Give the Gift of an Experience

It’s fun to buy people gifts for any occasion, and especially at Christmas time. However, I find that a lot of adults that are my friends or family buy themselves everything that they want or need. It’s really hard to get someone excited over a gift, especially for a budget price tag. However, I have had great success with buying people experiences in the past.

People often love to do things and experiences give them memories that a regular item might not.

Here are some of my favorite experiences that I have gifted or received:

I gave my dad (a groupon for) the Mario Andretti race car experience. He loves cars and really doesn’t show a lot of emotion, so seeing him feel so excited made me really happy. Plus, we made it into a family weekend in Charlotte!

I gave my parents a cabin rental at a lake near Columbia, where my sister lives. We all went for 3 nights and kayaked, canoed, and hiked over Easter weekend. My parents love the outdoors, and love spending time with us. Since we all live a few hours apart, it was a real treat.

Sean’s dad has frequently given him Panthers football tickets. He is obsessed with the Panthers, and a chance to go (and take a friend) for free always gets him extra pumped up.

Here’s 25 experience gift ideas for you:

1. Restaurant gift cards
2. Manicure/pedicure gift cards
3. Weekend getaways
4. Movie theater gift certificate
5. Certificate for a bowling alley, climbing wall, or skating rink
6. Voucher for house cleaning or maid service
7. Tickets to a big sports game
8. Subscription for a service such as Blue Apron
9. Annual passes to a local park or museum
10. Sign them up for a CSA
11. Hot air balloon ride
12. Horseback riding lessons
13. Family membership to the aquarium
14. Tickets to a concert or festival
15. Season tickets to a local minor league sports team
16. Painting or art class
17. Magazine subscription
18. Surfing lessons
19. Costco (or similar) membership
20. Netflix or Hulu subscription
21. Package of fitness classes or gym membership
22. Cooking Class
23. Amusement park tickets
24. Dance lessons
25. Tickets to a comedy show

When you wrap up an experience, I find that it’s best to give as much information as possible. Print out brochures or large color photographs to convey the upcoming event. It will be appreciated on Christmas day and when it actually happens!