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Post by Tasha on Nov 30, 2015 5:28:27 GMT
DH and I are wanting to give more "experience" gifts instead of toys this year. Our boys are 13 & 9, our girls are 6&3.
Have any of you done this before with your family? How did it work?
We aren't thinking big experiences like Disney, or a cruise. Just smaller things we can do as a family.
Any ideas for me?
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Deleted
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May 19, 2024 18:33:46 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2015 5:31:48 GMT
It would depend where you live.
Visit parks
Go to the theatre
Movie night in
Built a blanket fort. Then go visit one.
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tanya2
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Post by tanya2 on Nov 30, 2015 5:32:35 GMT
movie passes, zoo membership, homemade coupon books for special outings with mom and/or dad....
my only concern is that your kids might not be old enough to fully appreciate this as a gift yet
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Post by AussieMeg on Nov 30, 2015 5:35:29 GMT
Oooh, that's a tough one, because of the age gap. What your 3yo DD is going to find fun may not be at all interesting for your 13yo DS, and vice versa. The little one is too young to do a lot of the things that I otherwise would have suggested.
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Post by jamielynn on Nov 30, 2015 5:38:21 GMT
I love the idea but unfortunately my experience is kids are disappointed on holidays when they look forward to gifts and don't get the toys ect. It isn't the same to a kid to get a trip to Disney or a year pass to the zoo when they want the toy every one of their friends wants and gets (with the immediate gratification).
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Post by chaosisapony on Nov 30, 2015 6:10:25 GMT
My old boss started doing a yearly ski trip instead of lots of small Christmas gifts for her kids when her youngest was around 10. They would still get small gifts like pajamas and a book to read, that sort of thing. But 75% of the Christmas budget went towards the ski trip. In later years after the kids were grown they would go to Hawaii or on a cruise. Everyone always seemed happy doing the trips instead of lots of gifts.
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Post by ShesaRenegade on Nov 30, 2015 11:50:23 GMT
My youngest son is 30 and loves the San Diego Chargers. Every year his Christmas gift is that he gets to choose one game he wants to attend. Since neither of us live near San Diego, we fly in to whatever city the game is being held in, stay a couple of days, and go to the game. Oh, and we always sit on the 50-yard line Chargers side.
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Post by smalltowngirlie on Nov 30, 2015 11:58:24 GMT
We have done experience gifts many times in the past. We often go to a concert or sporting event. There were always little gifts under the tree on Christmas morning, but no big ticket items.
What you choose will depend upon if you want to make it more individualized for each child or a family event. For the little one you can check out shows like Disney on Ice or a children's performance at a live theater. For the boys a concert or sporting event, if they are into that. Also are there any "expos" for something they are interested in. DH took DS to a Lego type expo one year.
This often takes a little more research, but DS still talks about the expereinces he has had, but not really any gifts he has received.
Also, if you start it now they will learn to not only appreciate it, but look forward to it.
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Post by littlemama on Nov 30, 2015 11:59:12 GMT
I don't think your kids are old enough to appreciate those types of gifts.
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Post by vi on Nov 30, 2015 12:01:20 GMT
I plan on doing an experience gift with my family which includes children, in-laws, and grandkids. I want to take them bowling and out to eat. I think this is good for all ages as you can use bumpers for the little ones, have more than one lane for the advanced ones, and your own contests with prizes. I just want to have a good bonding experience and make some memories.
