Are you worried about the cost of Christmas this year? As magical and exciting as the holidays can be, they can also be ridiculously expensive.
There’s a certain pressure placed onto parents to ensure their children have the perfect Christmas. So, if you’ve got a very limited budget it can extremely stressful and upsetting to find you can’t spend a fortune on Christmas gifts.
The good news is, toddlers are really easy to buy for. They are young enough to not know the difference between an expensive and a cheaper gift. They’re also easily pleased so they may be just as happy with an empty box as they would with what’s inside! 😉
If you’re struggling to come up with budget Christmas gift ideas for toddlers, here we’ll look at some great options available.
1. Paint Your Own Mug
Toddlers love to get creative, so anything which allows them to use their creative skills is going to get a big thumbs-up. Paint your own mug sets are inexpensive and your toddler will love adding their own design.
It’s also a practical gift as the mug can be used throughout the year. Or, you could use it to start your own little Christmas tradition where the mug is only used during the holidays each year. Either way, this is a very affordable, fun Christmas gift idea that your toddler is sure to love.
2. Memory Game
This is great homemade gift idea that’s simple yet extremely enjoyable. It also teaches your toddler more about colors and shapes. All you need is some wooden discs, colored wool felt and some child-friendly glue. Once you have a rough idea of what to do, you could always tweak it a little to fit your own preferences.
There are several ways these finished discs can be used including getting your toddler to match the different colors or shapes by simply having them laid out in front, or turning the discs over and getting them to find the matching one.
3. An Easel
Another fantastic creative gift, an easel is cheap yet provides literally hours of fun for your toddler. It’s their own little space where they can bring their imagination to life. It can also stop them using your walls as a canvas! If you throw in some crayons, paints or coloring pens, you’ll have the perfect, affordable gift.
As an added bonus, an easel provides excellent value for money as it’s something your little one will enjoy for many years to come.
4. A Sensory Board
Toddler’s love nothing more than to indulge their new acquired senses. A sensory board will bring a lot of excitement on Christmas morning and best of all it’s really affordable! They are really simple to create too. All you need is a big piece of strong cardboard for the base, then create squares of different types of textures and activities.
To make it really fun, add small boxes onto each square and fill them with different things. One could contain different colored tissue paper that your toddler will love to pull out. Another could contain beans (dried not baked!), while another could be filled with goo. Your little one will have a lot of fun exploring each box.
5. A Box Hideaway
One of the simplest ideas on the list and also one of the cheapest, a large cardboard box is practically all you need. A toddler loves nothing more than to have their own private hideaway. So, turning a huge empty cardboard box into a play den is a fantastic and fun idea.
You could even add windows and decorate the box to make it look a little more exciting. Many parents often end up surprised on Christmas morning when they’ve splashed out on an expensive present only to find their toddler has a lot more fun with the empty box it came in! This gift idea also gives you the opportunity to indulge in your own creativity.
6. Digital Camera
We’re not talking about a top of the range, high-tech digital camera here. Instead, we’re referring to the very cheap, toddler inspired models. Kid-friendly cameras are a fantastic investment. Your toddler will love taking plenty of snaps and perhaps more importantly – they’ll feel like an adult.
It’s surprising how desperate toddlers are to be just like mom and dad. So, giving them an adult inspired gift is sure to be a big hit.
7. Big Building Blocks
Toddlers love building blocks and these days you can pick them up at a very low cost. If you place them in a big box, your little one will literally have hours of fun taking them out and creating anything their heart desires. The fact that they can be used for so long makes them a great value and not likely to be forgotten about any time soon.
8. Toy Swap
Last on the list is a toy swap. This is the cheapest idea on the list as you’re not actually paying anything, yet you’re still going to end up with gifts that your toddler loves. Think about how quickly your little one grows bored of their toys. If you have friends with children of similar ages, you can get together and swap toys. This also helps you to eliminate any clutter, saving you from having to sell or get rid of the toys at a later date.
Conclusion
Overall, you don’t have to spend a fortune on Christmas gifts. While toddler’s can be a nightmare at times, they are really easy to please when it comes to gifts. They’ll be just as happy with a big empty box as they would with something really expensive. So, don’t worry if you’re on a budget, the above ideas will hopefully help you keep your toddler happy this Christmas without breaking the bank.
Unfortunately here in my country any toy you mentioned there will not cost below 30 dollars since we cannot buy only one toy and there must be two or three the cost will be high enough!
Wow! Toys seem to be really expensive in your country. Well, if you can be creative enough, there are a lot of toys you can build out of recycled materials like cardboard. You just need some glue and paint to make them colorful. It’s all a matter of imagination!
Kids are also unable to tell if a gift/toy is expensive or not. What attracts them is the color and how fun it would be to play with so it’s okay to give them a DIY toy. Good luck with your crafts!
I like the idea of building blocks. It’s a nice toy for toddlers development just make sure it’s the big size, the tendency if its small they will put it in their mouth and possible for choking.
You’re right, sweetpot81. When buying toys for kids, adults should always be on the lookout for small parts the toy may have because it could become a choking hazard. Never buy toys with small parts because it’s risky.
@Elsa This is so true, it’s very important to be on the lookout when kids are using detachable toys because kids can be very inclined to putting almost any they find in their mouth.
There was one incident in my yard one day with a kid who swallow the head cap of his playing toy and was choking from it. It took one old lady in the house who used olive oil to get him to vomit it out.
True. Babies do put everything in their mouths.
Great to hear the old lady was able to think quickly. It could have turned out bad for the child. Bless her!
Christmas seasons is around the corner with just a month to spare. It’s a period of gift sharing and receiving as well especially for Christians. Some people tend to spend a lot on gifts and other stuffs during this season, especially toddlers gifts but I do find more handmade craft gifts to be of more sentimental value. I love gifting paintings out during this period.