Giving gifts to children can be tricky. We want to give something meaningful, but also something that’ll strengthen our relationship and won’t get shoved under the bed and forgotten about in a week.
Research shows less stuff is better for kids. The more stuff we’re surrounded with, the more cortisol (stress hormone) our brain produces. Too much stuff leads to an inability to focus, and lower levels of gratitude, imagination, cooperation, and creativity.
So what do we get?
There is a type of gift that can lower stress levels, strengthen our relationship and have a positive impact on overall happiness into adulthood.
Experience gifts!
Happy people also have meaningful relationships with others and the strong social skills and high emotional intelligence needed to form them.
Greater Good Magazine
How do you create meaningful relationships and strong social skills? By spending quality time with adults. Quality time doesn’t happen very often. Adults are so busy, often looking at their phones or multitasking when spending time with children. To have a dedicated day for just a child and an adult who loves them to spend together is a remarkable thing that’ll make an impact for years to come.
What are experience gifts?
Experience gifts for children are what they sound like. Instead of giving a toy or a physical item, you give them more of what they want, more time with you. You might take them to the zoo, bowling, or out on a dinner date and to a park. They can be gifts for the whole family to enjoy together, or gifts for a special one-on-one time with your child.
The best experience gifts don’t have to be expensive, they just need to include the gift of time with you. You can take the special children in your life on a birthday date every year. Don’t be surprised if you hear about it for months and even years after!
Here are 50+ Experience Gift Ideas to Choose From:
- Make an apron and pull together your favorite recipes in a cookbook. Spend some time cooking or baking together.
- Online Cooking Class by Kids Cook Real Food to teach your children to cook so your family can thrive with healthy foods
- Visit a park and have a picnic
- Go on an adventure to a state park
- Tickets to a children’s museum (If you have an annual membership to a museum, be sure to check the association of museums to see if you get a discount when you visit. Many museums give reciprocal discounts.)
- Aquarium tickets
- Zoo tickets (If you have an annual membership to a zoo, be sure to check the association of zoos to see if you get a discount when you visit a different zoo. Many zoos give reciprocal discounts.)
- Concert tickets
- Magazine subscription
- Visit a national park (If your child is in 4th grade, you can get a free pass.)
- Tickets to a sports game
- Mani-Pedis
- Go bowling together
- Go out to dinner together
- Get ice cream together
- Movie night- give either movie tickets or grab a blanket and popcorn and enjoy your favorite movie at home
- Tuition for a class they want to take in person or online (banking, art, pottery…)
- Sports lessons (swimming, baseball, basketball, hockey, golf) This can be for a sport they love or give them an opportunity to try a new one
- Dance, gymnastics, or martial arts lessons/classes
- Horseback riding lessons
- Summer Camp
- Musical instrument lessons
- Art supplies and time crafting together
- Board games and game night
- Come up with 12 date nights, make a coupon for each one, and put them in an envelope for each month of the year. Go on a date once a month.
- Expensive experiences: Trip to Disney, scuba diving, destination vacations
- Go rock climbing/hiking
- Go fishing
- Take them camping
- Visit an arcade
- Skiing or ice skating lessons
- Theatre tickets
- Mini Golf
- Water park or amusement park tickets
- Trampoline Park pass
- Explore the woods or a local park
- Visit an escape room
- Science Center
- Roller skating
- Hot air balloon ride
- Indoor skydiving
- Annual Subscription to a box such as Kiwi Crate or Little Passports
- Treasure Hunt or scavenger hunt
- Train ride
- Have a YES day
- Make a gift certificate for a special day together. This doesn’t have to include expensive activities. Make a fort in the living room, eat a picnic in your backyard, or go camping under the stars.
- Plan your family vacation and give it as a Christmas gift. If you use your Christmas budget for the vacation as well, you may be able to afford a few extra fun things that you wouldn’t typically do on vacation.
- Plan a road trip. Pick a destination, but find all the fun places to stop along the way. You never know when you’ll find your new favorite place to visit.
- Hot chocolate date at a coffee shop
- Rent kayaks (for older children) and kayak (or canoe) a river for an afternoon
- Sewing Lessons
Above all, remember:
Experience gifts can be a fun way to get special time with just one kiddo or it can turn into a great experience for the entire family. Whether you’re thinking about day trips, new extracurricular activities, or checking out what local classes are offered, experience gifts are the perfect way to strengthen your connection with your kids and create memories that’ll last a lifetime.
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15 Meaningful Cheap Gifts for Kids That’ll Make You the Favorite Person
Most Meaningful {Skill Building} Gifts Your Preschooler will Love