Ever thought of doing a family gift for Christmas? I remember the year I was 10 my mom had saved and saved so that we could go on a cruise together as a family. Santa gave us all cruise theme gifts for Christmas that year- beach towels, suitcases, swimsuits, etc. It was such a fun family memory and an awesome Christmas.
Now, a family cruise is not in my budget this year, and it may not be in yours either, but here are Five Fantastic Family Gift Ideas that might be in your budget and provide some great family memories for you this year.
1-The Smart Balancing Smart Drifter Scooter
This thing is all the rage this year- and for good reason! We are absolutely loving ours! Even my 6-year-old is a pro at it and my husband, and I love riding it as much as the kids. It is amazing how after 20 minutes of practice the thing feels like an extension of your own body, taking you where ever you want to go. If you have the money to get multiples so more than one can ride at once, all the better. But we have a great time just taking turns. Your kids will freak out when they get this Christmas morning!
We love this thing because we can take it where ever we go and watch a movie together as a family. It projects on any wall bigger than any flat screen we could afford, but it doesn’t have to be constantly taking up half the room. We can take it camping, in the car on long trips, outside on the side of the house- anywhere. And we can project anything we would watch on our phones or iPads. Check out this post to see our favorite site for streaming movies from our phones.
The one I linked to is 200 lumens and a short-throw- which means it has a clear picture and can project an 80 inch screen at a distance of 4 feet. Pretty impressive. And it has a built-in rechargeable battery that will give you 3 hours of run time. There are cheaper ones, but that usually means you aren’t getting as big a screen from as short a distance or as good a battery so do your research. Make sure you get an adapter to convert your iPhone to HDMI. This one will work for most of the more recent iPhone models- make sure you get the one that is right for your phone.
3-A Family Get-Away
What I love about this is you can tailor it to your financial situation. If you can’t spring for a cruise or a trip to Disneyland at the moment, there is usually a nearby vacation spot that is more in your price range. Last year we went on a 2-day trip to some sand dunes 5 hours from our house and it was one of the funnest vacations we’ve ever taken as a family. It cost very little and still provided us with some awesome family memories.
4-A Family Night Out to a Concert, Musical, Game, or Event that you all enjoy.
Think about something you all enjoy doing together- Is there a family-oriented Broadway show playing near you this year? Are you all huge fans of some sports team? How about Disney on Ice or a Monster Truck Rally? A day on the slopes? Is there an amusement park near your house? Or if all those are too pricey, what about a trip to a local kids activity center like a children’s museum, dinosaur park, fun center, bouncy house land, or trampoline park? Find something in your price range you could all enjoy doing together and make a memory with your kids.
This is one of the most affordable and easy to transport ways to have fun at the lake as a family. Kids of all ages can have fun on paddle boards- whether they ride with you or on their own. The one I linked to is inflatable and the reviews say it is so sturdy people don’t believe it is inflatable. But, because it is inflatable, you don’t even need a roof rack to transport it. Make sure you get one that will work for the weight range you are working with, and have a great time at the lake with your family this summer!
BONUS- Family Fun Games
Okay, I had to add this little category as a bonus because some of my favorite memories as a family come from when we all sat and played games together! If you haven’t bought Pie Face yet, you definitely should. They recently came out with the Pie Face Showdown as well and we are so excited to try it. This game will sure to have both you AND your kids with the case of the giggles. Some other fun ones are Monopoly Ultimate Banking, Mashin’ Max, Twister Moves Hip Hop Spots, Jenga, Catch Phrase , Disney Guess Who, etc. . . (You can find more fun family games here.)
What are some fun family gifts you have done in the past?
