One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is a new and exciting experience. While material gifts like electronics or jewelry are fun at first, as soon as the newness wears off, they become just another possession to add to our collection of random junk. The last thing most people need is more stuff, especially kids. How many toys do most kids have that they simply just never play with?
Experiences, on the other hand, are something that you can keep with you for a lifetime. They provide memories that fill you up with joy and energy every time you think about them, even long after the experiences have already taken place. They allow both kids and adults to learn about the world through hands-on activities.
Although, coming up with creative ideas for these sorts of experiential gifts isn’t always easy. This list of 50 life experience gifts should give you some good ideas to help get you started.
If you search around, a lot of museums offer yearly memberships. These will allow your loved one to participate in all of the programs and special events that are regularly offered. Most history and art museums always have something exciting going on.
2. Ceramic Painting Class
You can either buy tickets to a guided ceramic painting class or to one of the places where you make and bake your own ceramic pots in a kiln. They are both excellent options, and despite what you may think, no artistic talent is really required.
These new experience focused businesses are popping up everywhere. The idea is that you and your family and friends are locked in a room with a bunch of hidden clues that you have to decode in order to escape. Typically, it takes under an hour to complete.
Try and choose a restaurant that the gift recipient has never been to before. For example, you can push them out of their comfort zone by taking them out to lunch at the new Vietnamese restaurant in town.
Even if you don’t live in a big city, many communities have a local orchestra that plays regularly. Orchestras definitely aren’t your typical concert. Going to one is sure to be a memorable experience for everyone involved.
Lots of people go to movies, but how many have ever been to the theater to see a play or musical? Our guess is not that many. Choose an event that you think they might be interested in and buy them a couple of passes.
Everyone loves going to the zoo! It’s impossible to hang out with the monkeys, elephants, and other amazing animals without having fun. You can either purchase day passes or memberships good for the entire season.
Sometimes, buying a normal gift leads to a new experience. For example, if your friend has never been camping before, you can buy them a tent and sleeping bag and offer to take them out into the woods to show them the ropes.
Kids would have so much fun at one of these places. Most of them have dozens of connected trampolines as well as snack bars and game rooms. Everything is supervised by trained staff who make sure the kids are playing safely.
We recommend going to check out a Minor League Baseball game. The tickets are more affordable than the Major League games but just as fun. Especially if you and your friends don’t really identify with any particular team.
11. State And National Park Passes
There is nothing better than nature to rejuvenate the soul. Many parks offer yearlong passes that allow you to spend as much time in these beautiful places as you want.
Many caves now have lighted walkways and guided tours that lead the public through the deep caverns. Buying someone entrance tickets to one of these facilities is an awesome adventurous gift.
It’s the gift that keeps on giving. Once you get that hands-on training experience from culinary experts, it makes it so much easier to prepare healthier and cheaper dinners on your own in the future.
This one is great for family bonding. Give one of your kids a giant puzzle for their birthday and let them enlist friends and family members to help. Some puzzles can take hundreds of hours to complete.
Many small farms offer programs where kids or students can go spend a couple of days living on the farm and volunteering. They get to learn how food is grown and how to take care of animals. The farmers will put them to work on simple activities like collecting eggs.
Kids and adults alike will enjoy this one. The tickets can be bought ahead of time and are good for whenever. We recommend going on a weekday as the parks are typically less crowded with shorter lines.
We all have that one friend that works harder than everyone else but is too afraid to ever take any time off to go on vacation. Help push them in the right direction by buying them a plane ticket or an organized package trip.
Take your kids out on a volunteering adventure for the day. They’ll learn the meaning of community and how good it feels to give back to others in need. If they like the outdoors or animals, lots of zoos and nature centers have volunteer programs as well.
It’s never too late to learn to swim. There are lessons out there for kids and adults of all ages. It’s like riding a bike, once you figure out how to do it, you won’t ever forget. A swim lesson gift could change someone’s life.
Most climbing gyms have rock walls designed for individuals of all skill levels. You can simply pay for entrance fees, or sign up for instructional classes depending on whether it’s your first time or not.
Aquariums allow you to get up close and personal with all sorts of underwater species. From fish to eels to sharks, these fun aquatic centers have it all. Some even have exhibits where you can pick up sea creatures and hold them.
Even if the gift recipient has never swung a bat in their life, it’s still a great idea. There are normally multiple pitching speeds and all equipment is included. There is nothing more satisfying than knocking a baseball out of the park.
Trains can be a whole lot of fun for people who’ve never ridden them before. We aren’t talking about the city metro though. There all sorts of long-distance trains that run through scenic locations around the world.
Bowling is a sport that anyone can participate in. It’s not about keeping score, but more about enjoying an activity outside of the house with friends and family. You can bond over how bad everyone is.
From singing to guitar, to piano, there are all kinds of different music lessons offered by local teachers. Which type you should give as a gift all depends on who you are giving it too. Try to choose one that you think that they will be interested in, not one based on your own personal tastes.
