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Have someone on your list who really doesn't like tons of STUFF?? Well, we've got some great suggestions that take up very little space, are easy to store and give you a big bang for your buck!
Rubik’s Cube - A puzzle that will always keep you learning something new. And if you’re one of those amazing people who can master it in a matter of minutes (like our oldest son), it’s always fun to see how fast you can complete it!
Plus-Plus Building – If you haven’t tried out Plus-Plus, you are missing out. It’s a surprisingly simple concept that requires TONS of creativity! Unlike Legos, all of the pieces are the same shape yet they are easy to build in 3-D or 2-D. We took a Ziploc full of these on our 6 month Central American trip and our kids ages 3-11 played together with them almost EVERY DAY!
Magna-Tiles - Another building set that really sparks the imagination. Magnatile are super easy to build with (they just stick together so no snapping or pushing required) so they are great for all ages. Also, the bigger the set you buy, the more amazing your creations can be (and as a major plus, they are flat so they are a piece of cake to store).
Kwik Sticks Paint Sticks – If your kids love to craft, but you hate the mess, then Kwik Sticks are for you. The first time I tried them I was amazed at how smooth they went onto the paper, and how vibrant and wonderful they looked. And the best part was that our “paintings” were dry in about a minute so there was almost no mess!
Story Cubes - Story Cubes are basically a set of dice with different pictures on every side. Roll all the dice and reveal what you must include in your story. This is a fantastic way to encourage kids (and adults!) to think outside the box and really learn how to use good details and imagery as they tell stories!
Spot It! - This game is especially well suited to younger kids, but it's a game that you can play with your littles that won't make the rest of the family absolutely crazy. All contained in a tiny tin, this is our go-to game to throw in the bag if we know we'll be waiting around somewhere like at the airport or a restaurant.
Tenzi – A dice game that anyone can play (as long as they can identify numbers). We play this one with the whole family from 3 up to 70. There are tons of variations on how you can play and it’s so small and simple that it’s easy to take just about anywhere!
Bananagrams - If you're a word lover, but don't want to carry around afull sized scrabble set, then you'll love this game. A full set of high quality letter tiles that you can mix and match for your own word building strategy!
Sphero App-Enabled Robot - Whether for your kids or for that adult that still wishes they were a kid, you can't go wrong with a Sphero. Our oldest has one and literally plays with it every day. It's the size of a baseball and he's traveled to 7 different countries with it and never seems to be bored. It's app controlled so you can drive it, play games with it, or code it to do all sorts of fun programs. It's small and easy to control and we've been thrilled with it from the start. (Note: if you're looking for a somewhat cheaper alternative that does great tricks, we also have an Ollie which is an absolute blast)
Journal - What minimalist wouldn't love a beautiful journal? This one is just stunning with the tree print embossed on the front (hint hint hubs: I'd love to find this one under the tree with my name on it!)
Wildflower Seeds - For that person on your list who REALLY doesn't want STUFF. Give them a bunch of flower seeds, and better yet, offer to plant them for them!
Kindle Paperwhite - This hardly needs any sort of introduction. The Paperwhite is an e-reader that similates real paper and is easier on your eyes. With up to 32 GB of storage you can fill this with more books, magazines and audiobooks than you'll ever read this year!
Need more ideas??
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