Gift of experiences for the whole family this holiday
**This post may contain affiliate links, which cost you nothing extra, but help me give my girls holiday memories of a lifetime.**
Give the gift of experiences this holiday season, could be another option instead of gifting more stuff.
More and more I hear people say “we do not need more stuff” and I am definitely one of those people. Ā My girls have never really been ones to play with toys, yet while they were younger we kept buying them toys. Frustrated that they sat there and seemed to multiply, I stopped the madness a few years ago. Instead, we asked family and friends to consider gifting them experiences.
The first year it happened, it was so awesome. My parents gifted us season passes to Zoombezi Bay which included the Columbus Zoo. We could go to the water park whenever we wanted in the summer and the zoo had special events all year round. Even if we only went for a couple of hours, which when you have two toddlers a couple hours is enough, it wouldn’t feel like a wasted trip. The gift lasted all year long and solved many a bored day at home. Today we still talk about those memories and all thanks to the gift of those passes.
“Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell not stuff to show.” ~Unknown
Recently I gave you a list of practical gift ideas, but today I’m showing you the gifts of experiences. Ā Below is a list of ideas that are perfect for even the most difficult person you have to buy for. There’s no worry if they already have it or if it’s the right size. Young, older and every age in between, there is certainly something for everyone.
Season Tickets
- Sporting events
- Zoo
- Children’s Museum
- Local Theatre
- Amusement Parks
Event Tickets
- Concert
- Sporting Event
- One day admission (Zoo, Children’s Museum, Amusement Park)
- Movie Theatre
- Favorite Local Event (festival admission)
Day Pass
- Rollerskating
- Bowling
- Mini- Golf
- Ice skating
- Trampoline Park
- Arcade
- Rock Climbing
- Laser Tag
- Paint Ball
- Gym (Orangetheory, Spin Class, Barre, Yoga)
Classes
- Photography
- New language
- Cooking
- Sewing
- Music lesson
- Horseback Riding Lesson
- Painting
- Pottery Making
Help Ease the Burden
- Bus Pass
- Transit pass
- Parking pass
- Gas Cards
- Grocery Gift Cards
Group or couple experiences
- Daily boat rental – This is big in places like Charleston where you may not own a boat, but you can rent them for the day.
- Brewery Tour
- Food tour
- Escape Room
- Destination Holiday (Think Disney, skiing, Bahamas, etc)
- Camping or traveling via RV
- Guided tours
- Bed and Breakfast trip
- Gift your babysitting so new parents can get a break and spend some time together. Even consider an overnight babysitting gift.
Showcase the memories
When we first had our youngest, we took a yearly beach trip with my mom and dad. Naturally I took a TON of pictures from the trip, because at the time I had a phone that took pictures and they did not. Each year for Christmas I would make them a memory book from the trip so they too could have all the pictures to look back on.
If they like to take a ton of pictures, you can gift them something through online memory makers like Shutterfly, so they can make their own digital scrapbooks to print and share.
Even for the most difficult person to shop for, there is an experience that you can gift them that they are surely to love. Even if it’s to their favorite restaurant, or a spa day to pamper them, there’s something out there for everyone.
Groupon by far is the best place to find all sorts of deals on all the items I listed above. Sometimes you can even find a local experience that you were not even aware is available. Ā Not sure what they would like? Groupon has gift cards for their site so the person can choose for themselves
I know that the go-to is to find the best object to buy someone, but gifting someone a lifetime of memories is definitely one size fits all.
XOXO,
Brooke
Let's connect!!
Stay connected for all your DIY and organizing needs!
