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'Tis the season! 4 Ideas for Great Non Traditional Christmas Gifts

'Tis the season! 4 Ideas for Great Non-Traditional Christmas Gifts

By NDTV Correspondent | Updated: 23 December 2014 12:13 IST

With Christmas around the corner and the New Year not far behind, you are no doubt getting ready to gift your loved ones something or the other. Instead of the usual gifts of clothes or books, here a few cool ideas you can consider instead.

1. Learning a new skill together

Whether it is for your spouse or your child, learning something together is a great way to spend quality time. Toy shops stock "Science Experiment" kits that teach people about things like magnetism and static electricity which are a great choice if you're buying something for a kid.

On the other hand, if you're looking for something for an older audience, you could download an app like Duolingo (free on iOS and Android) on both your phones, and learn a new language together. You don't need to learn it at the same time - both of you could take a short break in your day to do a lesson, and then test each other out at home. Keep it up, and you'll be having conversations with each other in a foreign language in no time.

Maybe that sounds like too much effort with too little payoff. You could consider Skillkindle - the Delhi-based website is a hub for connecting people who know how to do things, with people who want to learn how to do things - we found a DSLR photography course, a single session Chinese cooking course, and a beginner's level candle making class - sign up with your child or spouse, learn a skill, and have some fun doing it together.

2. Get a smart toy

Of course, learning something together isn't the right gift for just everybody. Maybe you just want to buy something fun for your child (or your child-at-heart significant other). There are some cool toys out there that go well beyond just mere playthings, and they're definitely worth looking at.

For one thing, there are plenty of toys now that connect your smartphone or tablet to the physical world - apps like Cut the Rope now have physical toys that you can use to play the game on your iPad, available at just $9.99 (approximately Rs. 630) on Amazon (plus shipping).

A kid friendly tablet is another possibility - the Eddy, for example, is a rugged tablet that is designed in bright colours with soft corners to make it look appealing to children, and comes pre-loaded with a mix of games and learning applications.

LittleBits is a set of pre-assembled circuit bricks that you can snap together, which let you fit light, sound, and sensing modules with buttons, that can be combined to make a number of different devices. Available on Amazon at Rs. 19,999, this doesn't come cheap, but it's a great toy for the scientifically minded. Different parts let you build simple machines - you'll be able to add power sources, logic boards, and other basic tools. So you could make a torch, or a clapper lamp with the same basic tools. And everything holds together with magnets, so there's no assembly involved.

If you've got a bigger budget, then you could buy your own customisable, programmable, app controlled LEGO robot, the Mindstorms EV 31313 at Rs. 33,745. Simply put, it's amazing, but of course, the price means it's not very practical. But you could buy some basic sensors and other parts piecemeal on sites like Amazon, to build up to more complicated toys over the years.

3. Get gadgets

Every season is a good reason to buy new gadgets. We've written in the past about the problem with buying a gadget as a gift for a techie though - they probably already have whatever cool new thing you just read about.

(Also see: What to Buy the Techie Who Has Everything)

Instead, our advice here is to look at cool accessories - we've got a full list of picks, but some other recent picks include a great (and stylish) new cover for the iPad Air 2 from Logitech, or you could buy a watch strap for someone who just bought a smartwatch. Another cool new product we got to try recently that impressed us is the Logitech K480 keyboard - it's not been officially launched in India yet, and is expected only in January, but you can order it online or have it shipped, for $55, or approximately Rs. 3,500.

This wireless keyboard can pair with your phone, tablet and computer wirelessly, and you use a simple dial to switch between them. If you want to buy something in India and can't wait, then the Logitech K760 wireless solar keyboard is a great option (though it doesn't have a switcher dial), and is available online for a little over Rs. 5,390 right now.

4. Go digital instead of physical

Despite being tech junkies, we're willing to admit that there's a certain charm to printed books and real toys; something you can hold in your hands and make a physical connection with. On the other hand, digital items are often cheaper - so going digital might allow you to shower your loved one with not just one or two but a few dozen gifts.

Know a gamer? Buy them a bunch of games on Steam - huge sales mean huge savings. You can get books in bundles, so you can get nearly 50 comic books from the Humble Bundle for a pittance, or close to 20 from the Story Bundle.

You can get a lot of amazing board games you can get for a tablet user - and the best part is that most will cost a few hundred rupees at most, while shipping the physical edition of the Game of Thrones board game from the US sets you back by Rs. 6,000. So instead of buying one cool gift, why not get a few dozen digital ones?

These are just some of the ideas we have for buying a gift that doesn't feel clichéd. What would you buy, and what would you like to receive as a gift? Tell us via the comments.

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Further reading: Christmas, Duolingo, Eddy, Education, Gifting, Gifts, Humble Bundle, Lego, Lego Mindstorms, LittleBits, Skillkindle, Story Bundle, Toys