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Post by Karmady on Nov 30, 2015 12:04:08 GMT
I'd still get a couple of immediate gifts to open  We give experiences all the time. It is much preferred and family time is more valuable than toys that they get sick of in a few weeks. Ideas: Movie passes amusement park passes (or yearly pass) Zoo passes (or annual passes) Ripley's Aquarium pass (we have one in Toronto) Museum pass theatre tickets to a local performance (family oriented play) concert tickets ski passes or snow tubing Children's museum annual passes for the younger kids a lesson that they've always wanted to take. Example buy a guitar and provide lessons We have given trips and passes many times to the kids. This year my older teens are going on trips next year. They aren't going until the summer but we will be doing many excursions on our trips and want to save money for those. My youngest willl be taking Standard First Aid next weekend, then the Lifeguarding program starting in January. In February, he can start to drive. DD has applied to go on an exchange to Hong Kong in September. So....... the kids are getting stockings only at Christmas. I have purchased tickets to a local performance of It's a Wonderful Life and we may go to Ripley's Museum in Toronto on the holidays. |
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moodyblue
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Post by moodyblue on Nov 30, 2015 12:56:14 GMT
I love the idea, and I think you can start small now - but I think your girls are a little young to really appreciate experiences instead of more gifts to open. I'm not sure a 3-year-old will get the concept of tickets to go do something in the future.
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Post by myboysnme on Nov 30, 2015 13:04:21 GMT
You could start by giving the older ones an experience gift geared toward each of them individually. If oldest likes hockey, for example, maybe some hockey lessons or tickets to a hockey game. Put the tickets in something hockey related. I would skip it for the younger ones right now.
I gave my younger son tickets to see the Eagles play (football) because he said he wanted to go see a game with his dad. I gave him other things as well but the big gift was the tickets. But he was 21 when I did that.
Let me just say that I am of a mind that family vacations or outings together are part of being a family and doing things together and I generally would not tie them to gifts for the kids until they are much older, like adults.
Now lessons and trips for that individual child that was mentioned above does sound very good. But I would mix it up between a few gifts and the experience.
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Nov 30, 2015 15:10:10 GMT
We do a lot of community theatre tix as gifts for our girls, 10 and 7. My parents bought them cirque tix for this year. Last year my MIL did James and the Giant Peach. I've done the Nutcracker. In the past we've done suesical the musical. I give just one set of tix as a gift and then maybe a couple of books and a game to each dd, and we often talk about how things like an upcoming family vacation, ski lessons, or sleep away summer camp are part of their gifts. Those are things we like to do / have our kids do, but they are so expensive that it is hard to justify a few hundred dollars in gifts plus those special experiences.
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Loydene
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Post by Loydene on Nov 30, 2015 15:36:15 GMT
Experiences can be what you want them to be -- a big Christmas show -- eg: Trans Siberia or Cirque are both playing in KC this season, or our ballet always does Nutcracker and one of our theaters does Dickens. A couple of years ago, my sister took us to a football game -- tickets, parking, hats ... turns into a big experience!
Get season tickets to a local theme park, a zoo, a museum -- and GO
The older I get, the more inclined I am to experience types of gifts! I had a hard time remembering what I got DS last Christmas -- but we all remember that football game from 3 years ago!
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eleezybeth
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Post by eleezybeth on Nov 30, 2015 17:10:33 GMT
My littlest, age 2, doesn't get the concept of gifts. She does get the concept of her sisters being excited. It is an easy sale at this point. We have done Disney on Ice, the local plays, movies, park outings, etc. We are doing a big trip this year but they still have a few packages to open.
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Post by walkerdill on Nov 30, 2015 17:42:09 GMT
One year I gave all tickets to events for Christmas. It was fun because we could use them throughout the year. I knew the kids would get toys from the rest of the family. I bought a lot of them on Group on actually. Some things we've done was marine aquarium, zoo, museum of science, animal sanctuary's, theme parks, concerts, boating trip, themed dinner like Arabian nights & escape rooms are fun for the over 10 crowd.
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Post by anonrefugee on Dec 1, 2015 1:33:35 GMT
We started doing experience gifts about the age of your sons. Indoor and outdoor surf time/lessons, scuba experience, flight simulators. I think they got their first paintball experience that way.
I do a mix of brother and Individual experiences too, like archery lessons, etc.
Don't forget to check Groupon. I found several bargains, and unexpected ideas, there.
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RosieKat
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Post by RosieKat on Dec 1, 2015 1:41:10 GMT
We really downsized on the "wrapped gifts" for the kids (7 & 9) this year. We pretty much stuck to the wear/need/play with/read mantra. And then we bought family tickets for the Nutcracker for a couple of days after Christmas and tickets to The Sound of Music (which they both love) in February. They can't keep up with all the crap they already have, so this is hopefully a good idea.
