50 Experience Gifts to Try This Holiday Season
Remember when minimalism was all the rage? I am so ready to jump on that bandwagon again. I feel like my home has been overrun by clutter and "stuff". I'm constantly stepping on Legos or removing traumatized Barbies from the dog's bed. The thought of bringing more "stuff" into our home for the holidays does not spark joy.
This lack of joy made us realize we wanted something different for our children. It's so easy to get caught up in consumerism during the Holidays. I know I'm guilty of wanting to buy all the things for my kiddos. I love shopping for them, I love wrapping the gifts, and I love watching their faces light up when they unwrap them. The joy doesn't typically last, however. It's only a matter of moments before something breaks or a tiny part gets lost and chaos ensues.
My husband and I wanted to find a way to give our children something they could enjoy for years to come, but without the clutter. So we started a tradition that has become one of our favorites: giving them experiences instead of things. Experience gifts are the best gifts for kids. (I even wrote a blog post about why, which you can find here.)
If you're ready to jump on the "Experience Gifts" train, here's a list of 50 ideas to get you started:
1. Movie tickets
2. Tickets to a Ballet, Opera, Musical, etc.
3. Ice Cream Date
4. Zoo Membership
5. Children's Museum Membership
6. Art or Science Museum Trip
7. Pottery Class/Paint your own Pottery
8. Karate Lessons
9. Dance Classes
10. New board games for Family Game Night
11. New Movie, popcorn, and candy for Family Movie Night
12. Sleds and Hot Cocoa for a sledding party!!!!
13. Ice Skating Date
14. Skiing/Snowboarding Lessons
15. Fishing Poles, tackle and bait for Fishing Trip
16. Gymnastics
17. Acting Classes
18. Art Lessons
19. BIG Family Vacation - we got our children new luggage one year to tell them we were going to Disney!!!
20. Tent and Sleeping Bags for Backyard Campout
21. Firepit and 'Smores ingredients
22. Tickets to a concert
23. Tickets to see a comedy show
24. Tickets to a sporting event.
25. Tattoo - obviously for the older kids!!
26. Piercings - have a child who has been begging to get their ears pierced? Gift it!!!
27. State Park Pass
28. Subscription boxes - Little Passports or Kiwi Crate are two amazing subscription boxes.
29. Escape Room
30. Weekend Road Trip to a fun destination
31. Arcade Date
32. Trampoline Park Date
33. Indoor Rock-Climbing Date
34. Axe-Throwing Date (for the older kids!)
35. Spa Day
36. Mini-Golf
37. Vocal Lessons
38. Sports Lessons - Golf, tennis, etc.
39. Woodworking workshop
40. Jewelry-making classes - our local technical college always has some jewelry classes!
41. Photography/Videography workshop/class
42. Coding Classes
43. Get a cozy blanket, pajamas, and snacks for a Christmas Light drive
44. Horseback Riding Adventure
45. Sponsor an Animal and learn all about them!
46. Hiking pack, water bottle, and binoculars for a Hiking Trip
47. Tickets for a day train ride
48. Amusement Park/Waterpark Tickets
49. Geocaching Scavenger Hunt Date
50. Fondue Set for a fun Fondue Night!!
One of the best things about Experience gifts is that you can make them as inexpensive as you'd like. For an Ice cream date night you can go out to your favorite local ice cream shoppe, or stop by and grab a 99 cent cone from a fast food joint, or buy all the ice cream and toppings and set up a whole Ice Cream Sundae bar at home.
Maybe you can't budget for all your kiddos to go to an amusement park or watermark. (I get that...we have five kiddos and it can get pricey!) Gift that to the one that LOVES themeparks and make it a date for just the two of you.
Remember, this is about having fun and spending time together. The real value in life is not the things we have or even where we go, but what we do with those things and how we treat one another along the way. Life is about building memories and spending time together.
Are you on the bandwagon yet? I'd love to hear some experience gift ideas from you!!!