Does it feel like your kids already have more toys than they could ever want? I love the holidays and the spirit of gift-giving, but every year, I wonder what toys my kids could possibly want and where they will go in our already crowded home. Experience gifts are a great gift option that has benefits for kids, parents, and other gift-givers.
Here are some excellent experience gift ideas for every child on your list.
Season Pass
One of my family’s favorite gifts is seasonal passes to local attractions. This saves us money and encourages us to get out, enjoy our city, and make memories along the way. Some attractions to consider are zoo admission, a local museum, amusement park tickets, or swimming season passes to the area pool.
Subscription Box
A subscription box is a great gift idea especially for tweens and teens who are hard to buy for. They are now available for any age, interest, and price range. So if your child loves science, reading, art, games, or sports, chances are there is a subscrip-tion box that will fit their interests.
Classes and Camps
Consider giving the gift of prepaid classes or camps that fit your child’s interest. Some ideas include dance, gymnastics, sports, cooking, art, or music. Classes and camps can be expensive but are worth the money and allow kids to try something new.
Travel
Consider combining your holiday and vacation budget by taking a family trip. Whether it’s an overnight trip to a nearby indoor water park or a cross-country trip, traveling is a great way to expose your child to different places and build family memories simultaneously.
Tickets
Tickets to a favorite sporting event, concert, or show is a great idea for a gift for the whole family. Combine the gift with a T-shirt to wear to the event or a backstage tour to make the day more memorable.
Box It Up
If your budget is a little smaller, try putting together several things in a box for your child to enjoy. For example, create a movie box with a movie or video rental gift card, candy, popcorn, and a warm blanket so the family can enjoy a movie night at home. Combine art supplies, sketchbooks, paints, and other craft items for an art box. You could also put together a cooking box, ingredients for homemade playdough with cookie cutters, or a gardening box with seeds, gloves, and tools. Get creative and combine your child’s interests to create a customized package.
Adventure Gifts
For the adventurous child, look for experience gifts that give them a chance to try something they wouldn’t usually get to do. Some ideas could include horseback riding, fishing, camp-ing, rock climbing, indoor skydiving, or a day at a gym with an obstacle course or trampolines. With an experience gift, your child will create great memo-ries while enjoying something they may not have had the oppor-tunity to try otherwise. A bonus is that there is no need to store the item after the child has grown tired of playing with it.
Sarah Lyons is a freelance journalist and contributing writer.
