Toys are awesome—no argument there. They spark imaginations, fuel creativity, and turn learning into play.
But let’s be real: a lot of toys are one-hit wonders. They get ripped open, played with for five minutes, then vanish into the closet or landfill.
✨ The good news? Austin is overflowing with gifts that outlast the wrapping paper. Think adventures, experiences, and family fun that make memories instead of clutter. These aren’t just presents—they’re magic for the whole crew.
Austin-Specific Toy-Alternatives
Here are ways to gift experiences and memories in the ATX instead of toys.
Have an animal lover on your hand or want to teach your kid where our food comes from? Visit the zoo, the aquarium, animal rescue centers, animal shows, petting zoos, or one of Austin's animal farms or produce farms.
Featured businesses offering animal fun and farms for kids
Austin Zoo
10808 Rawhide Trail, Austin, TX 78736
Embark on an exciting adventure where children and adults can enjoy an up-close experience with our rescued animals. The mission of Austin Zoo is to assist animals in need through rescue, conservation and education. Pack a picnic to enjoy in our Picnic Grove and bring a cooler full of lots of cold drinks. Be sure to attend one of our Zookeeper talks happening daily. As you stroll through our Zoo, you will delight to the sights and sounds of animals such as African Lions, a White Tiger, Cougars and many more!
Get arts with computer, technology, cooking, painting, drawing, photography, film, pottery, sewing, knitting, theater, acting, improv, writing classes, and more.
Kids computer and technology classes and workshops that spark your kid's creativity, problem-solving skills, and imagination. Children learn about robotics, programming, science, technology, engineering, math, gaming, and coding.
Cooking classes for kids
Hands-on cooking and baking classes for kids taught by Austin chefs and professional culinary instructors. Children will learn about healthy food choices and creative recipes, cooking and baking terms, plating and food presentation techniques.
Featured businesses offering cooking classes for kids
Sticky Fingers Cooking
Give your child a life skill this holiday season, cooking classes with Sticky Fingers Cooking! Repeatedly voted "Best Cooking Classes for Kids" in Austin, Sticky Fingers Cooking provides fun and healthy cooking classes for children ages 3 through 13 years old. They have numerous, weekly offerings of online cooking classes and in-person classes and camps in the Austin area. Their knowledgeable Chef Instructors lead young chefs through hands-on learning with globally inspired menus in a FUN & EGGciting cooking experience. They also have released 5 cookbooks, made especially for kids! Cookbooks can be purchased on Amazon here. You can register for online classes here. Register for Austin classes here. Live Grow Play Austin readers can take advantage of 15% off any IN PERSON CLASSES in Austin. (Classes must have registration through the Sticky Fingers Cooking website. We are not able to apply promo to school sponsored registration classes.) Use code: ATX15.
Painting / Drawing classes for kidsArt classes for Austin's little artists. Sign your little Picasso up for drawing or painting.
Featured businesses offering art classes for kids
Cordovan Art School
200 Buttercup Creek Blvd., Suite 122, Cedar Park, TX 78613
816 Main St., Georgetown, TX 78626
8108 Mesa Dr., Suite B-102, Austin, TX 78759
3810 Gattis School Road, Suite 108, Round Rock, TX 78665
9217 Highway 290 West, Suite 140, Austin, Texas 68636
Give the "GIFT OF ART" to a Child, Teen or Adult! Our studio environment is positive, uplifting, and enjoyable! Paint, draw, or sculpt with clay while learning the fundamentals of art and design in a WEEKLY CLASS for kids, teens, or adults. Give an ART CAMP experience to a child to enjoy when school is out. (ages 5-16). Take a one-time WORKSHOP and learn how to creative ceramics on a pottery wheel or enjoy a seasonal event. Or come in anytime and PAINT POTTERY with family or friends in a fun, creative and relaxed environment of imaginative fun!
Choose the perfect experience for your loved one with the GIFT OF ART! Visit www.cordovanartschool.com.
Photography / Film classes for kids
Have an old camera you’re not using anymore? Give it to your child and sign her up for a photography or film class.
Does your child like to play in the sand or mud? Then sculpting or clay building lessons and workshop might just be the right thing for them.
