Non-Consumable Christmas

The thought of the avalanche of toys coming our way during the next few days makes me weak in the knees. Where am I going to put it all?

To off-set this problem, I try to ask for or buy non-consumable presents for my children. My favorite is to ask for memberships. This year for Christmas my children will receive memberships to the Zoo, Children's Museum and Natural Science Museum. It is a gift that gives all year long. Often, the one who gives the membership will join us on the outing at least once. Also, I make it a point to verbally remind the kids that so and so is the reason we get to enjoy our day at the Zoo. Most of the memberships are also national, which means it will say you a lot on vacation. Finally, more children you have, well you can just do that math. There is no way to store or play with all of those toys, and it gets very expensive for your relatives or they end up having to buy something cheap. This idea can be more economical, especially if you can get them to chip in together.

What are other non-consumables that make good presents?