100 Unique Experience Gift Ideas for the Holidays

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Give the gift of togetherness with an experience

We start hearing Christmas music, decorations, and gift ideas in the stores in early November.
However, I think, with the “advance” of social media our holiday consumer clocks have been turned on  since before September.

It is so easy to get caught up in it all.
Even the kids are making their lists and falling for the latest ooh and aah that they see.
The problem is we, all of us, often get caught up in cycles of quantity of gifts, materialistic expectations, and inevitably emotional let downs.

Experience-based gifts offer a refreshing alternative. 

When you give your child an experience, you are most often spending time with them.
This creates a special moment for them to remember, which in turn creates lasting memories which can be cherished for years to come.

This topic is so important to me that I wrote another blog: Holiday Experiences Your Family Will Love More Than Gifts

Where I talk about the why, benefits, how to do a “hybrid”, timing, and what do do as children grow older.

Power of Memories:
Research has shown that experiences trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, releasing endorphins that create feelings of euphoria and satisfaction.

Experiences positively impact your child, shaping their lives and helping them to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and what they enjoy in the world.
Material gifts rarely, if ever, create a sense of belonging or connection.
Experiences often involve shared moments with family and friends, which builds memories with our loved ones and gives us a feeling of being tethered to others.

As children grow older, these memories created by experiences, become an integral part of their identity, influencing their values, beliefs, and aspirations.
A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review found that people who prioritize experiences over material possessions report higher levels of happiness and well-being.
This suggests that when we give experiences, rather than gifts, we are not only giving our children a sense of belonging in their world, we are also actually giving our children happiness.

We all want more joy in our lives-this enables us to be joy bringers for our children!

Building Traditions:

One of the gifts we give our adult boys each year is a family trip to the Oregon coast.
We have been doing this for over 15 years.
The boys look forward to this time, they count on it as a regular thing we do (a tradition), and they will probably continue this with their families.

Building traditions through experiences can create a sense of continuity and belonging within your family.
When you share special moments together, you’re not only creating memories but also establishing rituals that can be passed down through generations.

These traditions can honor your cultural, religious, or personal beliefs and values.

You can also create holiday traditions and experiences that happen before the holidays.
These are activities that you can do together as a family that lead into the holiday.

Here are 15 holiday inspired experiences your family can do together:

1. Create homemade decorations
2. See the holiday lights
3. Go to a gingerbread house display
4. Bake holiday treats and/or cookies
5. Decorate the holiday tree
6. Make holiday cards
7. Volunteer together
8. Read holiday stories
9. Holiday movie marathon
10. DIY holiday gifts
11. Attend a holiday concert or play
12. Create your own special advent calendar
13. A week of holiday traditions from around the world
14. Outdoor winter play
15. Set up a gift wrapping station for others
    
    As your child grows older, they’ll appreciate the significance of these shared experiences and continue to pass them down to their own children, creating a ripple effect of love, connection, and tradition.

Making It Happen: Affordable Ways to Give Your Child Experiences This Holiday Season

You may be thinking, “This is a fabulous idea-I totally want to give my children experiences, not gifts, but legos are much cheaper than a beach trip.”

You are thinking much too big!
It’s entirely possible to give your child an unforgettable experience without breaking the bank.
I wanted you to have list of ideas for experiences for your child, regardless of age or budget.
I confess, for these, I used the help of chatgpt. 😉

Ages 5-8, Under $50

1. Picnic at a Local Park: Pack a lunch and enjoy the day outside.
2. Visit a Petting Zoo: Spend the day interacting with animals.
3. Art Class: Join a local art class for kids.
4. Movie Night at Home: Rent a movie and make popcorn.
5. Visit a Children’s Museum: Explore interactive exhibits.
6. Nature Hike: Explore a local trail or nature reserve.
7. Library Story Time: Attend a story hour at the library.
8. Craft Day at Home: Buy some supplies and spend the day creating.
9. Swim Day at a Community Pool: Spend a day swimming.
10. Visit a Botanical Garden: Explore the different plants and flowers.
11. Ice Cream Outing: Go to a local ice cream shop.
12. Farmers Market Visit: Walk around and sample local produce.
13. Board Game Night: Play board games together.
14. Mini Golf: Play a round of mini golf.
15. Visit a Fire Station: Arrange a tour of a local fire station.
16. Storybook Hike: Some parks have trails with storybooks along the way. 
17. Visit a Local Aquarium: Explore sea life.
18. Outdoor Concert: Attend a family-friendly concert.
19. Bike Ride: Go on a bike ride on a safe path.
20. Puppet Show: Attend a local puppet show.

Ages 5-8, Under $100

1. Amusement Park: Spend the day at a small local amusement park.
2. Pottery Painting: Visit a pottery painting studio.
3. Science Center Visit: Explore hands-on science exhibits.
4. Zoo Visit: Spend the day at the zoo.
5. Trampoline Park: Enjoy a couple of hours at a trampoline park.
6. Build-A-Bear Workshop: Create a custom stuffed animal.
7. Indoor Playground: Spend time at an indoor play center.
8. Kids’ Cooking Class: Attend a cooking class designed for kids.
9. Animal Encounter: Book a special animal encounter at a zoo or petting farm.
10. Ice Skating: Go ice skating at a local rink.
11. Horseback Riding Lesson: Try a beginner’s horseback riding lesson.
12. Kids’ Theater Performance: Attend a local children’s theater performance.
13. Water Park: Spend the day at a local water park.
14. Fishing Trip: Go on a guided fishing trip.
15. Craft Workshop: Join a special craft workshop.
16. Music Class: Attend a group music class.
17. Historical Site Visit: Explore a local historical site or museum.
18. Train Ride: Take a scenic train ride.
19. Beach Day: Spend the day at the beach, including parking and snacks.
20. Roller Skating: Spend a couple of hours at a roller skating rink.

