If you’re like me, you probably have a lot of stuff. Every birthday and holiday comes with more stuff. Every kid comes with more stuff. And sadly, material things often get lost, broken, discarded, or donated.
My husband and I stopped giving each other traditional gifts years ago. Every once in a while, I’ll get him a little something that he needs, but our main gift is always an experience together. Whether it’s a big trip, a concert, or a fancy dinner, I can remember almost every birthday and anniversary because of the fun, experiential gifts we’ve gifted each other.
While certain material gifts, like my diamond ring for my 10th anniversary or a special keepsake from my Memaw, are priceless to me, a lot of stuff is forgotten. And while appreciated and wanted at the time, at the end of the day, it’s just stuff. If you’re looking to create more meaning and lifelong memories with your gifts, try skipping the material gifts. Experiences make the best gifts and here are 10 reasons why you should gift experiences instead of stuff.
10 Reasons to Gift Experiences
If you’re trying to decide if you want to gift experiences instead of material gifts, here are a few reasons why you should consider making the change.
1. Experiences Create Lasting Memories
If you ask my youngest daughter about her favorite gift she’s ever gotten, it’s not the iPad or a gaming system. It’s the concert ticket to see TWICE, her favorite K-pop band. We went to celebrate both her and her big sister’s birthday. And months and months later she still talks about it. It was life-changing and something she will never forget.
When you gift someone the opportunity to create memories, you are giving them a gift that can truly last a lifetime. Now that is a priceless gift.
2. Experiences Don’t Clutter Your Home
If there’s one thing that can instantly trigger my anxiety, it’s walking into a room of clutter. Even if the clutter is in the kids’ bedroom or the garage, it’s hard to mentally shut out the mess.
One way to fight back against the clutter is the gift of an experience. I was worried about getting some pushback when we gifted my kids an experience for their birthdays. They’re used to opening presents and having something to play with or wear that day. But as they get older, they are beginning to realize that less stuff is ok.
Now, I’m not saying you can’t give a material gift. Kids outgrow things, and things break and need to be replaced. I’m not opposed to gifting an experience along with the pair of sneakers they’ve been asking for.
But even less stuff means less clutter. And that’s always a good thing in my book.
3. Experiences Let You Try New Things
It’s easy to get in ruts. We often catch ourselves doing the same things on the weekends. Friday night dinner out, Saturday movie night, Sunday brunch, REPEAT.
When money is tight and schedules are busy, new experiences don’t often happen, which is an even better reason to gift an experience.
A brand new experience is an incredibly beneficial thing for both kids and adults. According to an article published by UW Medicine and clinical psychology resident Juan Pablo Zapata, novelty in the form of new experiences activates the part of our brain that responds to new stimuli and creates dopamine pathways and connections that make us feel good.
When you offer a loved one the opportunity to try something new, you are helping boost their brain and emotional health.
4. Experiences Foster Closer Relationships
As I mentioned earlier, my favorite gifts have been experiences I’ve enjoyed with someone else. While I enjoy a good spa day as much as the next girl, I would much rather create unforgettable moments with the people closest to me and have those memories to reminisce on in the future.
When I travel with my husband, not only are we trying new things, but we’re doing it together.
According to a research study published by Yale University, “sharing an experience with another person, without communicating, amplifies one’s experience.” You don’t even have to talk about what you’re doing. Simply being there and experiencing the same moment creates a deeper and more meaningful experience for both people.
Making memories together creates more meaningful experiences and leads to a deepened connection with the other person.
5. Experiences Don’t Get Lost
How many hours have you spent helping your kids look for something that’s gotten lost? Just me?? I didn’t think so. With experience gifts, you are offering something immaterial that won’t go missing and end up forgotten about. You can’t say the same about more stuff.
Not only will an experience not get lost, but the memories of that special experience stay with them, and the person who gifted them the experience will have a special place in their memory, too.
6. Experiences Don’t Have to Cost a Thing
Whether you’re short on cash or are pushing back against consumerism, you don’t have to spend a thing on an experience. Some of my favorite memories are sitting on the beach watching the sunset, hiking through the mountains, or floating on the lake in the warm summer sun.
