This post is sponsored by the Florida Prepaid College Board, through my role as a Believer Blogger. All thoughts are my own.
Non-Toy Gift Ideas
When you look at most kids wish lists around the holiday, it is jam-packed with toys. Between commercials on TV, the catalogs in the mail, and of course the unboxing videos on YouTube, the only thing on their mind is the latest and greatest toys. However, as a mom of 3, I am so sick of the toy mayhem that happens year after year. Each child gets an endless array of toys from friends, family, and of obviously Santa, only to find those precious toys at the bottom of a toy box 3 months later or shoved under a bed. My family is starting to move away from the toy giving and starting to give gifts that help us learn something, make memories, or use our imagination, and I think this is going to be the best gift giving experience we’ve had.
Gift Ideas for Children
The Gift of Fun:
We live in Florida, so there is an endless supply of fun at every corner. Between the amusement parks, beaches, and one of a kind attractions, Florida has it all. So, instead of buying a toy that will be used a few times and then likely forgotten about, why not give gift cards to a fun attraction closet by. There are so many possibilities for every budget, from zoo memberships to museums, aquariums, and even bike rentals. There is something fun that any kid will love.
The Gift of Travel
Do you know any kids who dream of exploring the world, or even just a certain state? My kids love to travel, particularly Anthony. His favorite place to travel to so far is New York City, and he has dreams of living there one day. When we lived in Massachusetts and New York was just a 3-hour drive away, he would ask to visit Manhattan instead of having a party, to which I would always immediately say absolutely. He is also my child who looks up countries online and tries to talk me into going, currently, he is begging to go to England. The twins at 8, are a little less enthused about traveling to countries with big buildings and statues and are more impressed with rides, characters, and animals. Their top travel requests are usually Great Wolf Lodge or a trip to Orlando.
We stopped doing birthday parties a few years ago and decided to take trips as a family instead and it has worked out amazingly, so for the holidays, this will likely be in our future.
If you have a little traveler on your list, why not get them a night at a hotel in a local city?
The Gift of Creativity
Anthony is my Traveler, and Lilly, she’s the one with a creative spirit. Her Christmas list this year consisted of gel pens, 2 sketchbooks, and puffy paint. My heart melted at the simplicity of her desires that we ended up visiting the craft store early and having fun creating together. However, for Christmas, a class at the local paint bar or a jewelry making class at the bead shop would be a perfect gift.
The Gift of Experience
Time fly’s by and when they’ve outgrown the superheroes and Barbie’s, they probably won’t remember which doll they got when they were 8. However, an awesome experience will stay with them! Take an indoor skydiving lesson together or a surfing lesson. How about renting a cozy coupe car down the beach? Think outside the box and make those memories that last a lifetime.
The Gift of Education
This has to be the best gift of all! Imagine giving the gift of eliminating the overwhelming amount of student debt a child will likely come across down the road. It may not be on their radar yet, but Florida Prepaid is a gift that will last a lifetime, and it is open enrollment right now!
The Florida Prepaid College Plan is the largest, most successful, longest-running prepaid tuition program in the nation! Florida Prepaid is helping parents and students prepare for college and making planning for the future a lot easier. 300,000 students have already attended college using Florida Prepaid!
Florida Prepaid Plans
Florida Prepaid offers 5 savings plans, giving you the flexibility to choose one that fits your family’s needs. With plans starting as low as $46.61 saving for college is now possible. Here is some more about these great plans:
2-Year Florida College Plan: Covers tuition and other specified fees for 60 lower division credit hours at a Florida College.
4-Year Florida College Plan: Covers tuition and other specified fees for 60 lower division credit hours and 60 upper division credit hours at a Florida College
2 + 2 Florida Plan: Covers tuition, tuition differential fee and other specified fees for 60 lower division credit hours at a Florida College and 60 credit hours at a State University.
1-year Florida University Plan: Covers tuition, tuition differential fee and other specified fees at a State University for 30 credit hours
4-Year Florida University Plan: Covers tuition, tuition differential fee and other specified fees at a State University for 120 credit hours
Learn more about which plan is right for your family here!
OPEN ENROLLMENT!
The Florida Prepaid College Board’s annual Open Enrollment period is Oct. 15, 2017 – Feb. 28, 2018. Enroll now and use promo code:
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