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Post by redshoes on Dec 1, 2015 2:02:34 GMT
I am buying a day pass to a local zip line park for 4 kids, ages 9-15.
And tickets to see Blue Man Group for my 9 yr old
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Post by maryland on Dec 1, 2015 2:09:11 GMT
One year I gave all tickets to events for Christmas. It was fun because we could use them throughout the year. I knew the kids would get toys from the rest of the family. I bought a lot of them on Group on actually. Some things we've done was marine aquarium, zoo, museum of science, animal sanctuary's, theme parks, concerts, boating trip, themed dinner like Arabian nights & escape rooms are fun for the over 10 crowd. When the kids were little, my inlaws got us a family membership to the Science Center. We went when the kids had a day off and it was great! |
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Post by maryland on Dec 1, 2015 2:14:11 GMT
DH and I are wanting to give more "experience" gifts instead of toys this year. Our boys are 13 & 9, our girls are 6&3. Have any of you done this before with your family? How did it work? We aren't thinking big experiences like Disney, or a cruise. Just smaller things we can do as a family. Any ideas for me? I think that is a great idea! My kids remember the fun times we have had more than gifts. The peas have listed some great ideas! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2015 3:31:54 GMT
Two of my kids are going to comic con. I think that would be fun for a 13 and 9 year old. The oldest is getting concert tickets for Twenty One Pilots.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 1, 2015 5:00:09 GMT
I'm with the others who said the 6 & 3 year old are a little young for gifts like that, but you could start by adding in one or two "experience" things along with their other gifts that the younger kids would like. My 5 yo would enjoy going to a paint your plate type place, the zoo (but our zoo is free, so there's that), the Science Museum, the Children's Museum, the Children's Theater, indoor bounce house places, nature centers, amusement parks geared toward younger kids, even places like Chuck E Cheese or the bowling alley.
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mlana
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Post by mlana on Dec 1, 2015 9:17:56 GMT
When my kids were young, they loved getting gifts that guaranteed them private time with just Mom or Dad. DH gave our son a bag of arcade tokens and a book of coupons for so many trips to the arcade for games and treats; I don't know who enjoyed it more, DH or DS.
I remember giving DD a fancy invite I'd made for a tea party event put on by our county recreation program. I bought her a big hat and some ribbon and silk flowers to decorate it and put everything in a box with the invite. I bought me a hat, too and we had a great time decorating them together. The party was so sweet and we took lots of pics, then made her a scrapbook. She's 21 now and still talks about it. The tickets to the party cost a grand total of $10.
Both of my kids loved going to plays, so tickets to those were big hits. They also liked season passes to things like water parks and bowling. I made sure that each of the packages for the tickets for those things included something they could use/ play with immediately. They each got the sound track to whatever musical or the book the play was based on or opera glasses. Something they could enjoy right away while waiting for the big day, kwim?
As they got older, we started cruising near the holidays. I'd put together a list of possible excursions we could do while on the cruise and they'd each get to pick one. I made sure the excursions were something we could all participate in, even if it wasn't something we'd all necessarily choose to do. DH didn't swim, so we had never really done a lot of water activities, and those were the things the kids always chose first. DH, by family rules, had to participate with as much enthusiasm as he would expect them to participate in whatever he chose to do. He got to see a whole new side to his family that he wouldn't have known existed if we hadn't tried something new.
Marcy
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Post by papercrafteradvocate on Dec 1, 2015 11:22:50 GMT
We do this for birthdays and it is so much fun! The first time we did it the kiddo was disappointed at no wrapped toy but quickly changed tune when we did the event! I think we started around 7-8 years old.
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gina
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Post by gina on Dec 1, 2015 21:08:07 GMT
We do this every year for our kids. Last year it was tickets to an Islanders hockey game. This year, its tickets to see The Lion King on Broadway.  |
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