I recently posted some items to sell on Facebook marketplace. “Never opened!” was a key selling point for a few. These toys were still in the packaging because my kids got them last Christmas, tossed them aside to play with something more interesting (i.e., electronics), and never returned to them. This isn’t the first time this has happened. It’s incredibly frustrating, not to mention a waste of money.
A lot of research has been done around material gifts versus experiences, and researchers have found, for kids and adults, experiences are the way to go. They might not be as fun to unwrap on Christmas morning, but these 15 experience gift ideas for Christmas will lead to great memories for the whole family.
Experience Gift Ideas for Kids
1. A Subscription Box
There are subscription boxes for just about any interest. Cooking, STEM, travel, even detective work. Most have a three-month option, in case you’ve got a kiddo whose interests change with the wind.
2. An Imagination Station
Make a dress-up rack with princess dresses or magicians’ capes and give the gift of imagination.
3. Outdoorsy Adventure
One year our family went kayaking as a group Christmas gift and loved it. Do your kids beg to go skiing? Christmas is a great time to gift a family trip.
4. A Library Card
OK, a card isn’t an experience, but every trip to the library is! A library card is a great gift for elementary-aged kids. It feels grown up to have their own card, and watching them carefully write their wobbly signature is priceless.
5. Event Tickets
This is smart shopping. One year my husband and I were already planning on buying tickets to the “Dinosaur World, LIVE” show coming in February. We made it a Christmas gift and had something to look forward to.
6. Mystery Picnic
I’m dying to try this with my family. You use your phone to follow clues to locations where you collect delicious picnic ingredients. You see the local sites, enjoy local eats, and spend time with your people.
Experience Gift Ideas for Couples
7. Dinner Made by a Personal Chef
Love being home but hate dishes or food prep? Many personal chefs will bring all the materials and make a gourmet meal in your kitchen. (This is also a great Christmas gift to go in on with a few couples.)
8. Dream Car Rental
Turo is like AirBNB, but instead of homes, it’s car sharing. Rent a classic sports car to drive to dinner at a swanky restaurant, and watch your husband’s face as he tosses the keys to the valet.
9. Hot Air Balloon Ride
Can you say “bucket list?”
10. Dance Lessons
If your husband would go for it, dance lessons might be the most fun idea on this list. Even if you have two left feet, you’ll leave each lesson smiling and more in step.
11. Season Tickets
To the theater, the local team, the local concert venue… Season tickets give fans a chance to dive deep into sports or the arts.
12. Cooking Class
This is another one you can do with the family, but my parents still talk about the Chinese cooking class they took in their first year of marriage. Make good food and great memories at the same time.
Experience Gift Ideas for the Family to Give YOU
(Just subtly drop hints!)
13. A Subscription to Masterclass
What do you want to learn? Interior design? How to perfectly style your hair? How to think like an FBI profiler? Ukulele? If you love to learn, Masterclass is a goldmine.
14. Mom’s Day to Play
Let your kids and husband book all the things you love, like a massage, lunch with your friends, and a cleaning service to make the house spit spot for when you return home. (Yes, the kids could clean it, but you know the pros will do a better job.)
15. Bookstore Getaway
If you love to escape to a bookstore and get lost in the aisles, drop this hint to your family. They can wrap an old book and tuck a gift card between the pages. But that’s not the experience! You get an afternoon to yourself to sit with a coffee, a pastry and a brand-new book, enjoying the peace and quiet.
Ways to Make Opening Experience Gifts More Exciting 
Let’s be real. Most experiences come on a piece of paper—certificates, vouchers, tickets. Not only is that a snoozer to open, it’s a pain in the neck to wrap. So you’ve got to get creative.
Most experience gifts can be paired with an inexpensive trinket or accessory for a more exciting presentation. We’ve wrapped a set of spatulas to go with a subscription to a kids’ cooking club, and those tickets to see “Dinosaur World, LIVE” were in the mouth of a T-Rex hiding in the Christmas tree.
This is also prime time to break out one of iMOM’s printable scavenger hunts. The hunt for the final clue and big reveal will be a Christmas memory your kids will cherish.x
What’s an experience gift your kids have loved?