You don’t have to spend a thing to gift an experience to someone. Giving them the gift of the day together to do something meaningful in nature or even at home can create incredible memories, as well. For my 40th birthday, my family planned a small family party with delicious homemade food and it is one of my best birthday memories ever.
When we take the time and effort to create an experience for someone, it can mean just as much and even more than an expensive experience gift.
7. Experiences Lead to More Experiences
When we get out of our comfort zone and enjoy the experience of trying something new, it usually motivates us to want to try other adventures and experiences. Have you ever been on vacation and catch yourself talking about and planning your next vacation? Or out with a group of friends, and you’re talking about what you should do the next time? Yep, me, too!
When we have a positive experience, we crave more positive experiences. So when we gift someone a fun experience, we’re offering them a gift that can continue to deliver positive benefits time and time again.
It can also lead to the recipient deciding to gift experiences instead of something material. It wasn’t until my daughter had an incredible experience at her concert that she considered gifting an experience to a friend.
Experiences can be the gift that keeps on giving.
8. Experiences Fight Against Consumerism
We’ve already mentioned it above, but when we say no to material objects as gifts, we’re saying no to consumerism. When we can say no, our kids don’t need the latest iPhone or XBox or need a different style of Air Jordans.
I’m not saying those things are inherently bad. My kids do have an iPhone and a pair of Air Jordans.
What I’m saying is even though the media might make us and our kids feel like we’re behind because we’re wearing last season’s shoes and using a three-year-old phone, we don’t have to buy into their messages.
Psychologist Jacinta Francis, Ph.D. writes that an emphasis on materialism leads to greater life dissatisfaction.
When we say no to buying the latest and greatest things, we are saying no to a life of being pulled by consumerism’s strings. When we say yes to experiences, instead, we are saying yes to enjoying life and making memories that last, instead of things that don’t last.
9. Experiences Broaden Your World
Our worlds can become pretty small when we see the same people, visit the same places, rotate the same meal plans, watch the same shows, etc. It’s easy to get into a routine that limits the scope of our world.
One way to battle this is to experience new things. When we travel to new places, eat new foods, and engage in different culture’s art and music, we are broadening our world.
To gift experiences is to open people’s minds and eyes to the big world we live in.
10. Experiences Improve Life
When we gift experiences, we’re aiming to add to someone’s quality of life. This could be through meaningful connection, fun, or even making someone’s life easier. Cleaning someone’s house for them or filling their freezer with meals offers a different kind of experience…the gift of time and of lessened stress.
An experience doesn’t have to be an activity to do. It can also be something we do that improves their life and gifts them with the time or help they need.
Experience Gift Ideas
The options are seemingly limitless when it comes to experience gifts. For me, half the fun in gifting an experience gift is planning the surprise. We’ve compiled some lists below that we think will satisfy all kinds of recipients for whom you want to gift experiences.
Plus we’ve compiled all of the experience gift ideas in one PDF for you, so you can save it or share it with your family and friends. A little hint never hurt. ????
