If you’re like me, you can sometimes dread the Christmas gatherings and ALLLLL the STUFF your kids get from various gift exchanges. You know what I’m talking about! Those toys and crafts and annoying kazoos and glitter everything! Why is there always so much glitter?
And with 5 kids, that’s A LOT OF STUFF!!!
Now, please don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely thankful that my family is truly blessed to have such a loving circle who care and mean well….it’s just all the stuff that adds more mess and clutter around the home that I’m truly not a fan of!
I know I can’t be the only Mama with this dilemma!
In our house, we have a lot of creative and adventurous minds, and we all love things like crafts and card kits, plus my children have plenty of toys, so we absolutely LOVE being gifted experience gifts! This can be anything from simple craft kits to outdoor adventures or passes to a fun place they love!
As the years go on and our children get older, the more we realize the importance of spending time together and making memories over more stuff in our house (ahem, I’m looking at you, Barbie shoes and LEGO pieces!)
I’ve crafted a list of some creative ways you can gift experiences to kids who love to DO things! This holiday season, give a thoughtful gift that will last for years to come….MEMORIES!
(This post contains affiliate links, which allow me to earn commissions if a purchase is made, at no extra cost to you!)
- Membership Passes
This can cover a plethora of ideas such as:
- Zoos
- Science museums
- Aquariums
- Children’s museums
- Trampoline parks
- Amusement Parks
These are some of my kids’ favorite places to visit! Most of these turn into all-day adventures full of hands-on activities and experiences that make these the perfect gift for the adventurous child in your life! A simple Google search in your area should give some local options for any of these types of places!
- Backstage Tours
These could be a gift by itself, or added onto an aquarium or zoo pass for something specific your child might really enjoy! These could also include local factories or museums! Get creative, there’s lots of local options available for this, and a great way for a child to get a personalized look into some of their specific interests!
- Subscriptions
These are also a great way to get personal, and show a child how much you notice what they truly enjoy! With so many categories out there, the options truly are endless! Some of the most popular options for kids are:
- Cooking Boxes
- Craft Kits
- Science Experiments
- Book of the Month
- Snacks from Around the World
Subscription boxes are really neat, because kids enjoy the gift all year long as they receive their monthly boxes, full of all sorts of cool stuff they love! It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving!
- Single Experience
This can also be an array of ideas, but are typical just a one-time experience for something they would enjoy! Here’s some ideas my kids (and plenty others) really love:
- Escape Room
- Hot Air Balloon Ride
- Horseback Riding
- Rock Climbing
- Cavern Tours
- Classes/Lessons
This could be an awesome way to encourage some talent or abilities you see in your child! Sign them up for a session of classes, and watch them grow and learn! Some fun and popular ideas include:
- Drawing or Art
- Gymnastics
- Martial Arts
- Swimming
- Cooking
- Horseback Riding
- Music
- Singing
Again, you can really get creative with this idea, and watch your child’s face light up as they become more confident in their interests!
- Coupon Books
These are so fun for kids! My kids love to do all the little activities and adventures, and these can be bigger projects or outings, or something simple! The options are endless with coupons, and can get as personal as you’d like! These could include fun little ideas such as:
- Dessert First at Mealtime
- Chore Pass for the Day or Week
- Pick Dinner
- Extra Screentime
- Spa Day with You
- Lunch and Shopping Trip
- Ice Cream and a Movie
Coupon books can be so fun to design, but if you’re not feeling too crafty, you can find lots of adorable ideas already designed for you on platforms like Etsy!
- Event Tickets
Who doesn’t love a good ballgame? We have a minor league baseball team in our area, and it’s such a fun family event! Kids love events and fun activities they can put on the calendar and look forward to, so you will make their day by gifting them tickets to a fun local event coming to your town! A Google search in your area will help give some specific ideas but here are some types of events that are great fun for kids!
- Sporting events
- Musicians + Concerts
- Seasonal Plays
- Fine Arts performances
- Comedians (My older kids love Tim Hawkins, although he’s tough to find tickets for 😉 )
- Circus or related events
- Digital Items
Do you have a book lover in your life? Or perhaps a child who loves music? Digital subscriptions to apps are a great gift, and can be gifted monthly or for the whole year! Although digital, these can be very thoughtful gifts when they’re something your child loves! Here’s some ideas for kid-friendly digital gifting:
- Kid-friendly educational apps such as ABC Mouse or similar! (My kids absolutely LOVE ABC Mouse!)
- Music app subscriptions like Amazon Music! They have a deal right to get 3 months free!
- Audio book subscriptions such as Audible! They have several options for membership so you easily choose one that works for you:
Audible Premium Plus is the most-inclusive, as it features extras like access to podcasts, original exclusive books, and 12 credits toward any book in the library regardless of cost!
Audible Plus gives you access to the entire Audible Unlimited Plus library, which includes featured podcasts, and is only $.99 for the first 3 months! What a great deal!
You can also choose a simpler 1-month, 3-month, 6-month subscription to Audible, and have access to thousands of titles in audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, plus 1 credit per month for any title in the app to keep forever!
And that’s a wrap! (pun intended!)
What are you choosing for your child this year? Which ones would they love the most? I’d love to hear from you! Drop your comments below!
Praise the Lord!! I am definitely in agreement with being so grateful for the huge blessing of people the Lord has placed in our lives however the amount of material items they constantly receive verse the time we spend together.. I desperately crave this swap for our family and children. Thank you for allowing the Lord to use you to do what you do sister! 🙌🏻❤️🙏