Featured businesses offering pottery and sculpting classesfor kids
Ceramics N More Studio
101 W. Pecan Street, Historic Downtown Pflugerville, TX
Ceramics N More is a locally owned, family-run art studio in the heart of downtown Pflugerville, where kids, teens, and adults can get creative and make something uniquely their own!
Explore walk-in paint-your-own pottery, fused glass art, colorful mosaics, pottery wheel throwing, hand-building with clay, and specialty workshops like marbling and polymer clay. Whether your little artist wants to paint a favorite figurine, try the pottery wheel, or create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, there’s something for every age and skill level.
Our studio offers birthday parties, family outings, and instructor-guided Try-It Sessions. We can even prepare a pottery painting party to-go for your home or business!
Gift certificates make wonderful alternatives to toys, giving kids an experience they’ll remember long after the holidays.
Holiday Special: Mention Live Grow Play Austin and receive $5 off a ceramic of your choice through January 31, 2027!
Always 15% off for military, teachers, and school support staff.
Come make memories, get a little messy, and discover your creative side with us! Visit Cnmpottery.com for more!
Sewing / Knitting classes for kids
Is your child a fashionista or has his own creative fashion style? Sign them up for a sewing class where they can put their creativity into action. Kids learn basic hand stitches and hand sewing and get introduced to machine sewing.
Acting, theatre and improv classes in Austin allow kids to be be creative, expressive, and improve their communications skills.
Writing classes for kids
Creative writing classes and workshops, writing clubs and writing camps allow children to strengthen their writing and reading skills.
Membership, punch card, or admission to fun indoor activities such as bounce houses, trampoline parks, bowling, laser tag, and more.
Austin fun parks with amusement attractions such as bowling, billiards, laser tag, rock climbing, mini golf, and video games.
Fun indoor activities for kids such as bounce houses, trampolines, foam pits, rock climbing wall, gymnastics tumble tracks, basketball dunking lanes, dodge ball, obstacle course, and more.
Featured businesses offering bounce houses for kids
Austin Bounce House Rentals
Greater Austin & Surrounding Communities
Looking for a way to make your child's next birthday or special celebration truly unforgettable? Austin Bounce House Rentals helps families turn ordinary backyard parties into exciting events with bounce houses, water slides, obstacle courses, foam parties, and more.
Whether your child dreams of racing through an obstacle course, splashing down a giant water slide, or bouncing the day away with friends, Austin Bounce House Rentals offers attractions for all ages and party sizes. They also provide tents, tables, chairs, concessions, and complete party packages, making it easy for parents to plan a celebration without the stress.
Visit Austin Bounce House Rentals to start planning your next backyard party.
Kid-friendly bowling lanes that offer kids bowling, bumper bowling, youth bowling, bowling leagues, and of course fun kids birthday parties.
New and classic video, arcade, and prize games for young and old including driving games, shooting games, dancing games, air hockey tables, pinball, skeeball, and more.
Indoor playscapes
Indoor playscapes, play gyms, and play areas for toddlers and big kids. Fun play structures, rides, games, slides, swings, and more.
Foreign language classes for kids in Austin
Does your child or do you want your child to learn a foreign language? Find bilingual, multicultural, and foreign language programs and schools in Austin. Popular languages are English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, Sign Language, Spanish.
Get your kids their own library card and let them check out new books all by themselves at one of over 50 libraries in the Austin area.
Find a movie theater near you that plays the latest kids and teen movies.
Explore art, history, culture, nature, or science by visiting the many museums, galleries, and theaters in Austin and neighboring cities. Even better: About one third of Austin museums are admission free.
Give the gift of music!
Does your child like to sing? Have them join a children's choir to perform choral music including classical, popular and ethnic music and work with musicians and music educators from across the Austin area.
Music schools and private guitar, violin, piano, flute, drum or other musical instrument lessons for kids in Austin.
