Many parents get overwhelmed by the sudden influx of gifts during the holiday season–whether they make the purchases themselves or receive them from well-meaning family members. Who has space for a 6-foot stuffed unicorn or an indoor bounce house, am I right? All joking aside, while physical gifts are greatly appreciated, the gift of experiences often provides less stress and more meaningful and long-lasting memories for the entire family. Therefore, I’ll share what they are, the benefits of experience gifts for kids, and a list of my favorites.
What are Experience Gifts?
Experience gifts allow a recipient to experience a special activity, event, or place instead of receiving a physical or material gift. For example, if your child loves penguins, a traditional physical gift choice might be a penguin stuffed animal or a book on the topic. The experience gift choice would be tickets to the zoo to see penguins in real life.
Things to Consider Before Making a Purchase
- Interests: Use your child’s interests or hobbies to guide your decision. Do they love to sing? Perhaps singing lessons or tickets to a musical would be a good choice.
- Age and Development: Make sure the activity is age and developmentally appropriate for the child. For example, if you’re buying a ticket to a theme park, you want to ensure the child is adventurous and tall enough for the rides before committing.
- Budget: I recommend looking for coupons on websites like Groupon. They regularly have great deals on activities such as concerts, Broadway shows, mini-golf, and more. Additionally, not all experiences have to be pricey. Do some research online and you’d be surprised to find numerous free spaces in your area. For example, many state parks and museums offer free admission and local libraries often have family-friendly activities like concerts, movie nights, craft-making, etc.
What Are The Benefits of Experience Gifts for Kids?
I often ask my extended family members to consider giving my children experience gifts for birthdays or holidays because I’m a firm believer that less is more. A 2018 study published by Infant Behavior and Development found that “An abundance of toys present reduced quality of toddlers’ play,” and “fewer toys at once may help toddlers to focus better and play more creatively.”
I find this to be true in my own home and classroom. When we have fewer toys out in our playroom, our children are more engaged in their play and for longer periods of time. Too many choices can overwhelm or overstimulate a child. Play is more meaningful when children can focus on the toy in front of them without distraction.
Additionally, toys account for an incredible amount of waste every single year due to their parts and packaging. According to this article, citing the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “nearly 2 billion tonnes of waste is being sent to landfill annually, with this in mind, 80% of toys produced in 2019 ended up in waste or landfill,” and “around 40 million toys end up as waste each year in France alone.”
So not only are experience gifts more sustainable and eco-friendly than traditional gifts, but they also allow recipients to potentially learn new skills, discover new hobbies, and strengthen bonds with family members as they create new memories.
15 Experience Gifts for Kids
Here is a list of some of my favorite ideas to encourage fun-filled family bonding moments.
- Gift cards to your child’s favorite restaurant
- Tickets to the zoo (one-time visit or yearly membership package)
- Concert or theater tickets (this is when Groupon comes in handy. Also, don’t forget to look up local theater troupes, high school performances, as well as free concert series in the park.)
- Admission passes to an indoor play gym, water/amusement park, or arcade
- Music or singing lessons
- Art classes, i.e. painting, pottery, jewelry-making, photography
- One-on-one dates ( give your child a “gift-card voucher” to spend the day with a special family member doing an activity of their choice.)
- Cooking classes (you can look up in-person cooking classes for kids or set aside a day to cook or bake your favorite treats together at home.)
- Movie tickets or at-home movie nights (make a gift basket of your favorite snacks, put on your favorite jammies, and rent family classics.)
- Passes to museums or aquariums
- Tickets to a sporting event (don’t forget to check out high school, college, or minor league teams.)
- Tuition toward extracurricular activities like coding, gymnastics, dance, or martial arts classes
- Passes for mini-golf, bowling, or batting cages
- Outdoor adventures, i.e. skiing, ice-skating, horseback riding
- Weekend or day trips to the beach or campgrounds for swimming, hiking, etc.
If you’re still looking for a few physical gifts to leave under the tree, please check out my favorite toy recommendations for preschoolers. And don’t forget to read about my eco-friendly gift-wrapping tips to reduce waste.
Conclusion
Would you be willing to ditch traditional gifts this year in favor of experience gifts? If so, which ones would you choose? Are there other recommendations you’d add to the list? Please share them in the comments below. Happy holidays to you and yours!
SAVE TO PINTEREST
