cool and creative family gifts

Sometimes it’s super difficult to find the right gift for your nephew, niece, or brother-in-law, so why not switch things up a bit?

After the donating and giving to others and focusing on the real meaning of the season, why not try something different?

Instead of going for singular, one-gift-per-person-kinda gifts, go for family gifts.

Like gifts where there’s a little something for everyone. Everyone shares. Everyone’s happy.

Here are just a few cool and creative family gift ideas that we’re keeping our eyes on for next year or what we may gently recommend for others.

Cool and Creative Family Gifts (and it’s not too late!):

These are just ideas–just starters–and where you take them depends on what you need, how big of a budget you have, and the family who will be receiving the gift, of course.

Many of the links are affiliate links, meaning if you purchase the item, teachmama.com gets a teeny, tiny percentage of the sale which helps us keep this website and all of its resources free for everyone. Yay!

Get them out to hang with some animals.

Create a animal-happy bundle.

Invest in a zoo or aquarium membership. We’re huge fans of the Smithsonian National Zoo and have been FONZ (Friends of the National Zoo) for years. The cool thing about our zoo here in DC is that it’s free (yay!). But parking is $20 a pop. Might not seem high, but it adds up. A zoo membership is great for us, but really any membership would rock–so if there’s a nearby aquarium, farm, petting zoo, or animal center, pick up a family membership!
Animal Encyclopedia, by National Geographic: Grab a few animal books to include with the gift!
Find some relevant stuffed animals: Go with a monkey, a sloth, or a giraffe. A shark, an otter, or a fish.

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Get them reading.

Help them build a little at-home book nook.

Small bookshelf: You only need a low one with a few shelves and room for some baskets!
Bean bag chair: Definitely get one that will fit one or two readers who want to cozy up.
Rug: Just big enough to cover the small area of the book nook, friends. We’re not redecorating an entire room!
Reading lamp: We want our kids to be able to see the letters and words on the page, so make sure there’s a lamp in the book nook.
Raising a Rock-Star Reader: You knew I’d include this, didn’t you? I’ve shared and shared my excitement for the release of my book, and I think it’s the perfect addition to any family’s Reading Nook holiday gift.
Books for every family member: If you’re not sure what books interest each member of the family, go for a gift card! You can’t go wrong by letting them choose their own books on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Magazine subscription: Magazine reading counts as reading. So head over to Discount Mags and pick one for each person in the family. (If you head over now, you can score 40% off sitewide with code: SITEWIDE40).

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Get them connected.

Make it a techy bundle–

Acer Chromebook: Less than $200 and it can really take a beating, my kids use theirs every, single day.
HP Envy 5540 Wireless Printer: Less than $80. Super quality printing meets all your family’s needs, and it’s wireless. We have this and I love it so much, I’d marry it if I could. And? . . .
HP Instant Ink: Instant Ink means you’ll never run out of ink. Period. It’s super-affordable (not even kidding!), and when your super-smart printer tells the ink people that you need more ink, it’ll show up at your door. BONUS: Now through December 31st, when you enroll your printer in HP Instant Ink, you will receive six free months of ink! To decide which plan is right for you and to enroll, visit the Instant Ink site stat.
HP Social Media Snapshot Sticky Paper: Print any photo you want straight from your mobile device onto this sweet paper that has a sticky back. Perfect for crafts, throwing into an album, adding to a notebook–you name it.
Blisstime DIY Google Cardboard Virtual Reality 3D Glasses: These are so cool, it’s nuts. You assemble these 3D glasses and then put your phone–your 3-5″ screen phone– and use the Google Cardboard app and seriously GO PLACES. (But not really–it just feels like you are.)

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Get them cooking!

Have them become the Next Food Network Star family. Or something like that.

Cooking or Baking Class from Craftsy: We love these classes–and so will most families. Very comprehensive, easy to follow, and to the point. And with each class, a family’s learning a new skill!
Baking pans: Everyone needs new supplies if they’re going to be baking!
Oven mitts: Go for the extra long ones, friends.
Mixer: Get a big one. It’s an investment and awesome addition to any household. Pick a fun color.
Cookbooks: How about Baking With Kids: Make Breads, Muffins, Cookies, Pies, Pizza Dough and More, by Leah Brooks or The Star Wars Cookbook II, by Frankie Frankeny

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Get them playing games!

Go for a really cool family fun pack of games that will make Family Game Night totally rock.

Bingo: We’ve shared our Bingo love many times. Great for learning numbers and at least a handful of letters!
Math Dice: For a bit of an older crowd, but a great mathy game. For littles, go with Math Dice, Jr.
Apples to Apples: So. Fun. Really a great game for a crowd.
Monopoly Empire: Our hands-down favorite addition to the Monopoly family.
Cranium: A game that touches on our logical, artistic, dramatic, and thoughtful sides. \
Popcorn Popper and popcorn bowls: Who says popcorn is just for the movies? We like popcorn any time–but especially on Family Game Night!

I am so very, very, very excited about these items, and I think you will be, too.

Need a few more great ideas?

Here are our 2015 gift guides:

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Want a few more holiday-inspired gift ideas or activities?

Click on the images below:

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fyi: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. This small percentage of money helps offset the costs of hosting this blog, which helps me keep this content free for you. Forever and always I recommend only products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” For more information, please see teachmama media, llc. disclosure policy.