Featured businesses offering instrumental lessons for kids
Clavier-Werke South
5900 West Slaughter Lane, Building D Suite 525, Austin, TX 78749
Clavier-Werke is a family-owned music school dedicated to providing high-quality music education for students of all ages and skill levels. The school offers private and adult lessons in piano, guitar, violin, viola, cello, voice, theory, and composition, taught by classically trained and degreed instructors. In addition to individual instruction, students can participate in theory and musicianship classes, theory lab, and annual recitals that help build confidence and performance experience. With a personalized approach and a welcoming, family-oriented atmosphere, Clavier-Werke strives to support each student's musical growth and foster a lifelong appreciation for music. Visit clavierwerke.com for details.
Music & Movement for kids
Introduce your babies, preschoolers, toddlers, and kindergarteners to music by registering them for a kids-only, parent-and-child, or Mommy & Me early childhood music education program or a music and movement program.
Music Production / DJ lessons for kids
Places and schools for the Electronic Arts teaching music production and DJing incl. Serato Scratch Live, Traktor, Ableton Live, Maschine, and more for kids.
If your child is playing violin, viola, cello, bass, harp, winds, or percussion, have them audition for Austin's children's and youth orchestras to receive orchestral music education.
Find Austin music schools in Austin or hire a professional vocal coach that teach singing or voice lessons in music styles such as pop, classical, opera, jazz, rock, as well as breathing techniques, pitch production, stage presence, microphone techniques.
Get outdoors and enjoy some quality-time with your kiddos! The Austin area has some amazing parks to go hiking or biking.
How about a camping trip with roasting marshmallows over a cozy camp fire? Like the water? Go canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, river tubing, rent a boat on Lake Travis or Lake Austin.
Explore Texas parks and wildlife, enroll your child in a rangers program. Take the kids rock climbing or ziplining.
Animal lover? There are many opportunities to go horseback riding or you can take them to the zoo.
Miniature golf, paintball, or train rides are also lots of fun.
Do you have a little athlete, want your child to get more active, experience team spirit, and make new friends? Sign them up for their favorite sport, whether it be baseball, basketball, cheerleading, dance, horseback riding, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, rock climbing, soccer, swimming, tennis, tumbling, volleyball, and so much more.
Featured businesses offering sports activities for kids
Jump! Gymnastics
10910 Domain Dr, Unit 112, Austin, TX 78758
2117 West Anderson Lane, Austin, TX 78757
6800 West Gate Blvd., Suite #111, Austin, TX 78745
531 Ed Schmidt Blvd, Hutto, TX 78634
Jump! Gymnastics delivers an imaginative, fun curriculum that builds a lifelong love for physical activity. By teaching gymnastics in a fun, immersive way children beg to come back each week and learn valuable lessons in goal setting that build confidence and self-esteem. Still looking for a gift to put under the tree? Our tree ready gift box includes 4 weeks of classes, a uniform, and skill chart to track their progress! This year, give your child an experience they can take with them throughout their entire life. For more details visit our website JumpGymnastics.com or give us a call at 512-593-6226.
All Stars Unlimited Gymnastics
4701 Priem Lane, Pflugerville, TX 78660
All Stars gymnastics offer fun action packed and engaging classes for all abilities and ages. We strive to ensure all athletes feel special and welcomed at all times. It’s a true blessing to watch children grow not just in the sport but in life as well.
We have classes for our homeschool community, preschool, beginner through advanced girls, pre team, and tumbling. We also offer competitive teams with USAG levels 4-10 as well as all levels of XCEL. Visit allstarsunlimited.com for details.
Austin Youth Fitness
5800 Bolm Rd, Unit B Austin, TX 78721
Since 2009, Austin Youth Fitness (AYF) has helped Austin kids discover the joy of movement, one run, bike ride and adventure at a time. What began as a single after-school running club at Casis Elementary, founded by longtime teacher and coach Larry Chauvin, has grown into a year-round youth fitness program at schools and parks across Austin.
Today, AYF offers after-school running, biking, yoga and sports clubs, along with school-break and summer camps, birthday parties and private training. AYF is a family-run Austin business led by Alli Phillips, who joined as a coach at that first running club in 2010 and has helped grow it ever since.
AYF believes fitness should be fun, inclusive and accessible to every child. Programs focus on outdoor activity, skill-building and encouragement over competition, so kids of all experience levels can grow at their own pace, build confidence, make friends and develop healthy habits that last.
