The best DIY Christmas gifts for kids are the ones they make with their own hands and then actually use - fort-building kits, custom-decorated gliders, snow globes, and backyard challenge setups that keep them creative and moving long after the wrapping paper is gone. At Refresh Sports, we believe the best gifts foster creativity, active play, and screen-free family fun that lasts well beyond Christmas Day.
With winter right around the corner and the holiday season fast approaching, it's time to start thinking about putting together special gifts for the people you love the most. But what truly makes a holiday gift special?
Sounds like a tall order? We don't think so. With a little time and a few simple materials, you and your kids can create awesome homemade gifts that will bring the family together - and keep them active and engaged - this holiday season.
Why Do DIY Gifts Make The Best Christmas Surprises?
DIY gifts make amazing Christmas surprises because they're:
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Handmade and come from the heart
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Personalized and one-of-a-kind
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Rooted in an investment of time, energy, and love
In addition, DIY gifts can help kids to develop all kinds of essential skills - like creativity, confidence, and imagination. Let's take a closer look:
Hands-On Learning & Creativity
What better way to enjoy the satisfaction of bringing a creative idea to life and seeing it through to completion than by making something for someone you love with your own two hands? The proud smile on your child's face when they bring out the lovely gift they've made on Christmas day says it all.
Confidence Through Play
When kids take on a challenge and succeed, it naturally boosts their confidence and self-esteem. Gifts that involve DIY elements offer the perfect invitation for children to reach new and meaningful goals - while having tons of fun in the process.
Screen-Free Family Fun
It can be tough to disconnect from screens, but making or playing with DIY gifts can be a wonderful way to bring the whole family together face-to-face. Whether you're crafting, building, or engaging in some friendly competition, there's no better way to reconnect. For even more ideas, our roundup of engaging screen-free activities for kids is a great place to keep the momentum going past the holidays.
What Kind Of Christmas Gifts Can Your Kids Build From Scratch?
A DIY present can be:
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Something homemade that is gifted, ready to use, such as
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A tin of freshly baked cookies
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A piece of artwork
OR
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A "kit" or "collection" of materials ready to be used by the recipient to create a DIY project of their own, such as
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The ingredients, cookie cutters, and recipe for special cookies
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Paints, brushes, and canvas to create a piece of artwork
Most of the DIY ideas listed below can fall into either category, depending on how you choose to put them together and who you intend to gift them to. Kids are typically delighted to receive kit-style gifts (warning: these may lead to hours of hands-on entertainment), while adults may prefer completed DIY gifts crafted by kids with love - but you know your loved ones best.
Let's roll up our sleeves and let the DIY fun begin!
DIY Fort-Building Kit
This one is ridiculously simple yet incredibly fun. Gather together simple fort-building materials such as ropes, clothespins, sheets, and blankets - plus maybe a flashlight, if you're feeling extra adventurous. Put them all together in a pretty package and watch the magic unfold as your kids get to work designing and redesigning (and redesigning again) the fort of their dreams.
DIY Snow Globe
Have your kids make super-simple snow globes to give away as gifts, or gift them the raw materials neatly wrapped with a bow and ready to assemble on Christmas. You'll need:
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Clear airtight containers with lids (recycled jars, Mason jars)
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Glycerin or corn syrup
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Glitter
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Figurines or decorations
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Hot glue
DIY Flying Toy Storage Box
Are flying toys - like gliders, kites, and boomerangs - always underfoot in your house? Protect these playthings and get your kids' creative juices flowing at the same time with a DIY toy storage box project that makes a fun and crafty gift. Start by covering a sturdy cardboard box (diaper boxes work great) with wrapping paper or butcher paper. Next, have your kids decorate to their heart's content - the sky's the limit!
DIY LEGO Tray
Get a picture frame. Fit a LEGO base plate inside it. Have your kids go to town decorating and personalizing the frame - for themselves, a sibling, or a friend. That's it. The perfect customized gift for LEGO lovers everywhere.
DIY Mini Glider Airplane Customization
What's even more fun than our Mini Glider Foam Airplane? Our Mini Glider Foam Airplane with DIY customizations! For kids who love aviation or crafts - or both - try decorating foam gliders with paint, stickers, permanent markers, etching tools (toothpicks work well), and more.
DIY Gingerbread House
If you've got the time and energy, make gingerbread houses from scratch with the kids this holiday season. If not, consider gifting DIY gingerbread house kits complete with graham crackers, icing, candies, sprinkles, and instructions. Here are some helpful tips to get you started!
DIY Soft Boomerang Challenge
Create a DIY scoreboard and make your own award ribbons or trophies to get excitement pumping for a boomerang challenge with our Soft Boomerang or Soft Traditional Boomerang toys. Enjoy some friendly competition as kids take turns sharpening their boomerang skills and see who can get the most successful returns within a 1-minute window! New to it? Our guide on how to throw a boomerang will get the whole family launching and catching in no time.
DIY Birdhouse Project
Building a birdhouse is a classic DIY project that invites nature exploration, creativity, and collaboration. Plans for wooden bird house templates are readily available online, or you can go a different route with recycled materials - like this easy DIY juice carton bird house. Whether it's a gift for grandparents or a gift to be built with grandparents (or another family member), a DIY birdhouse is a great DIY gift all around.
How Do You Turn A DIY Project Into An Active Gift?
Pair the homemade part with something that gets kids up and moving. A hand-decorated storage box is even better when it's holding a flying toy; a DIY scoreboard is even better with a real game to compete in. The making is the warm-up - the playing is the payoff that keeps the gift in rotation all winter. That's exactly the thinking behind our screen-free Christmas gift guide for active kids, if you'd like a few ready-to-go ideas to round out the DIY ones above.
Frequently Asked Questions About DIY Christmas Gifts For Kids
What are easy DIY Christmas gifts kids can make themselves?
Some of the easiest DIY Christmas gifts for kids are snow globes made from recycled jars, a personalized LEGO tray built into a picture frame, and a decorated flying-toy storage box. Each one uses simple, low-cost materials and can be finished in an afternoon - and each leaves plenty of room for kids to add their own creative touch.
Which DIY gifts keep kids active and away from screens?
The most active DIY gifts pair a homemade element with movement. A DIY scoreboard turns a soft boomerang into a backyard challenge, a fort-building kit gets kids designing and crawling, and customized foam gliders invite kids outside to test their throws. These gifts get played with again and again rather than sitting on a shelf.
Are DIY gifts good for young kids ages 3 to 12?
Yes - DIY gifts scale well across ages. Younger kids enjoy decorating and assembling with a parent's help, while older kids can take on more of the building and personalizing themselves. The shared making is part of the gift, which is why DIY projects work so well for the whole 3-to-12 range.
Build Skills That Last Beyond The Holidays With Refresh Sports
Seeking Christmas gifts for kids that will last beyond the holiday season and be used and enjoyed time and time again? As we've seen in this article, DIY gifts that kids can make foster creativity, problem-solving, and imagination. The same can be said for all of our innovative toys at Refresh Sports. Our high-quality, screen-free toys are designed to promote active, imaginative play for kids of all ages. Check out our inventory today to find the right fit for all the kids on your gift list!
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