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50+ of the Best Experience Gifts for Kids

by Kerry Flatley, Certified Parent Educator

Are you raising a self-sufficient kid? Click here to take my 2-minute quiz and find out.

Do you do too much for your kids? Click here to take my 2-minute quiz and find out.

experience gifts for kids
experience gifts for children
50 gifts for kids experience
experience gifts for kids

Research shows that experiences bring us more happiness and satisfaction than things. Here are fifty experience gifts your kids will love.

experience gifts for kids

(This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I’ll receive a commission at no extra cost to you.) 

“Mom, will you ride down with me this time?” my daughter asked as we stood in line clad in our bathing suits and dripping water.

“Of course!” I exclaimed. “Should we go down the dark tunnel or the sunlit one this time?”

Even though it was 28 degrees outside, my daughters and I were experiencing summer temperatures just a few miles from our home.

It was the first time any of us had been to an indoor water park and we were having a blast – riding down windy water tunnels and lying back on inner tubes as we traveled along a lazy river.

Months earlier both girls had received gift cards for this experience from their grandparents. In an effort to move our family away from physical gifts, I’d suggested this nearby water park as a present and they’d taken me up on the suggestion.

Why experiences are better than things

Most people assume that giving someone a physical present is better than a one-off experience. The former will last longer, they assume, whereas the latter will soon be forgotten.

But research shows otherwise. New things – that is, physical objects – are often interesting and exciting when we first receive them but soon fade into the background of our every day lives.

Experiences, on the other hand, become a part of who we are – as the old saying goes, we are the sum of our experiences.

In fact, research has found that the satisfaction we feel with the purchase of a new item is at first equal with that of an experience. But over time, the satisfaction with the physical good goes down while the satisfaction with the experience goes up.

Not to mention that physical gifts can sometimes add to the clutter we’re trying to avoid.

And who we share those experiences with connects us to them even more. So an additional bonus of experience gifts is that many times they can strengthen our relationship with our kids.

Image of a little girl sweeping the floor with the question - Are you raising a self-sufficient kid? Click here to take my quiz and find out!

The best experience gifts for kids and teens

One of the biggest challenges I faced when deciding to give my girls more experiences as gifts was determining what to give them.

The following are among some of the best experience gifts for kids and teens I’ve come across.

Experiences, like physical gifts, can be both big and small. And they don’t necessarily need to cost money. At the bottom of the list, you’ll find experience gift ideas kids love that don’t cost a thing.

Experience days for kids and teens

Going to the indoor water park was a fun bonding experience for my girls and me. And possibly something we wouldn’t have done had they not received it as a gift. Experience outings can become adventures for kids that they’ll remember for years to come. The following are a few kid-friendly experiences that provide an opportunity to visit or try something new:

  • Museum passes or memberships
  • Zoo passes or memberships
  • Aquarium passes or memberships
  • Mini golf passes
  • Bowling passes
  • Ice skating passes
  • Indoor trampoline passes
  • Amusement park passes
  • Water park passes
  • A hot air balloon ride
  • Whale watching tickets
  • Indoor rock climbing passes
  • Roller skating rink gift certificates
  • Sporting event tickets
  • Musical concert tickets
  • Escape room tickets
  • Movie theater gift cards
  • Ski mountain lift tickets and rentals
  • Petting zoo/farm passes
  • Children’s theater tickets or memberships
  • Pottery painting studio visit

Gift cards for kids and teens

Gift cards make great stocking stuffers for kids and teens. But my tween girls also enjoy receiving them as birthday presents. The following cards provide kids with either one-time experiences or, in the case of books and music, experiences that keep on giving.

