Experience gifts for kids are a wonderful alternative to toys especially when you know the kids don’t need any more toys.
As a mom of two boys, I love the idea of experience gifts because I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff my kids have accumulated.
Birthdays + Christmas + 2 Boys + Lots Of Extended Family = A Lot Of Toys!
Many of the toys ultimately end up in a huge mess all over the floor or piled up in cabinets and toy boxes never to be seen or played with again.
This is a first world problem, of course. My boys are very fortunate, and I’m thankful for that.
But the excess of toys stresses me out. And I end up giving a lot of them away.
For me, this is where the desire to limit toys comes in and the importance of gifting my kids more experiences takes precedence.
In this post, I’m rounding up some of the most fun experience gift ideas for kids so that they can create lasting memories, instead of more clutter.
These are things I’ve done with my kids or would be excited to do if someone gifted the experience to them.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, read my disclosure here.
Zoo Membership
If there is a zoo nearby, I highly recommend gifting a zoo membership.
This experience was originally given to my eldest son by a family member. And since we only live 20 minutes away, we have been able to take advantage of it a lot.
I’ve continued to buy my kids a zoo membership every year since. I find it completely worth it since it pays for itself in just two trips.
Plus:
Seeing the penguins never gets old!
Aquarium Membership
The aquarium is another place that the kids get excited about over and over again.
Sharks, jellyfish, turtles and blue tang fish just like Dory!
Then there’s also the tanks where kids can actually touch a starfish or a sea cucumber.
They’ll be talking about that slimy cucumber for days!
So if there’s an aquarium in the area, grab a membership for the year for a fun and educational experience gift for the kids.
Children’s Theater Tickets
This year I took my 5 year old to see “A Tale Of Peter Rabbit” at our local Children’s Theater. It was his first time at the theater, and after the show ended he immediately asked when we could go again.
He loves to sing and dance, and I think seeing the show gave him a whole new outlook on what it is to be a performer.
I’m looking forward to when I can gift this experience again.
Chuck E. Cheese Gift Card
It seems like the only time we’ve ever been to a Chuck E. Cheese is for a birthday party.
But how fun would it be to go on any given day just because Grandma and Grandpa got the kids a gift card for Christmas?
I love this experience gift idea for kids who are younger. Play some games, win some cool prizes, eat some pizza and they’ll say it was the best day of their lives.
Dave And Buster’s Gift Card
I tend to think of Dave And Buster’s as the more mature version of Chuck E. Cheese (there is no dancing mouse).
Similarly, it’s a cool place for kids to spend a few hours playing arcade games and tabletop games like air hockey.
It also offers a bit more for adults with a bar where you can watch sports.
This is a great gift experience for kids who are old enough to be off playing games by themselves while mom and dad enjoy some wings and a beer.
Sounds like a win win to me.
You can purchase a Dave And Buster’s Gift Card here.
Kids Fun Center Pass
Spending a couple hours at a local fun center is great for getting kids out of the house to burn energy. It’s even better if someone buys your kids a gift card or multi-day pass to one of these places.
Here are some of our favorite types of fun centers:
- Bouncy Houses
- Trampolines
- Gymnastics
- Tubes and slides
All you have to do is search your Google maps for “Kids Fun Centers” and you’ll likely find several in your area. Then just pick one and see what they offer on their website that you can gift.
Rollerskating Pass
Going to the rollerskating rink as a kid was one of my favorite things to do. I can’t wait until both of my kids are big enough to experience the same joy of rolling around the rink under colorful lights to their favorite songs.
In this day and age where kids are spending a lot of time on screens, I love the idea of purchasing a rollerskating rink pass so they can get out and have fun while also learning a new skill and getting some exercise.
Sports Tickets
Attending a professional sporting event is an experience everyone should have in their lifetime.
So how about introducing the kids to the home team by gifting tickets to a baseball, basketball, football, soccer or hockey game?
Pair the tickets with the home team cap, jersey or scarf so they’re game day ready when the time comes.
Disney On Ice Tickets
Every year Disney On Ice comes to town with their newest performance, and I can’t believe I still haven’t been since I was a kid myself!
It’s been 30 years, but I still remember loving Disney On Ice, which is why buying tickets is on my list of experience gifts to get for my kids.
In the next year or so, they’ll both be old enough to enjoy it. 😃
Bowling Gift Card Or Pass
Bowling is another gift experience that’s great for all ages.
Older kids can enjoy this timeless game with their friends and younger children can learn the sport with mom and dad.
Any gift that brings the family together is always welcome in my book.
Monster Truck Show Tickets
My five year old would die to go to this right about now. His whole world revolves around cars and trucks.
Seeing a live monster truck show would be on a whole other level of awesomeness though.
Unfortunately we missed it this year.
I may have to suggest this idea to Grandma and Grandpa though for his next birthday present!
Science Center Membership
We recently went to our local science center with a friend who has a membership, and it was one of the coolest places to spend the afternoon.
There was a room dedicated to building cities with cardboard boxes, a theater room with dress up and a construction room with all kinds of stacking and building toys (just to name a few).
There was so much for kids to learn and discover, you could never do it all in one day. That’s why I think a Science Center Membership would make a fantastic experience gift for kids to use year round.
Waterslide Park Pass
Purchasing a gift card or seasonal pass to your local waterslide park might just be the perfect experience gift for kids with Spring or Summer birthdays.
Alternatively, if you have a Great Wolf Lodge nearby, kids big and small can also have fun in the water in the off season with a weekend trip to this unique indoor waterslide hotel.
This sounds way more fun than more stuff, right?!
Movie Theater Gift Card
Going to the movies is a fun gift experience whether it’s the kid’s first time or for a teenager who wants to go with friends.
Watching favorite characters or actors while eating popcorn and candy is just simply more fun when it’s on the big screen.
You can purchase a movie theater gift card here.
Trip To Anywhere
Perhaps one of the best experience gifts for kids is a trip to… anywhere.
Maybe the kids have been begging to go to Disneyland. Maybe it’s camping. Or a sunny destination at the beach.
Wherever it is that they’re dying to go, making this dream come true totally counts as a gift.
The kids will be experiencing a new destination and creating memories they’ll never forget.
Experience Gifts For Kids: Final Thoughts
That concludes my list of experience gift ideas for kids. I hope something peeked your interest!
But if you’re still not sure about gifting an experience versus a toy, let me go into a little more about what inspired me to write this post.
We all know that today’s world lives to consume (especially here in America 😳).
But personally, I’ve noticed that consumption has gotten out of control when it comes to our children.
I have seen a lot of buying ten super cheap junk toys just so kids can have a present opening frenzy at their birthday instead of buying one quality toy they’ll actually play with.
OR
The second scenario is one relative buying three toys for one kid because they feel they have to spend a certain amount of money.
In reality, my kid would be stoked to get just the one $7 hyena figure he’s been asking for. He doesn’t yet understand how much things cost – only how much he wants it.
All I’m saying is that it would be great to either consume less overall or have a bit more balance by gifting experiences in place of too many toys.
Because these experiences for our children are much more valuable than stuff.
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