In keeping with our resolution to shop mindfully for the holidays this year and buying smart, buying locally and buying the best toys and gifts for our kids that we can, we’re continuing our holiday shopping ideas with a list of gifts that will give year-round:

Subscriptions are always great, whether it’s for a magazine that pops up in your mailbox every month or series of live shows. Here are some fun subscription ideas:

Craft Caravan’s Kids Craft Club sends your child a shiny green envelope in the mail each month with everything they need to make something crafty. All you need to supply is a glue stick.

Theatre subscriptions are always fun as live performances allow you and your kids to do something special together, plus it beats TV hands-down. A few kid-friendly options include the Cultch’s Kid Series which is aimed at kids of six and up; the VSO’s “beginner” Tiny Tots Concert Series in Vancouver and Port Coquitlam as well as their Kids’ Koncerts Series for kids from three to 11; and Centennial Theatre’s Family Festival Series.

And while these aren’t subscriptions per se, we do like the thought of asking the rellies for gift certificates to the 2009 Vancouver Children’s Festival and though ticket info isn’t up yet we bet you can get gift certificates for the 2009 Surrey Children’s Festival as well.

Gifts of “experiences” – like memberships – also keep giving year-round. Depending on your location and your tots’ ages and interests, here are a few memberships that are must-haves:

• The Vancouver Aquarium
• Science World
• Maplewood Farm
• VanDusen Botanical Gardens
• Vancouver Art Gallery
• Vancouver Maritime Museum
• Surrey Museum

Ski passes or hockey tix may also make your particular list. Looking for more gift ideas? We’ll keep ‘em coming for the next few weeks, and be sure to check out our personalized present ideas from last week.

And here are some other products we’ve covered that fit in with the idea of gifts that keep on giving theme:

• Jump Gymnastics
• Just Ask Baby
• Babyeats
• Children’s Magazine Subscriptions