  • Local book store gift cards
  • Restaurant gift cards
  • Spa or pedicure gift cards
  • Audible gift card
  • Kindle gift card
  • Spotify or Apple Music gift cards

Fun family getaways for kids and teens

Make an experience last longer by giving kids the gift of a multi-day family outing. The following are a few resources to help you get started:

  • Farm Stay USA
  • Airbnb gift card
  • Groupon Getaways pass
  • National Park Pass
  • Weekend stay at Great Wolf Lodge
  • Camping gear for an upcoming trip

Educational subscription boxes and kits

Educational monthly subscription boxes are a great way to let kids experience how fun learning can be. Some of the most popular boxes include Kiwi Crates, Bitsboxes, Little Passports, and Bookroo. But there are many others…to find the box that best suits your child, check out the guides below.

  • Educational Subscription Boxes for Kids
  • Educational Subscription Boxes for Toddlers and Preschoolers
  • STEM and Science Subscription Boxes
  • Art and Craft Subscription Boxes
  • Children’s Book Subscription Boxes
  • Science Kits for Kids : This last one doesn’t contain subscription boxes but instead provides a list of one-time purchase kits for kids.

Classes and activities for kids

Has your child been asking to try a new sport or take a new class? Extracurricular activities make great gifts. Here are a few ideas, but of course the options go well beyond this list.

  • After-school sports
  • Music lessons
  • Ballet or dance classes
  • Horseback riding lessons
  • Pottery class
  • Swim lessons
  • Cooking classes
  • Art classes

Outdoor gifts

Countless research concludes that modern kids should spend more time outside. Encourage kids to connect with nature with these gifts.

  • Flower, vegetable or herb seed packages
  • Garden set for kids and teens
  • Supplies to build a terrarium
  • Think Outside the Box subscription for kids

Gifts to charity

Encourage kids to think of others through a gift to charity. Kiva allows users to give loans to those in need, while Global Giving allows gift cardholders to choose from a number of charities to donate their money. Save the Children and Family to Family are organizations that help support other children and families in need.

  • Kiva
  • Global Giving
  • Save the Children
  • Family to Family

Free family experience gifts

Parents often assume that the best gift they can give their children costs money. But when it comes down to it, what our children really want is often much more simple – and at the top of kids’ lists is spending quality moments with their parents. Here are a few cost-free gifts we can give our kids. A great way to give these gifts is to create coupons that kids can cash in throughout the year.

  • Family movie night (at home)
  • Family game night
  • Go on a hike
  • Visit a distant playground
  • Plan a scavenger hunt
  • Cook or bake together

You may also like:

22 Meaningful Non-Toy Kids Gifts

39 Eco-Friendly Gifts for Kids of All Ages

35 Fun & Engaging Science Toys for Kids That Make Science Fun

10 of the Best Educational Documentaries for Kids

What to do next…

1. Subscribe to Self-Sufficient Kids’ email list.

Like what you read here and want to learn more? Every Thursday I’ll send you one parenting tip about raising self-sufficient kids and creating the peaceful relationship you yearn to have with your child. Click here to sign up.

2. Take one of my quizzes!

Find out if you’re raising a self-sufficient kid (click here) or if you’re doing too much for your kids (click here). At the end of each quiz, you’ll be asked to provide your email address to see the results.

3. Get your kids started on chores.

Learn how to get your child started on chores (& keep them motivated + avoid power struggles) by enrolling in my Get Your Kids Successfully Started on Chores course. Click here to learn more and sign-up.

4. Become a member of The Empowered Parents Collective.

As a member of the Empowered Parents Collective, you’ll have access to targeted positive parenting advice in the form of mini-courses, expert interviews, Q&A from a certified parent educator, and more. Click here to learn more and sign-up.

About Kerry Flatley

Hi! I’m Kerry, the mother of two girls and a certified parent educator. I believe it is possible for parents to have a supportive, loving, and warm relationship with their kids while still raising them to be independent and ultimately self-sufficient. Over the years, I’ve read numerous books and articles that support this belief and I’ve put those ideas into practice with my own kids. Read more about me and Self-Sufficient Kids here.

Posted Under: Gifts for Kids

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