Need ideas for gifts... NOT TOYS!!

I have 3 girls, 1 just turned 7 and the other two have birthdays coming up soon. (one will be four the other will be 2) I am overwhelmed with the amount of TOYS we have, most of them were bought by family, and even though I ask them to not buy a bunch of toys for the girls, they always do and we end up with way more than we can handle.

I dont want to NOT get them anything for their bdays so what do you think I can get instead of toys, that a 4yr old and 2yr old would actually be excited about? I am just trying to cut down on our consumption, as a family with lots of little kids, we save good toys and pass them on to the younger kids, so we dont even need much. I hate throwing things in the trash and lots of times, donating them to thrift stores is a pain in THEIR ass because they already are overwhelmed with toys.

Savings bond
529 account for college

<blockquote><b>Quoting MissMommy03!:</b>" I have 3 girls, 1 just turned 7 and the other two have birthdays coming up soon. (one will be four the ... [snip!] ... trash and lots of times, donating them to thrift stores is a pain in THEIR ass because they already are overwhelmed with toys."</blockquote>



My bff has two little brothers. The youngest one's other Godmother put bot of the boys in a book club. They get a couple books a month. I am thinking of doing it. My kids love books!

Cooking lessons? Or tickets to do something THAT day? Disney on Ice? Museum? Aquarium? with little bags packed for each with snacks and whatnot

Maybe something like this?

http://pinterest.com/pin/89227636338715963/

Quoting MissMommy03!:" I have 3 girls, 1 just turned 7 and the other two have birthdays coming up soon. (one will be four the ... [snip!] ... trash and lots of times, donating them to thrift stores is a pain in THEIR ass because they already are overwhelmed with toys."

Recordable Storybook.

Well my daughter just turned 2 and for her birthday her aunt got her a tricycle (with a handle on the back so someone can push it til she pedals on her own) and she loooves it.

My son gets the highlights for little kids and the big backyard series of magazines. He loves when they come in the mail and sits down and reads the whole thing. Haha.