Let’s face it: Finding the “perfect” gift to give your kids, spouse, or grandbabies for Christmas goes one of two ways—you immediately have an inspired, brilliant idea… or you have no clue what to get them. Not to mention the adult kids who claim they “don’t need anything”—like, how is that helpful?! Because you can’t not get them anything. Herein lies the Christmas gift hunting dilemma. Instead of scrolling on Amazon into the wee hours of the night trying desperately to find an innovative, meaningful gift, consider gifting an experience this Christmas.
Why You Should Gift an Experience
Making memories is what Christmas is all about—after all, can you name three things off the top of your head that you received for Christmas last year? Now tell me three holiday activities you participated in, whether it was decorating gingerbread houses or attending a holiday concert. While you may struggle to remember last Christmas in general, there’s a good chance that you can recall special moments over material goods. An experience often combines nearly all of the love languages into one: You receive a gift that allows you to spend quality time with someone you love, which often leads to hugs and kisses (physical touch) and encouraging, affirming words. So basically, whatever your peoples’ love language may be, chances are, you’ll strike it rich if you give them an experience instead of a physical gift.
In fact, a recent GetYourGuide survey discovered that 92 percent of Americans would prefer to receive experiences over physical gifts for Christmas. The key is intentionality. Before trying to scour the internet for inspiration, take a few minutes to jot down things you know they love: music, painting, sports, a band, reading, traveling, cooking, and more. Then use what you know to help you come up with something you would enjoy doing together. Here’s a list to get you started:
Experience Gift Ideas for Families
I have a friend who gifted her son and grandson with season passes to the zoo years ago, and they still talk about how much fun they had going to see the animals all year long. Whether it’s one-time fun or a season pass, Colorado is brimming with sports teams, museums, parks, art studios, and more that make for special activities perfect for families of all ages and preferences. It doesn’t have to be extravagant either, fun can be anywhere.
■Zoo or Museum Memberships – Denver Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, Fort Collins Museum of Discovery.
■Season Passes – Elitch Gardens, Pirates Cove Water Park, a Colorado State Parks annual pass, or local trampoline parks like Urban Air Adventure Park or Defy Denver.
■Workshops or Classes – Allow the whole fam to embrace their creative side with pottery painting, cooking classes, dance lessons, or art classes (Ceramics in the City, Sur La Table, Cook Street School of Culinary Arts, Think 360 Arts, the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities).
■Local Adventures – Spend the day exploring Garden of the Gods, ziplining in Manitou Springs, whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River, or taking a scenic ride on the Georgetown Loop Railroad.
Experience Gifts for Kids
As a kid, the most wondrous things are often the most simple (and sometimes, the most hands-on). It doesn’t have to be some elaborate, expensive shindig—as long as it’s personalized to them, they’ll eat up the chance to spend special time with you doing something they love! Focus on imagination, learning, and fun:
■Animal Encounters – If they’re an animal lover, treat them to a behind-the-scenes Denver Zoo tour or horseback riding lessons.
■Play Passes – Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park, Sky Zone Trampoline Park, Kids Wonder, Kickin’ It Kids Gym, SweetPlay Greenwood Village, Activate Games Westminster, Bounce Empire.
■Subscriptions – Extend Christmas by purchasing a monthly or quarterly subscription to craft kits, science boxes, or even kid-friendly cooking sets (e.g., KiwiCo, Lovevery, MEL Science, Universal Yums, Little Passports, Raddish Kids).
■One-on-One “Day with Mom/Dad” Certificates – Pick a day to spend just the two of you and let them choose an activity, lunch, and outing together.
■Movie Night – Whether you actually buy movie tickets to a movie they want to go see or you plan to do an at-home movie night, print off “tickets” and jazz it up with popcorn and themed PJs.
Experience Gifts for Teens
Teens can be so hard to shop for—they have their own unique sense of style you often don’t exactly understand, their interests are ever-fluctuating, and they don’t want toys anymore. Not to mention how when you try to have a conversation, they offer one-word answers. Use these experiences as opportunities to bond with them despite their teen moodiness.
■Concert Tickets – Check performing schedules for Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Mission Ballroom, or The Fillmore Auditorium—you can’t go wrong with live music under the Colorado skies.
■Spa or Self-Care Day – Take “Fancy Nancy’s Spa Day” and upgrade it to teen edition with a mani/pedi, facial, or yoga class.
■Sports Tickets – Pick their favorite sport and snag tickets to a game: Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, or Denver Broncos in action.
■Adventure Experiences – Help them get their angst out with an escape room, axe-throwing, go-karting, or a climbing gym. (EscapeWorks Denver, Archery Games Denver, K1 Speed Go-Karting, Movement Climbing + Fitness)
■Photography Class or Music Lessons – Something to nurture their creativity.
■Weekend Getaway – Plan a mini trip to a nearby town like Golden, Estes Park, or the mountains for quality family time. (Take the skis and turn it into a skiing adventure at Breckenridge, Vail, or Winter Park!)
■Theatre Productions – Whether it’s to a new show or their favorite Broadway production, you won’t regret taking them to a performance. (Denver Performing Arts Complex, Paramount Theatre, Bellco Theatre, Curious Theatre Company)
Experience Gifts for Adults
Adults need to have fun too! Whether it’s an experience you “book” or a sort of choose-your-own-adventure, your parents, spouse, and friends will love the thought and effort it took for you to give them a memory-making experience.
■Date Nights or Dining Experiences – Why not make your gift revolve around food? Try your hand at cooking classes, wine tastings, or a progressive dinner of your own making (or ordering).
■Wellness Packages – My parents have given each other a couples massage for years, but you could also buy facials, fitness classes, hydrotherapy or sauna sessions.
■Adventure – There’s nothing more life-changing than going on a trip together, whether across the state, country, or across the pond. If you can, give them an adventure—they won’t ever forget it! Ride a hot air balloon ride in Boulder, go on a snowshoe tour in Breckenridge, or take a guided hike through Rocky Mountain National Park.
■Subscription Boxes – Coffee tastings, books, dinner made easier, and shopping; all gifts that bring small “experiences” home—literally. (Atlas Coffee Club, Book of the Month, Hello Fresh, Fab Fit Fun, Nuuly)
■Classical Music – Give the gift of music that moves the soul (Colorado Symphony or Opera Colorado).
Creative Ways to “Wrap” an Experience
“But how do you wrap an experience?” you might be wondering. There are plenty of creative ways to surprise your people with their experience. Print tickets or membership cards and wrap them with something small that relates (zoo tickets + a stuffed animal, pottery class + a small paintbrush, sports ticket + sports ball).
One year, my parents surprised my siblings and me with Justin Bieber tickets, but instead of just printing out the tickets, they printed off pictures of a bee and a bird and packaged them separately and made us unwrap them, sound it out, and guess until we figured it out.
You can also create a homemade invitation to the experience, a photo collage, or a “coupon book” of experience ideas for family members to choose from. Let your creativity loose, and have fun with it!
Experience the Magic of Memories That Last
Whether you consider yourself a wonderful gift-giver or you dread picking out Christmas presents every year, giving experiences to those you care about will not only elevate your gift-giving, but it will lead to special, unforgettable moments and memories you’ll both cherish. Colorado has hundreds of possibilities for a magical experience—just figure out which works best for each person and go for it! They’ll be sure to thank you when the wrapping paper is trashed and they still have something to look forward to.
