Keeping a minimalist Christmas that is focused on memories instead of materialism isn’t easy. Here are the steps to write a minimalist Christmas list with our gift guide for toddlers and preschoolers ages 1-4. Included are some of our favourite books (including our favourite Christmas Books) that you won’t want to declutter in January. Enjoy the fun activity ideas for toddlers for families to make memories with their little ones. Plus activities helps keep the flood of gifts more minimal. With the abundance of toys and gadgets available, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
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How to Make a Minimalist Christmas Gift List for Your Littles
When sharing the littles Christmas list with loved ones. I categorize it into 3-4 categories and ask that family members don’t go over getting 3-4 gifts per child.
I also include my free printable of 23 fun Simple Toddler Christmas Activities ideas. This helps relatives think outside the stuff box for showering their little ones with lovely experiences at Christmas time.
Why Share A Minimalist Christmas Gift List With An Activity List?
Focusing on experiences over things is very life-giving to your toddlers and preschoolers. Building memories with your littles is much more quality and long lasting than stuff. Surrounded by Dollar stores and Walmarts (which I enjoy) our toddler is craving our quality time. Check out my post on Easy Toddler Christmas Activities – Minimalist Christmas which contains a free printable with 23 simple activities that you or your loved ones can do over Christmas with your toddlers to create memories. I love sharing this printable with my relatives along with my minimalist Christmas list.
When choosing gifts, I like quality and more open ended play over quantity. This helps keep a clutter-free environment that promotes creativity and imagination. This gift guide is designed to help you find meaningful gifts that your child will love, which my 1-4 year olds enjoy.
How to Make A Minimalist Christmas Gift List Using Categories:
- something to Read
- something for Fun
- something they Need*
- something to Wear* (optional – I usually lump it with the Need category for little ones.)
- include their Favourites: colours, animals, any other interests
Minimalist Christmas Gift Guide for Toddlers and Preschoolers (Ages 1-4)
1. Something to Read – Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers, ages 1-4:
Books are a big one for us, it’s the prefect minimalist Christmas gift idea! We love this kind of gift as it is a quality time and experience creating gift. Reading together is a fantastic way to bond with your child and ignite their imagination. Not to mention all the educational and wonderful reading skills that are being developed by reading to your child.
Here are some of our favourite books that are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers:
Christmas Board Books We Love
Christian Board Books We Love
Who Sang The First Song by Ellie Holcomb
Don’t Forget to Remember by Ellie Holcomb
Other Books We Love
I’m Glad For What I Have by Rachel Cruze
You’re Here For A Reason by Nancy Tillman
I’ll Love You Always by Mark Sperring
I Love My Daddy by Joshua George
Why I Love My Mummy by Daniel Howarth
2. Something for Fun – For Toddlers & Preschoolers, ages 1-4:
Open-ended toys are those that can be used in a variety of ways and encourage imaginative play are my favourite. Montessori has lots of wonderful ideas, but they can be pricey. I like the Montessori philosophy around toys. I like when toys nurture my toddler’s growth, independence, and overall development. We love natural materials (when possible), open-ended and mimicking real life play.
If you wish to keep this list very minimal you can ask for a group gift for your toddlers and preschoolers. So instead of one gift in this category per child (which adds up quickly if you have lots of relatives gifting), that person(s) can get one group gift for all your children.
15 Material Gifts for Toddlers and Preschoolers Ages 1-4:
- Kid Friendly Nativity Set
- Felt Christmas Tree Set
- Magna Tiles
- Train Tracks
- Felt Food
- Toy Animals
- Blocks Set
- Wooden Puzzles
- Wooden Shape Sorter
- Barn
- Doll with diaper bag set
- Tool Set
- Cleaning Set
- A Kitchen Set
- Puzzle Letters and Numbers
Experience Based Gifts for Your Little Ones, Ages 1-4:
One of the best gifts you can give your child is the gift of experiences that provide endless opportunities for learning and fun throughout the year. Consider getting or asking for a membership to a local petting zoo, aquarium, pool/splash park or children’s museum.
