With Lawson’s birthday in 10 days, I’m thinking about what to get him. I’m not sure about you guys, but my kids have way too many toys. I don’t buy them many toys, but when birthdays and Christmas roll around, it seems like we get an abundance of them. While I’m thankful for any gift given to my kids, I personally love to buy them experience gifts! Experience gifts create memories and fun- something they’ll remember for a lifetime. They can be magical and creative and so very special. After talking to you, my readers, on social media, I comprised this fun list. Ready for some of the most surprising experience gifts for kids? Here they are!
Gift Cards for the bookstore to choose new books– We have an extensive home library (and are adding more special needs books) but there’s something so great about taking kids to a book store with a gift card and having them pick out a book. Instilling reading in kids early on is so important, and as a former teacher, it’s very high on our priority list.
Pass to Little Land Play Gym– If you don’t follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may not know how obsessed we are with Little Land Play Gym in Waco, Texas. It’s an indoor play place where kids can enjoy themselves by playing in various rooms. They learn lots of different fine motor and gross motor skills there through play. I can see such a difference in Lawson from taking him at least weekly! Make sure you bring some socks and don’t forget the snacks for the cafe! Playing makes kids hungry! We love this bento box to keep the snacks organized and the mess to a minimum. Tell them we sent you!
Disney World/ Disneyland Annual Pass– Ok I’m not a kid, but can I be one for this purpose? I kid, I kid…maybe. A Disney World/ Disneyland Annual Pass is a great investment for the family that enjoys traveling or lives close to one of the parks. There is something new to see every time you visit Disney and no visit is ever the same. Gift your passes with a gorgeous princess dress or coordinating family shirts for extra pizazz.
Cooking class lessons– Lawson loves to say, “Up please” when I’m cooking in the kitchen. I can tell that he sees how much I enjoy it, and that it brings him joy too. Cooking class lessons are such a surprising experience gift for kids and one they can really enjoy. Rather have cooking lessons at home? I love this pizza cooking set and cake pop making set for kids!
Swimming lessons– If you’ve gotta little fish like I do, swimming lessons are a great way to encourage kids to swim safely and have fun. Grab a gift bag, throw in a cute swimsuit or swim trunks, and let your child know when lessons start. They’ll surely be excited!
Zoo or Aquarium season pass– This one is probably our most received. Addie loves the zoo and aquarium. Ever since she was little we’ve asked for memberships to take her. Boy, do those things get used! A fun fan with water spray bottle and the pass are a perfect gift combination to make this a fun and surprising experience gift for any kid.
Waterpark season pass– Last year we received season passes to our local water park, Schlitterbahn. It was so much fun! Our kids love passes like these because we can take a little day trip, have fun all day, and then come home and sleep in our nice, warm beds.
Succulent fairy garden kit– Last summer we got Addie succulents and a fairy garden kit with small gardening tools and it was such a fun gift! We all went outside as a family, mapped out how we wanted it to look, and went to town. Addie enjoyed it so much and it was great that we did it together. Kids will love this experience gift and will want to go plant their succulents right away!
Tickets for a train ride– I had no idea how big of a deal trains were for kids until I stumbled upon train YouTube videos and showed them to Lawson. He’s so obsessed that he is actually having a train themed birthday party. Tickets for a train ride with a cute conductor hat and bandanna are a great experience gift to give any kid. I actually bought this whistle for Lawson and can’t wait to give it to him.
Sports jersey and baseball/football tickets– One of the most fun trips we’ve had lately was when Toyota invited us to a soccer game. It was a blast and definitely something we would love to do again. If your kid enjoys sports, grabbing a jersey and tickets will be such an exciting experience gift that they’ll never forget.
Camera to take on trips– If you have an older kid, this is a perfect experience gift! Kids will have fun taking their camera everywhere they go and it’s so fun to see life through their eyes. This camera is durable and kids love shaking the Polaroid pictures when they come out.
Weekend trip to Great Wolf Lodge– It’s almost like a kid bucket list thing to visit Great Wolf Lodge. It’s such a fun place and we got to visit last year and fell in love. Kids of all ages will love GWL and the best part is- it doesn’t matter what time of year you give the gift because their water park is indoors! So gift your favorite swimming bag and tickets, and have a blast!
Disney on Ice tickets– Any Disney fan will appreciate Disney on Ice tickets. Grab your favorite Disney costume to add to this experience. Your kid will be so thrilled to see all of their favorite characters and it will definitely be very memorable.
Alphabet silicone mold for crayon making– As a kid, I always enjoyed making various craft projects. This one needs adult supervision, but gifting an alphabet silicone mold and some crayons can make for a fun project. Break the crayons, add to the molds, and melt in the oven. Once they’re melted, kids can enjoy making art with their creative color combinations.
At home spa day pampering– This one is an Addie favorite. Grab some relaxing essential oils (Addie likes Young Living Lavender and Gentle Baby), a cute owl diffuser, fuzzy headband, clay mask, and lotion to put in your gift bag. Treat your kid to a relaxing spa time and you never know, you might get some relaxing time, yourself.