There are real-life treasure and scavenger hunts put on by businesses that you can buy tickets for. However, another neat idea is to hide a gift somewhere yourself and make your own clues. It is a good way to turn a material gift into more of an experience.
You can get them packets of seeds to grow their own flower or herb garden. Another option is to gift them a terrarium that they can fill up with whatever random plants they want.
Many outfitters offer multiple different trip lengths ranging from an hour or two to multiple days. There is nothing quite like riding horses through the backcountry and taking in the sights.
Pretty much anyone can become a decent painter with a little guided instruction. While not every work of art is going to end up being museum-worthy, you might be surprised by just how good some paintings come out.
Going to the movie theater is always a good time. Although, many people choose to simply sit and home and watch Netflix these days instead. Gifting someone tickets can give them an excuse to get out of the house and actually go.
There are individual types of dance classes like ballet and hip-hop, as well as couples ones like ballroom and swing dancing. If you are feeling extra crazy, you can even sign someone up for an exercise dance class designed specifically to release endorphins and burn calories.
Buy someone a magazine subscription and every month they can look forward to the magazine’s arrival. There are also subscription gift boxes that send out things like craft items or bottles of wine every month.
Kids love summer camp. There are various themes ranging from science camp to more outdoorsy nature-focused ones. There are even some places offering summer camps for adults based around things like drinking, swimming, and live music.
If you know any people who are really into crafting or art projects, hook them up with a DIY gift. They will definitely appreciate it. A few suggestions are candle-making kits, homemade bath bomb supplies, or a home-brewing setup for making beer.
Inspire someone to start a new hobby by buying them a camera or signing them up for photography classes. Taking photos is a great excuse to get outside and truly experience the world while pursuing that perfect shot.
You can buy them in-person classes or a subscription to one of the various online language learning applications. Learning how to speak and write in new tongues is both challenging and exciting.
We mentioned baseball games earlier, but there are all sorts of other sporting events one can go to as well. Some ideas include football games, basketball games, or even mountain biking competitions.
Mini golf is an activity that the whole family can participate in. Kids and adults can compete head to head to see who has the best putt while avoiding obstacles like windmills, sand traps, and tiny streams.
You don’t have to travel to an exotic location to get started with scuba diving. Many communities offer introductory scuba classes in swimming pools that you can register for.
There is nothing kids love more than going to the water park on a hot summer day. Take them as a birthday gift or buy them passes that they can use on a later date when the weather is nice.
Skydiving is the experience gift of a lifetime. Just make sure the gift recipient is up for it. It’s understandable that someone might be hesitant to go, but if done through a reputable organization, it is very safe.
It’s another unforgettable activity that will take you and your friends to new heights. It’s not as daunting as skydiving, but still just as enjoyable. Some hot air balloon excursions even provide a picnic lunch thousands of feet up in the clouds.
Do you know someone that works really hard and never has time to relax? Get them a massage. When it comes to stress relief, an hour spent being massaged by a professional masseuse can do wonders for them.
If you live on the coast, look into booking a whale-watching excursion. These are often seasonal and depend on whale migration patterns so you will have to plan ahead. There is nothing like getting up close and personal with the amazing animals.
YMCAs often have basketball courts, swimming pools, climbing walls, and full gyms for working out in as well as tons of other scheduled classes and activities. The memberships are a great gift for anyone into physical recreation
Either take the individual out yourself on a day trip or purchase them tickets on an organized fishing tour. Many operators own boats and will take you out to their secret spots in the deep water to reel in the big ones.
Entrance tickets to the local ice skating rink can be a great gift. Even if the person doesn’t even know how to skate. That’s part of the experience. It will encourage the recipient to expand their comfort zone.
Most cities have venues that host regular comedy shows. Even if there aren’t any big-name acts performing in the near future, small open mic nights can be a lot of fun too. Laughter is one of the greatest joys of life.
Give your kids a bag full of quarters as a gift and let them loose on the machines. They will love it. There are also arcades for adults. Normally, they feature beer, pinball, and other fun games like billiards and ping pong.
There is nothing like a little friendly competition to get the blood flowing. Going out to play laser tag will definitely make for a memorable night. It’s part strategy, part physical activity, and part goofing off.
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One of the greatest gifts you can give someone is a new and exciting experience. While material gifts like electronics or jewelry are fun at first, as soon as the newness wears off, they become just another possession to add to our collection of random junk. The last thing most people need is more stuff, especially kids. How many toys do most kids have that they simply just never play with?
Experiences, on the other hand, are something that you can keep with you for a lifetime. They provide memories that fill you up with joy and energy every time you think about them, even long after the experiences have already taken place. They allow both kids and adults to learn about the world through hands-on activities.
Although, coming up with creative ideas for these sorts of experiential gifts isn’t always easy. This list of 50 life experience gifts should give you some good ideas to help get you started.