Through its partnership with the David Phillips Foundation, AYF also brings free fitness programs to Title-I schools, helping more Austin kids get moving.
Ready to get your kids moving? Explore clubs, camps and more at austinyouthfitness.com!
And if you do want to get some toys or books...
... visit and support Austin's local toy, craft, and book stores to get your kids the tools they need to learn and play.
Reading and literacy is one of the most important foundations for success in school and life. Help your child develop a love for reading. Find children's and adult books at {16} local Austin book stores.
My Friends and I
The My Friends and I book makes the perfect stocking stuffer, looks fantastic under the tree, and is a delightful way to keep Santa’s magic alive. Have your child place their My Friends and I book next to the milk, cookies, and carrots with a sweet note inviting Santa to share his favorite snacks, the tunes he enjoys on his skyward journey, the games he and Mrs. Claus love at their cozy kitchen table, and so much more! Then pass the book around to family, friends, classmates, teachers, and other special people in your life to discover their favorites and what they love most!
The book is available at the these local stores. If you prefer to shop online, use promo code SANTA at lifeisbetterwithfriends.com to get $5 off. Shipping with Media Mail is free. The book is also available on Amazon.
Austin craft stores
Get crafty with your kids or find craft school supplies at Austin's own craft stores.
Austin's toy stores have it all: preschool learning toys, children’s arts and crafts, educational toys for inside and outside play, games and electronics, science kits, and more.
Get the Scoop
Like reading our blog? Get our blog posts delivered via email and follow us on Facebook!
Featured businesses offering instrumental lessons for kids
Care2Rock.com
3300 Bee Caves Rd., ste. 650-1103, Austin, 78746
Care2Rock.com is an easy, affordable way to learn music at home for kids 5 and up. Sign your child up for any lesson package - such as guitar, violin, keyboard, or singing, and receive his or her instrument for free - and Care2Rock will pair your child with the perfect teacher. All lessons are taken live and online via Care2Rock's custom live video platform.
Featured businesses offering instrumental lessons for kids
Premier Music Academy1400 E Old Settlers Blvd, Suite 116, Round Rock, TX 78664Here at Premier Music Academy our lessons are individualized for you. Whether you want to learn classical, jazz, or songs on the radio, our teachers are happy to help you become the musician you want to be. In addition to learning your favorite style, you will get a solid foundation in note reading, technique, theory, rhythm reading and sight reading. Our instructors take a special interest in you as a student and want to make lessons enjoyable and fulfilling. We want you to love your music lessons! Featured farms and businesses offering animal fun for kids
Austin Aquarium
13530 U.S. 183, Suite 101, Austin, TX 78726
Spend a day at the Austin Aquarium. Feed a shark and feel the smooth skin of a ray. Marvel at the brilliant colors of tropical fish and the otherworldly beauty of gently floating jellyfish as you share your love with these beautiful animals! Enter the rainforest, where hundreds of reptiles roam, along with with the aquariums newest furry friends, ringtail lemurs, black and white ruffed lemurs, kinkajous, and otters. Then, step inside the aviary, where lorikeets fly overhead!
Austin Zoo
10808 Rawhide Trail, Austin, TX 78736
Embark on an exciting adventure where children and adults can enjoy an up-close experience with our rescued animals. The mission of Austin Zoo is to assist animals in need through rescue, rehabilitation and education. Pack a picnic to enjoy in our Picnic Grove and bring a cooler full of lots of cold drinks. Be sure to attend one of our Zookeeper talks happening daily. As you stroll through our Zoo, you will delight to the sights and sounds of animals such as African Lions, Wolves and many more!
Featured businesses offering instrumental lessons for kids
Mi Casa Es Tu Casa®2110 White Horse Trail Ste B Austin TX 78723Austin’s best-reviewed music cases are offered by Mi Casa Es Tu Casa® with over 100 five-stars reviews online they have created a new standard for the baby and toddler classes industry. Mi Casa Es Tu Casa® creates high-quality music that is enjoyable for the whole family to introduce and reinforce Spanish, use sign language, learn about early childhood development and even parenting! Their mission is to raise the best generation yet by nurturing children with love, respect, empathy, and responsible parenting. Learn more, try a free demo today. This is a sponsored blog post.