350Brooklyn Families Holiday Gift Ideas for Kids

Aligning your hopes for our climate with the pressure of buying holiday gifts for kids is tough! We’ve compiled a few gift ideas for budding climate activists and kids of climate activists. We hope to grow this guide so please leave your ideas in the comments below!

Books 

We’ve put together a selection of books we love, for a variety of age ranges, that foster a love for our planet and seek to empower kids. 

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom 

What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French 

The Ballad Of Tubs Marshfield by Cara Hoffman

Wild City: A Brief History of New York City in 40 Animals by Thomas Hynes 

Tiny Perfect Things by M.H. Clark 

Packs: Strength in Numbers by Hannah Salyer

Get thrifty 

Start the tradition of gifting second hand. Scooters, bikes, dollhouses – there’s no rule to say gifts have to be brand new. In addition to local and online thrift stores, try local parenting listservs and join your neighborhood Buy Nothing group. At this time of year many people will be clearing out last years’ unwanted gifts to make space before Christmas – you can score gifts for your kids and save another kid’s stuff from landfill in the process!

Give them things they need anyway

Give them something that they actually need and use in day to day life, something you would have had to buy them anyway, For example, a fun backpack, bedsheets with a pattern they will love, clothing, etc.

This is a good theme for stocking fillers too  – a fun new (bamboo!) toothbrush, personalized coloring pencils, soap, hairbands, underwear, socks etc

Cut down on giving stuff

Offer a gift certificate or an IOU for something instead of yet more stuff. You can make the giving experience more fun by hiding it in a jar of candy or putting it inside something they need like a new wallet or pencil case. Some ideas:

• An IOU for a fun activity / day trip / meal / plant of their choosing. 
• A gift card to a local class or activity business like Brooklyn Game Lab, the Painted Pot, The Strategist, Mark Morris Dance Center, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, etc. Many businesses have online or outdoor options for this year. 
• A cash sum to donate to a charity of their choosing

Help going plastic free

Some Plastic-free gift guides that have a few kid-friendly picks:

• Beyond Plastics zero-waste gift guide 2022
• Plastic Free Coalition’s guide (needs signup)