Ages 9-12, Under $50

1. Movie Theater Outing: Watch a movie in theaters.
2. Bowling: Spend a couple of hours bowling.
3. Escape Room: Try a family-friendly escape room.
4. Rock Climbing: Indoor rock climbing session.
5. Archery Lesson: Take an introductory archery lesson.
6. Kayaking/Canoeing: Rent a kayak or canoe.
7. Photography Walk: Take a guided photography walk.
8. Local Festival: Attend a local festival or fair.
9. Geocaching Adventure: Go on a geocaching hunt. https://epicpublisher.com/activities/5-stay-at-home-spring-break-activities/
10. Astronomy Night: Attend a star-gazing event.
11. Outdoor Movie Night: Attend an outdoor movie screening.
12. Skate Park: Spend the day at a skate park.
13. Scavenger Hunt: Organize a scavenger hunt in the park.
14. Gardening Workshop: Join a kids’ gardening workshop.
15. Butterfly Garden Visit: Explore a butterfly garden.
16. Community Theater: Attend a community theater performance.
17. Local Concert: Attend a local music concert.
18. Library Event: Participate in a special library event.
19. Bird Watching: Go on a bird-watching walk.
20. Visit a Planetarium: Explore the stars at a planetarium.

Ages 9-12, Under $100

1. Amusement Park Day Pass: Spend a day at a larger amusement park.
2. Paintball: Play a round of paintball.
3. Go-Kart Racing: Try go-kart racing.
4. Indoor Skydiving: Experience indoor skydiving.
5. Sports Game: Attend a minor league or college sports game.
6. Dance Class: Try a dance class.
7. Cooking Class: Attend a cooking class for older kids.
8. Pottery Wheel Class: Try a pottery wheel class.
9. Laser Tag: Play laser tag.
10. Surfing Lesson: Take a beginner surfing lesson.
11. Fishing Charter: Go on a fishing charter.
12. Hot Air Balloon Festival: Attend a hot air balloon festival.
13. Mountain Biking: Rent mountain bikes for the day.
14. Zip Lining: Try a zip lining course.
15. Trampoline Park: Enjoy an extended session at a trampoline park.
16. Aquarium Behind-the-Scenes Tour: Go on a behind-the-scenes tour at an aquarium.
17. Horseback Trail Ride: Go on a trail ride.
18. Ceramics Class: Attend a ceramics painting class.
19. Historical Reenactment: Visit a historical reenactment event.
20. Overnight Camping: Go on an overnight camping trip.

Teens, Under $50

1. Concert: Attend a local music concert.
2. Theater Performance: Watch a local theater production.
3. Escape Room: Complete a teen-friendly escape room.
4. Rock Climbing: Indoor rock climbing session.
5. Paint Night: Join a paint night event.
6. Cooking Class: Attend a teen cooking class.
7. Bowling Night: Go bowling with friends.
8. Laser Tag: Play laser tag.
9. Kayaking/Canoeing: Rent a kayak or canoe for the day.
10. Photography Walk: Participate in a guided photography walk.
11. Mini Golf: Enjoy a round of mini golf.
12. Skating: Go ice skating or roller skating.
13. Local Sports Game: Watch a minor league or high school sports game.
14. Concert in the Park: Attend an outdoor concert.
15. Community Festival: Enjoy a local festival or fair.
16. Movie Marathon: Host a movie marathon at home.
17. Museum Visit: Explore a local museum.
18. Hiking Trip: Go on a scenic hike.
19. Beach Day: Spend the day at the beach.
20. Volunteer Together: Volunteer at a local charity.

Teens, Under $100

1. Theme Park Day: Spend a day at a theme park.
2. Surfing Lesson: Take a surfing lesson.
3. Indoor Skydiving: Experience indoor skydiving.
4. Paintball: Play paintball.
5. Zip Lining: Try zip lining.
6. Cooking Class: Attend a more advanced cooking class.
7. Pottery Class: Take a pottery class.
8. Horseback Riding: Go on a horseback riding trail.
9. Go-Kart Racing: Spend a day at a go-kart track.
10. Escape Room: Participate in a more complex escape room.
11. Spa Day: Enjoy a teen spa day.
12. Concert Tickets: Buy tickets to a larger concert.
13. Overnight Camping: Go on an overnight camping trip.
14. Water Park: Spend the day at a water park.
15. Fishing Trip: Go on a fishing trip.
16. Sports Game: Attend a professional sports game.
17. Segway Tour: Take a Segway tour of the city.
18. Hot Air Balloon Ride: Experience a hot air balloon ride.
19. Horseback Riding Lesson: Take a more advanced horseback riding lesson.
20. Scuba Diving Lessons: Try a beginner scuba diving lesson.

Embrace the joy of experiences over gifts this season!

This holiday season, consider gifting your child experiences rather than material possessions.
By doing so, you’ll create lasting memories, encourage learning about self, foster feelings of connection, and bring lasting joy to your children.

Kids’ Movie Quote:
“It is not the things we get, but the hearts we touch that will measure our success in life.” – Charlie Brown