I LOVE gift giving!
Giving gifts is an opportunity to spend some time and energy simply thinking about a way to make a loved one smile. It’s a chance to make them feel seen, loved, appreciated. It’s one of my favorite things about Christmas.
But I’m not a huge fan of the accumulation of STUFF that has crept up on our household over the years.
» » » RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Guide to Winter and the Holidays in Albuquerque « « « «
Every holiday season, well-meaning friends and family shower our daughters with toys. It gets to be a lot. So a few years ago, we started adding some experiential items to their Christmas lists. Rather than gifting a THING, we’d request that grandmas and grandpas and aunts and uncles gift an EXPERIENCE.
Experiential gifts can take many forms.
Some ideas include memberships, entertainment, special experiences, classes, and the list could go on and on. I’ll include some ideas and inspiration below. But my real hope is that you’ll take this idea and make it your own. I hope that you’ll feel inspired to give the gift of an experience that will put a smile on the face of someone you love and create a lasting memory.
Memberships
Our family’s absolute favorite experiential gift from this category is our Bio Park membership! We use it all year long! It even gets us discounts to zoo music concerts in the summer.
Check out “Family Memberships Worth Having in the Albuquerque Area” for lots of great membership ideas from another ABQ Mom!
Entertainment
Our girls had a great time the year that their grandparents took them to see Wild Kratz Live at Popejoy Hall. You could check out their Schooltime Series for shows that would interest kids.
Other entertainment ideas: Check out upcoming shows at the Kimo or Albuquerque Little Theater, go out to see a movie, check out a monster truck show at Tingley Coliseum, or catch a show like Paw Patrol Live at the Rio Rancho Events Center.
Special Experiences
Another fabulous experiential gift that our kids enjoyed was an escape room. Their grandparents took them to Escape in Time for the Christmas-themed room. They had a blast!
Other fun experience ideas: Electric Playhouse, Meow Wolf, tea at St. James, Top Golf, a ride in a hot air balloon with Rainbow Ryders–the list could go on. But you get the point. The sky’s the limit!
Classes
Our family hasn’t had a personal experience with gifting classes yet. But there are so many fun opportunities in this category!
You could gift a cooking class at Cinnamon Sugar and Spice Cafe or a cookie decorating class with Sweet Pea Bakery. You could gift a painting class at Kelly Jo or Canvas and Coffee. I know some families that have grandparents, aunts, or uncles gift a year of a chosen sport or music lessons. The possibilities really are endless!
I hope I’ve inspired you to think outside the *gift* box this holiday season!
Comment below with experiential gifts your family has given or received.
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of ABQ Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.
