'Experience' Gift Guide

'Experience' Gift Guide

With the holidays approaching, I like to plan ahead - and I am not talking about material ‘gifts’! I have shared in the past, I don’t love to just give something just to give...it can cause more stuff that isn’t necessary. 

Insert the ‘experience gifts!’ The ones that make you smile because they are shared by everyone and are reminiscent of past trips and good laughs. And us Petrone’s love a good experience gift! 

It started with Dino and I so we could reel it in and stay on budget during the holidays and then it morphed into family fun for all! 

As I write this from a little surprise getaway we planned for the kids, I am reminded that time spent together is always the best for our hearts and completely revives our soul. Here are some ideas we have done in the past and some I am planning for future holidays! 

Get outdoors + pack a bite! 

Eating anywhere beside the kitchen table is always fun, but the full picnic experience is what I’m talking about. Instead of throwing PB&Js in a cooler, make it special! You can find tons of baskets and picnic baskets at thrift stores for inexpensive. If you don’t have a large blanket, you could definitely find one there as well. Make up some “fancier” sandwiches and sides and don’t forget to include your favorite drinks and desserts. Find a park (or a beach) near you and spend an afternoon there. Turn your phones off, play games, and just hang out as a family!

Movie Date

Kids love going to the movies! Give them movie passes and make a date out of it. Treat them to the “extras” they may not ordinarily get, like letting them pick out a candy and a fun drink. Or, find a cute container and make a little basket with the tickets and boxed candy. 

‘Fun Places To Go’ coupon book

Put together a coupon book of fun experiences that can be handed in throughout the year! It doesn’t have to be a lot and it can be a group gift for the whole family. This way everyone will be able to participate in the experience and it will teach great compromising skills because you’ll all have to agree on when to use the coupons. Include activities that will be fun for everyone, like bowling, mini golf, or laser tag.

Museum/science center/aquarium passes

Museums, science centers, and aquariums are those places that are fun for days off from school or rainy days. Memberships can often get you unlimited access year-round, which can be fun if you’re looking for something to do on a random afternoon. But, even the once in a while trip is a fun outing for the whole family! O ne on one day dates

In a larger family, it’s important to make sure everyone feels loved and important. One way to do this is to plan a special day for each person where it’s just them. For the kids it could be lunch and then a fun activity, just the two of you. I think sometimes we can forget how special days like those can be!

Coupon book

An option that doesn’t really require any spending, is a coupon book that can be used more for the day to day activities. You can include things like stay up 30 minutes late, no chores for a day, 30 minutes of extra screen time, or you pick dinner. They’ll be excited to know that they have these options to use whenever they like!

Fun day

Give everyone a certificate for a day of individual fun! This could be a good option if they have been wanting to go somewhere or try something. If you have an idea of what they want, you can make the certificate specifically for that, or if they have a few different interests, let them choose one. Think of activities like rock climbing, pottery painting, a cooking class, etc. Keep it individual to make the day extra special!

Scavenger hunt

Scavenger hunts are fun at every age. Running around finding clues and stringing them together takes some team effort and can be a fun bonding experience for the whole family. The best part is that you can make the end prize whatever you want it to be. How fun would it be to find out that the end prize is a pizza party or a family movie night?!

Side note: We aren’t anti material items. We just try to do less of them so we can make more memories! Less stuff has had a ripple effect of cleansing our lives of things that were weighing us down. We do however still love to give tangible gifts as well. We just have gotten more creative with it! Some great ones are, books, jammie’s, crafts, anything outdoors or items to keep them active. 

A lot of times the family will get in on the experiences too! You can always share this guide with family or friends and this allows them to opt in for the experience to gift the kiddos too. So it’s less stuff and they’re making memories with the kids! 

Hope these help and share with me if you have any past 'experience gifts' that just knocked it out of the park!