? There are plenty of options available that can encourage healthy living, get kids moving, foster their imagination, and promote good mental health.
Check out the list below for gift ideas that nurture a healthy lifestyle and cover a wide range of ages and budgets.
These Gifts Can Help Kids To…
Stay Fit
Encourage physical fitness and keeping active with fitness-related items like these:
- Jump rope, weights, yoga mat/blocks, exercise dice, hula hoop, mini trampoline, smart basketball or soccer ball
- Fitness tracker, subscription to a hiking trail app or fitness app
- Gym membership or fitness classes (dance, yoga, gymnastics, ninja training, etc.)
Enjoy Good Health in the Kitchen
Bring kids into the kitchen to learn about healthy cooking and eating with these types of gifts:
- Kid-sized kitchen tools, vibrant colored cutting boards, child-safe knives, apron, baking supplies, cooking utensils, cookbook
- Healthy cooking subscription box, learn to cook kit, cooking classes, ingredients to make a treasured family recipe at home together
- Gardening tools, gardening gloves, hydroponic garden, desktop greenhouse
Encourage a Healthy Mind
These gifts can help kids nurture self-love, reflection and positivity:
- Mindfulness activity cards, positive affirmation cards, journals with positive writing prompts
- Books that introduce children to yoga, mindfulness and breathwork:
- Hello, Sun! and Hello, Moon! by Sarah Jane Hinder
- Breathe With Me by Mariam Gates
- Breathe Like a Bear by Kira Willey
- I Am Peace by Susan Verde
- Mindful Moments at Bedtime by Paloma Rossa
- Gifts of experience such as a special outing; memberships to outdoor parks, nature centers or museums; tickets to an art performance or play
- Books, book subscription boxes
- Aromatherapy items: diffusers, oils, candles
- Nature-related items: plants, terrarium, succulent garden
Inspire Creativity
Artsy gifts like these can spark joy, boost creativity and foster hands-on skills:
- New art supplies (paints, brushes, canvases; modeling clay; markers, pens, pencils), art easel
- Craft kits such as diamond art, origami, mosaic, sewing, soap making
- Building kits: gears, woodworking, robots, engineering
- Age-appropriate tools/tool kit; shop apron, safety glasses, work gloves
- Dress-up clothes/costumes
- Toys that encourage open-ended play and creativity such as building blocks, forts, magnetic building tiles, puzzles, sensory toys
- Gift certificate for art classes
- Music-related items: toy instruments, keyboard, drum pads; music lessons
Create Family Memories
Spending time together and bonding as a family is the gift itself with clever ideas like these:
- Board games, card games, game night kits, dinner table conversation cards
- Homemade gifts such as a themed slideshow, family playlist, family recipe book
- Tickets to local attractions the whole family can enjoy
- Special family dinner out
My hope is that this list gives you some ideas for how you can incorporate health and wellness into your gift-giving this year. Promoting self-care and a healthy lifestyle is a gift you can share with your children that can last a lifetime!
Trisha Weil, RN, and Staci Loer-Fisher, RN, BSN, LMT, HNB-BC, both in the Division of Child Life and Integrative Care, also contributed to this article.
