As any young maker knows, the urge to make something can happen anytime, anywhere.

But the holidays are an especially inspiring time for sparking the itch to make. From gifts to cookies to decorations, it’s the season that naturally lends itself to busting out the craft bin, getting hands dirty, and letting imaginations run wild.

This season, why not give the gift of more hands-on making experiences and upgrade the holiday season into an all-out maker extravaganza?

Pittsburgh’s an easy place to find inspiration. For one, the many makerspaces scattered throughout the city are fully set with every tool you’d ever need. This week, the MAKESHOP at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh is offering the chance to make capes and crowns or press the treadles on a traditional loom.

And this Friday night, Assemble is hosting Teen + Tween Maker Night: Game Night Edition. At this the free event, 11- to 17-year-olds can 3-D print their own dice, laser cut puzzle pieces, and design their own game with support from Assemble staff.

But chances for making extend far beyond these dedicated spaces. The Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse is packed with reused materials and is a boon for teachers and makers alike. Foam, old plates, spindles, yarn—you name it, the center probably has it, and a trip is bound to inspire making. (One maker recently built a menorah using an old slab of wood and corks.)

If you don’t live in Pittsburgh (or if you do but still want to couple making experiences with some gifts), MAKE Magazine has compiled its epic gift guide once again. Hackable drones? Check. Robots made from toothbrushes? Check. The list is full of things that could be anything after a bit of creative making. After all, a squishy circuit is only a squishy circuit until a maker turns it into a crab with glowing eyes.

In addition, writer Ruth Suehle, writer at the site GeekMom, has some great ideas for maker gifts. Who knew you could get electric conductive paint for only $10?

The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood announced its TOADY award last week—short for Toys Oppressive and Destructive to Young Children—which recognizes what the organization considers the worst toy of the year. This year, an app that lets babies and toddlers use an iPad and a TV simultaneously took the top prize. A prebranded, dollhouse-like mall and a wearable fitness tracker for young kids were among the runners-up.

Gifts and experiences that instill a love for making are the antitheses of toys like these that come with prescribed purpose. (And if you look down any toy aisle, there’s a lot of them.) Whether it’s an entry-level 3-D printer or roll of duct tape and a handful of straws, with the right encouragement, kids don’t need a lot to tap into their inner maker—which, in the end, is a lifelong gift.