Experience Gifts for Kids (That Aren't Toys)
These experience gifts for kids are so good, they won't miss the stuff!
If you want to minimize the clutter and focus on gifts for kids that aren't toys, check out these parent-recommended ideas that prioritize making memories. Ideas on the list with a more splurge-worthy price would make amazing gifts for the whole family.
Add your favorite kid experience gifts to the list and let us know what yours have loved!
Hopefully some of these ideas inspire you to support your town's small businesses, and if you live in one of the areas Upparent covers locally, you'll find plenty of kid-friendly gems near you on the lists!
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museum membership
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I've cherished our memberships to local children's museums while our kids were toddlers and preschoolers. Once they start school (even kindergarten) I've found we don't get nearly as much use from them, but they are well worth the cost in those 2-5 years.
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A membership to a local children's museum is an especially great experience gift for kids who are young enough to take advantage of their cool indoor play spaces.
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Special behind-the-scene museum/zoo/aquarium adventures or animal encounters. (E.g., shark feeding, penguin painting, etc.)
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Spa card. If at a kid friendly salon, younger recipients could get manicures with cute art designs, chocolate facials, temporary hair chalk, etc.
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Afternoon tea time at a fancy hotel. Enjoy a decadant three-tiered array of goodies! But, you may want to confirm if the service offers a children's tea menu should you have a picky eater.
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The "America the Beautiful" annual pass grants a year of access to the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands. It's an especially fun family gift idea when paired with a scratch-off National Parks poster so you can track all of the parks that you visit together.
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My kids have had a blast at local kid-friendly escape rooms, and they would love to receive gift cards to these places as fun experience gifts! Use one for an outing with your family, or invite a few of their friends along. Just call ahead to confirm that your local spot is kid-friendly.
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Horseback riding! A horseback riding lesson or trail ride in a scenic location.
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Take them on a geocaching adventure where they can search for hidden treasures with GPS or clues. Just be careful, but most of all, have fun doing outdoor activities together!
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Planting trees or community garden work. Plan a day to spend planting trees, helping at a community garden, or participating in environmental clean-up projects.
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Ice skating or roller skating are fun outings for kids to get active and enjoy some time on skates.
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A gift card that covers a trip or two to a local ice cream shop will go over big, especially if your kid gets to pick whatever day they want to use it!
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Beach day or pool party for summer months. Include activities like sandcastle building for even more excitement!
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Volunteering. Give them the opportunity to participate in a volunteer activity that they’re passionate about, such as helping at an animal shelter, participating in a community clean-up, or donating to a charity.
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Host a baking session at home and bring friends over where they can decorate cupcakes, cookies, or make their own cake!
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Skiing or snowboarding lessons during the winter months if you live near a ski resort.
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A family vacation (or staycation) may come with a bigger price tag, but it's a great idea for an experience gift that can be given to the whole family. Depending on the age of your kids, you might enjoy gathering travel ideas and planning the trip together as part of the fun.
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It's fun to play tourist in your own town by checking out a kid-friendly unique local tour. Choose an experience that lines up with your kid's interests, from dessert tours to architecture tours to a behind-the-scenes stadium tour.
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I would have loved passes to any of our local indoor play places as experience gifts when my kids were preschoolers! Such a fun way to kill time on the weekdays before they were in school, and those individual visits can really add up.
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Tickets to a kid-friendly local Broadway show or a local children's theatre production both make wonderful experience gifts for kids. Many theaters offer season passes or multi-show package deals if you'd like to give a gift they can enjoy all year.
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We were surprised by how affordable season theater subscriptions can be, especially when you have to option to customize the number of shows, and pick less expensive seats.
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My kids have enjoyed going to the zoo at every age, and I think zoo memberships are the perfect experience gifts for kids who don't have one yet!
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Memberships to the zoo or aquarium have been some of our more worthwhile and enjoyable family memberships, and fun for a wider range of ages than some others (like children's museums).
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- 12/04/2024Anonymous
[deleted]
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Sporting event tickets go over well if your kid has a favorite team. Even better if you wrap up the tickets with a new team t-shirt or hat!
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Many local trampoline parks offer the option for monthly memberships or passes that are good for a certain number of sessions. All of these make perfect experience gifts for kids who need to burn off some energy!
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Dance or martial arts class. A trial dance or martial arts class can be a fun introduction to a new hobby and help develop coordination!
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Many subscription boxes for kids are free of toys and focus more on clutter-free consumables like science experiments, craft supplies and cooking kits. Whether you give a couple months or an entire year, it's an experience gift that kids will love looking forward to for a while!
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I love swimming lessons as experience gifts for kids because they're so fun, but also so important for child safety. Lessons in a nice warm indoor pool are an especially fun winter activity, and will get kids ready for a summer of swimming!
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Enrollment starts early for many summer camps, so a session can be given as a gift (or as an IOU) months before summer arrives. A week at camp will be a lot of fun to look forward to!
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A cooking class (or a series of them) at a local kid-friendly cooking school is a great experience gift for kids who like to cook, or just want to get more comfortable in the kitchen.