A play day where grandparents take the little ones on an outing to the zoo or even a park, these are also a great gifts. The bonus is you also get a break as a parent.
There are many creative ways through pictures that a loved one can give a paper gift, kind of like a coupon, for the child to look forward to this particular experience or outing. Experiences create lasting memories and can be more valuable than any toy.
3. *Something they Need – For Toddlers & Preschoolers:
You as your child’s parent you are the only one who truly knows what your toddler or preschooler actually needs (ignore the marketing) as a gift. Trying to keep things simple and minimal I usually don’t have anything to put into this category. So I often skip it and just move on to #4 Something to Wear category.
I hesitate to place anything as suggestions here, but here are some things that we’ve “needed” over the last few years and could be asked for as gifts. These will only imply if you want to try the Montessori approach to eating and sleeping for your little ones.
- materials for helping in the kitchen: see this post and this post for ideas what you need to set up a Montessori kitchen within your kitchen
- small table and chairs
- floor bed
4. *Something to Wear – For Toddlers & Preschoolers:
Honestly, I don’t find there is much to ask for in the Need gift category. So I usually just use this category instead. As the parent you’ll know best. If you have a relative that loves to shop for cute outfits they’ll love knowing what your looking for.
If you have a particular style and are picky about what your child wears consider linking the exact item, such as a waterproof winter boots or mitts, etc. Or you can be more broad and ask for PJ’s and socks with stickies on the bottom.
Of course include your toddler’s size, and favourite colours, patterns, animals.
Ask for Safe Non-Toxic Clothing – Natural Fibres for Your Children
I like to ask for natural fibres (cotton, marino wool (not scratchy), linen, hemp, silk, cashmere) clothing instead of synthetic.
If they insist on getting those fuzzy fleecy PJ’s they likely don’t know that the material is basically plastic and endocrine disrupting, not to mention the toxic fire retardants standards for pajamas. The fuzzy fleece material is usually synthetic polyester, basically plastic, which also is bad for our littles endocrine system. If it says, safe for fires, it’s toxic and not safe for your little’s ones health.
Synthetic materials and fire retardants can cause rashes, eye irritations, thyroid disruption, fertility issues, and even worse to name a few.
Check out these posts on more details on what to avoid and what to look for when purchasing healthy pajamas and other clothes for your kids:
Finding Safe, Non-Toxic Children’s Pajamas That Won’t Go up in Smoke
What is polyester and why should parents try to avoid it?
How to Use your Gift Guide & Share Your Littles’ Minimalist Christmas Gift List?
Now that you have your minimalist Christmas gift list for your little ones categorized and personalized for your family you are ready to share it. I encourage you to email this gift list to family members proactively and ideally before the end of November.
However, if you’re like me and before you know it we’re in the thick of the season, you can still initiative ideas of what your children would like. Then next Christmas you’ll have a template to edit in November so you can be ahead of things in creating a minimalist Christmas!
Including Easy Toddler Christmas Activities Ideas in your email to family members is a another wonderful way to help your extended family make great memories with your littles. Click here to get my FREE printable of simple toddler Christmas activities we love.
You can also use this toddler and preschooler gift guide that you’ve created using the 3-4 categories for yourself to shop from! It’s like a container to keep the spending within your Christmas budget. It’s so easy to go overboard once we start seeing all the gift ideas and marketing.
By embracing minimalism and focusing on experiences along with open-ended toys, you can create a holiday season filled with joy and wonder.
What are your favourite minimalist Christmas Gifts for Toddlers and Preschoolers?
Has your family focused on creating experiences with extended family? How did it they respond to you setting boundaries around keeping gifts minimal? I’d love to hear all about how you keep Christmas minimal surrounding gifts in the comments below!
Check Out My Other Related Posts
Easy Toddler Christmas Activities – Minimalist Christmas
Pin It To Remember
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