Have you made the decision this year that instead of toys you are going to be giving experience gifts to kids instead?
As the gadgets and gizmos pile up, it becomes a question a lot of people, parents particularly, begin to ponder.
So maybe this is the year you have made the decision and are ready to take the plunge at either ditching the traditional gifts all together or just really scaling back on them to give more experiences instead.
Either way, this quick list of tips and hacks is going to help you successfully give an experience gift. If you need some ideas for experience gifts, check out our list of 50+ Experience Gift Ideas for Kids. It has ideas for kids with all kinds of interests: sports, arts, theater, adventures & more!
These ideas will work well no matter if you are the parent giving the gift, or the cool aunt, uncle, grandma, etc.
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Tips & Hacks to Make Giving Experience Gifts Easier
It sounds appealing to switch out the long store lines for a day of fun with your favorite little one.
However, there are a few things you need to consider. Therefore, before you jump right in and purchase those tickets or season passes make sure you take a peek at our suggestions.
Let’s break it down below and discuss everything you need to think about before going the experience gift route.
Check with the Parentals
Thinking about taking your nephew zip-lining or sky diving? Check-in first and make sure that any super adventurous plans are ok with the parents. Yes, it sounds amazing and yes, it might be the gift of a lifetime. However, if you are shot down by the parents after giving it, it’s no longer an amazing gift.
Talking with parents can also give you ideas if you are struggling to think of some of your own. They are the ones who are going to know that their child has been dying to do a pottery class. Or that the kid on your list just isn’t a fan of the Zoo.
If you are the Parents
If experience gifts are going to be something new for your children there is going to need to be a little prep work done.
Simple conversations with your kids about the transition away from piles of presents under the tree, to making memories on adventures, will need to occur.
A transition might be the best word since you might want to not take away all the gifts the first year. But slowly work your ways towards less under the tree to more experiences for everybody.
Are you making Time with You part of the Gift?
There are tons of experience gifts for kids; we could list them for days! But before you find the perfect idea take a minute to think about whether your time will be part of the experience.
Are you thinking more along the lines of an experience for the child to do all year long? Like a membership to a Discovery Playhouse that they could use frequently.
Or are you thinking of a kind of Buddy Day Adventure with you and the child?
Perhaps you could even combine them both by using the membership for the first time with the child!
Check the Date of Events
Planning on doing a trip to the theater to see a play? Then make sure you find a date that works for your companion kiddo.
Or maybe you are planning a trip to the pop-up ice skating rink in your town? Double-check that the venue you are hoping to make an experience will still be available after Christmas.
The point of checking the date is to make sure your experience gift will work from a calendar perspective.
You simply don’t want to plan a trip on a date that won’t work for the child. There would be a lot of sadness to receive a gift and then not be able to enjoy it.
Consider the Likes & Age of the Child
Make sure you are keeping the child’s interest in mind. This means not gifting your toddler nephew who still naps an all-day adventure rock climbing.
Plan your day accordingly, so that everyone has fun, but doesn’t become too exhausted. This way you don’t have a tantrum-waiting-to-happen exhausted child at the end of the day.
Also, your first time gifting an experience might not be the time to try and take young children outside of their comfort zones.
You might also consider that it isn’t the time to try and convince them that they really would enjoy something if they give it a chance.
Waiting on those types of things for after you have established your adventures together might mean they trust the process more, as well as you, and will be more willing to give it a chance.
The Distance You Will Need to Travel
There is nothing that puts a damper on an exciting adventure, then having to drive forever to get there. Can we say, “Are we there yet?”
Even if something seems perfect for the child, don’t try to squeeze an overnighter into a one-day round trip. Unless you really know the child can handle it.
My oldest could sleep and read for a long drive and be perfectly fine. His 5-year-old little brother, not so much. So when giving experience gifts to kids, make sure you consider the drive or travel time involved.
Do a Little Prep Work
Are you planning an adventure that will require some gear or specific items? If so, ask in advance if the child will have any of the items they might need. For example, appropriate shoes to go hiking or a nice dress to wear to the theater.
If you aren’t prepared to make these part of your gift, avoid pushing this responsibility off on the parents.
Now, if the parents are willing to make these needed items part of Christmas, then totally go for it.
Multiple Kids? One Experience or Individual Events
Did you think this one through? Are you going to do experience gifts for all the kids? Do you have a plan for this?
Maybe you could make experience gifts something special once they reach a certain age? Or maybe everyone gets one experience to themselves with Mom & Dad?
Or maybe you decide to do family experience gifts! It’s your family, your Christmas traditions, and your budget, so create a plan that is personalized with what works for you.
How to Wrap & Give the Gifts
One last little tidbit of knowledge when it comes to giving experience gifts to kids.
Go ahead and wrap up or put in an envelope the tickets, a note, anything. This way they will still get to unwrap a package.
If you aren’t sure what exactly you could wrap up, try using our printable Christmas Gift Certificate. It’s full of fun watercolor graphics and has spaces for you to write the experience gift!
Or we have a black and white Christmas certificate perfect for gifting those experience gifts!
That’s how you make giving experience gifts to kids a success
Hopefully, the tips and tricks above will help you make your adventures and fun days out go smoothly. Do you have any tips for planning experience gifts? Please share them below in the comments so we can benefit from your expertise.
Don’t’ forget about our Experience Gifts Ideas too!
If you’ve got to this point and are thinking maybe the experience gift thing isn’t for you, or just need a few filler ideas, check out our other gift guides too.
We have LEGO, Dinosaur, and Football Gift Guides for kids. I’m officially a #boymom over here if you can’t tell by the topics of the gift guides.
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