This year I kept my gift guides super simple with 65 gift ideas for her and 50 gift ideas for him, but I wanted to round up a list of experiences that would make great gifts as well! Our hearts are so full this year between a new baby and a new house and truly the only thing I want this Christmas is lots of quality time with loved ones. Sharing an experience together is a fun way to make a memory that will last longer than any present and I happen to think experiences are the most fun gifts to give and receive! I’ve gifted all kinds of experiences in the past, from a stand up paddleboard yoga lesson with my mom and sister to signing my entire extended family up for a self-defense class the day after Christmas one year (I don’t think we’ve laughed so hard in our lives and I can’t think of a better Christmas gift than that!). Here are lots more ideas for experiences to gift and share with your loved ones this holiday season. I would love to hear your favorite experience gift ideas in the comments!
- Aerial yoga class (still on my 101 in 1001 list!)
- An afternoon at a botanical garden
- Baking class (this one was fun)
- Broadway tickets
- Bungee jumping (my dad and I went in Spain and it was the ultimate adrenaline rush!)
- Calligraphy workshop (I did one back in 2014!)
- Cirque du Soleil tickets
- Concert tickets
- Cooking class
- Comedy club
- Dance classes
- Day at an amusement park
- Fitness classes
- Hang gliding (my brother Grayson and I went during my semester abroad!)
- Helicopter ride (this feels like forever ago)
- Horseback riding
- Hot air balloon ride (we went on our honeymoon!)
- Gift certificate to a favorite restaurant
- Language lessons
- Mani/pedi gift certificate
- Massage gift certificate
- Mini golf
- Movie theater gift card
- Museum membership
- Parasailing (Will and I went in the Caribbean)
- Planning a scavenger hunt
- Planning a weekend getaway
- Pottery workshop
- Sailboat ride (our favorite)
- Ski passes
- Skydiving (Grayson and I went for my 23rd birthday!)
- Spa day
- Sports tickets
- Stand up paddleboard yoga (this was a blast!)
- Surfing lesson
- Tennis lessons
- Trapeze lesson (dying to do this again)
- Whitewater rafting
- Wine tasting
- Zip lining
How many of these have you done? Leave your experience gift ideas below!
This is BRILLIANT! I absolutely love the idea of getting an experience for someone, rather than a gift! What a great idea!
Dry bar!
I think I experienced ARE the best gifts! I wrote a holiday gift guide this year and includes several activities:
https://www.coast2coastwithkids.com/blog/2019/10/30/holiday-gift-guide-2019
Thanks for this roundup! Really refreshing in a season of mass consumerism. Also- you’re so cool! Thanks for linking the experiences you’ve blogged. I had no idea you were an apparent adrenaline junkie!
Aww thanks! I love a good adrenaline rush. Need to do/share more of that in 2020!
I understand and respect that this isn’t for everyone (especially vegetarians & vegans), but five or so years ago I got my boyfriend a pig break down butchering class where we broke down half a pig using saws, hammers, etc. It’s not easy!
If you eat meat anyway (like us), check out your local butcher. It’s a cool way to be more appreciative of where food comes from (we learned the farm the pig was from and how it was raised, etc.) and we got to take home the most delicious pork chops of all time. He still talks about how great of a gift it was.
I love experience gifts! This year I got my parents and one of my brothers Hamilton SF tickets for Christmas, I think it’ll be a hit.
That will be amazing! I still haven’t seen it and I’m dying to!