Experience Gift PDF Download
Experience Gift Ideas for Adventure-Lovers
If your gift receiver loves adventure, here are a few ideas for experiences they might enjoy:
- White-water Rafting
- Rock climbing
- Camping trip
- Skiing or snowboarding
- Zip-lining
- Hot-air balloon ride
- Safari
- Kayaking
- Base-jumping
- Bunjee Jumping
- Sky-diving (or indoor sky-diving)
- Scuba diving lessons
- Snorkeling
- Water Skiing
- Paragliding
- Parasailing
- Amusement Park
- Water park
- Visit a new country
- Mountain climbing
- Sailing lessons
Experience Gift Ideas for Couples
If you’re getting gifts for your significant other, here are some ideas that foster connection and fun:
- Couples massage
- Romantic dinner
- Pickleball
- Take a trip
- A night away at a hotel
- Comedy club
- Go dancing
- Dance lessons
- Food tour
- Attend a retreat
- Sunset picnic
- Try a workout class
- Rent a unique car and drive
- Pedicures
- Cooking class
- Wine tasting
- Winery tour
- Horse-drawn carriage ride
- Visit the theater
- Visit a museum
- Pottery or art class
- Concert tickets
- Sporting event tickets
- Kayaking
- Tubing on the river
- Day at the beach
- Take a hike
- Visit a brewery
Experience Gift for Kids
While we typically think of toys when it comes to kids’ gifts, here are some activities that we’re certain kids would love and appreciate:
- Children’s museum membership or tickets
- Amusement park visit
- Arcade visit
- Pottery or art class
- Water park season pass or tickets
- See a musical or play
- Visit a cat cafe
- Music lessons
- Zoo membership
- Horseback riding
- Concert tickets
- Sporting event tickets
- Roller skating or ice skating lessons
- Week at camp
- Sewing lessons
- Foreign language lessons
- Date with mom or dad
- Cooking class
- Scavenger hunt
- Bowling
- Laser tag
- Escape room
- Go-carts
- Paintball
- Pedicure or manicure
Free or Cheap Experience Gift Ideas
You don’t have to spend much money to create an unforgettable experience. Here are some of our favorite free or cheap experience gift ideas:
- Hiking
- Picnic outdoors
- Visit the beach or lake
- At-home fancy dinner
- At-home movie theater
- Backyard camping
- At-home spa day
- Go fishing
- Coupon book for special things
- At-home massage
- Cookie decorating party
- Tea party
- Outdoor movie
- Scavenger hunt
- Offer free babysitting
- Offer free housecleaning
- Offer free landscaping
- Home-cooked meals
- Visit a free museum or
- Splash pad day
- Historical landmark tour
- Offer free services in your specialty
- Organize a game night
- At-home murder mystery dinner
- DIY escape room
- DIY cooking class
- Crafting party
- DIY painting class
- Sleepover
- Offer home organization
Experience Gift Ideas for Her
Whether you’re planning to gift experiences for a mom, sister, daughter, or friend, we think there’s something for everyone on this list:
- Spa day
- Wine tasting
- Girls night out
- Dancing
- Weekend trip
- Crafting night
- Painting class
- Pedicures
- Join a book club together
- Floral arranging
- Brunch
- Game night
- Free babysitting
- Hiking
- Fitness class membership
- Kayaking
- Cooking class
- Freezer meals
- Housecleaning service
- Home organization
- Music lessons
- Foreign language lessons
- Food tour
- Museum membership
- Concert tickets
- Sporting event
- Go camping
- Retreat
- Gardening class
Experience Gift Ideas for Him
Some of the hardest people to shop for can be the guys in my life. This list of ideas makes it easier:
- Car detailing service
- Sporting event tickets
- Concert tickets
- Batting cage
- Hiking
- Kayaking
- Museum membership
- Wine tasting
- Fishing
- Game night
- Backyard movie night
- Visit a brewery
- Camping
- Picnic
- Book club
- Cooking class
- Painting class
- Free babysitting
- Housecleaning service
- Massage
- Fitness membership
- Freezer meals
- Weekend trip
- Surfing lessons
- Music lessons
- Foreign language lessons
- Landscaping service
- Golf
- Waterpark visit
- Amusement park visit
- Comedy club visit
Wrapping Up: Give the Gift of Experience
When you forgo a physical gift and choose to give someone an experience, you are offering them more than a present.
Giving experiences can cater to more life enjoyment and less clutter. It takes the emphasis off material things and pushes back against consumerism and its negative effects. It gifts meaningful moments and treasured memories. Whether you’re buying someone the time to pamper themselves, learn or perfect a skill like cooking or dancing, or offer them free time through free babysitting or housecleaning services, you’re giving them something that creates space in their life for enjoyment and pleasure.
Experiences last a lifetime in the memories they provide. That’s why experiences are my favorite kind of gift!
Resources:
Brooks, K. (2022, January 10). Want to break out of the blues? try something new. Right as Rain by UW Medicine. https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/well/health/try-something-new
Boothby, E. J., Clark, M. S., & Bargh, J. A. (2014). Shared experiences are amplified – Yale University. Yale.edu. https://clarkrelationshiplab.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/BoothbyClarkBargh(1).pdf
Francis, J. (2013, November 28). Raising non-materialistic children in a material world. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-the-neighborhood/201311/raising-non-materialistic-children-in-material-world
