Looking for the perfect holiday presents for your active little ones? Gifting athletic supplies, outdoor equipment, and educational materials is an excellent way to encourage your children to live a healthy lifestyle. The best part? Buying health and exercise gifts for your kids means you don’t have to spend your next paycheck on the newest electronics and video games! Healthy gifts can be surprisingly affordable if you take advantage of the following budgeting tips.

Choose Healthy Stocking Stuffers

Instead of stuffing your kids’ stockings with sweet treats and knick-knacks, opt for affordable items with a health and fitness focus. Think sidewalk chalk, bubbles, a water bottle, fun toothbrushes, or warm gloves for outdoor play on cool days. You could even throw in some home-made goodies! Life Made Sweeter has a bunch of great recipes for healthy granola bars that your kids are sure to love. Alternatively, write up a recipe on a card that you can make with them later—cooking with your kids is an excellent way to teach them about nutrition!

Stockings are also perfect for jars of kid-friendly multivitamins. According to Plexus Worldwide, multivitamins are important for filling in nutritional gaps in children’s diets, boosting the immune system, and supporting a healthy gut biome. Choose delicious chewable vitamins so your kids can get excited about them. Gifting multivitamins is another good opportunity to discuss nutrition with your children, so be ready to explain how multivitamins work with a balanced diet to keep people healthy. Consider complimenting your multivitamin stocking stuffers with a few children’s books that teach about good eating habits like snacking on fruits and veggies and avoiding added sugars.

Buy Athletic Equipment with Dicks Sporting Coupons

If your kid shows interest in a particular sport, get them the tools and equipment they need to try it out. Don’t feel like you have to splurge on high-quality gear from specialty stores. You can find all kinds of athletic supplies at affordable retail stores like Dicks Sporting Goods. Consider sticking to affordable sports like basketball, volleyball, soccer, and tennis instead of buying your kids expensive hockey gear or a set of skis. Don’t forget, you can save even more money on your athletic gifts by looking online for coupons before shopping.

Get Used Outdoor Hobby Supplies

Besides sports, there are all kinds of budget-friendly outdoor hobbies that your kids are sure to love. If you think your kids would like to help you garden in the spring, put together a kid-friendly gardening tool kit. According to Rasmussen College, gardening is a great form of physical activity and can encourage your kids to eat healthier, too! If you have an avid adventurer on your hands, pick up some low-cost camp gear like a headlamp and a pocket-knife. Bushcraft supplies and survival gifts can be great for kids who like to build forts in the woods. Similarly, binoculars are great for curious kids who love to explore. To keep it budget-friendly, look for gently used outdoor hobby supplies at thrift stores and garage sales.

Don’t Forget Indoor Activities and Games

When the weather turns sour, keeping your kids active can be a little more challenging. Look for indoor activities and games that will encourage your kids to get moving when they’re stuck inside. Believe it or not, there are several fun activities your kids can do indoors with a simple hula hoop or jump rope. Or, if you have a long hallway, an indoor bowling set is a great way to use up the space and keep your kids busy on rainy days. Gifts like these will keep your children off the couch and away from their screens, which means you won’t be pressured to buy all of those exciting toys that your kids see in television advertisements and online promotions.

When it’s time to start shopping for your children’s holiday gifts, consider going the healthy route instead of showering them with treats and toys. Fitness and nutrition presents don’t have to be boring. Surprise your children with tools, equipment, gear, and games that will intrigue and inspire them!

Located in Pacific Palisades, with satellite clinics in Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, and Beverly Hills, Thumos Health Center offers patients exceptional personalized care. If you are ready to take the first steps toward a more integrative approach to your health care, we invite you to phone 310-927-2792 to schedule an appointment at any of our Los Angeles locations. Our highly knowledgeable and friendly staff will be happy to answer any questions or concerns you might have.