Our family 100% believes in memory-making as the best type of gift. Every Christmas and birthday, Robert and I plan some sort of experience to give to our girls and to each other.
Sometimes it’s as small as a science experiment subscription box. Some occasions, we gift theater tickets to a show touring through town. Lately, as we’ve learned budget travel with points hacking (thanks to my friend Jen), we’ve been giving a family vacation as a gift.
Every single experience gift we’ve ever given has resulted in sweet moments we’ll always cherish. And that’s something that can never be put in the donate bin one day.


If you want to do a less material approach to gifts this year, I’ve compiled a huge list of the best experience gift ideas for everyone in your family.
The best part of all is most of these experiences can be planned last minute. If you’re in a time crunch, making date plans or booking an experience for the future is the perfect solution.
What to do before gifting an experience
- Think about the recipient’s interests and lifestyle
- Set your budget expectations
- Find ways to use your DIY skills to create an experience
- Get creative with presentation
To package an experience gift like tickets to a play or vacation plans, I usually wrap a pretend fake show ticket, fake attraction ticket, or fake airplane ticket from Etsy inside of a box. (I add a few random things to weigh it down to throw off suspicions.)
This Christmas, because we have surprise plans to visit a particular city next year, I’m wrapping two miniature versions of the city’s iconic landmarks in multiple nested boxes. The girls will never guess.




Subscription Gifts
Even though some of these are technically “material items”, since most are consumable, they become more of an experience than an object you keep.
Storyworth – memory keepsake
Headspace – mental health & wellness
KiwiCo Crate – science & art projects for kids
Wine Access – variety curated wine delivery
Hello Fresh – meal kit delivery
Shaker and Spoon Box – gourmet cocktail making
Audible – audio books
Universal Yums – international snacks
Trade Coffee – roasted to order coffee
Wildgrain – bread, pasta, and pastry delivery
BarkBox – dog toys and treats
Stitch Fix – personalized clothing
Ipsy – makeup and beauty products
Urban Stems – floral arrangement delivery
The Sill – houseplant delivery
Escape the Crate – escape room mystery box
Murray’s Cheese – cheeses from around the world
Craft Beer Club – variety beer delivery
Goldbelly – variety of food subscriptions
Platterful – monthly charcuterie
Candier – candles
Book of the Month – book club
ScentBird – perfumes and colognes
Dermstore – skincare
Lovevery – baby & toddler play kits




“The gift that keeps on giving the whooooole year, Clark.” Especially for young kids, an annual pass to a local museum, zoo, or aquarium will definitely pay for itself in the long run.
Yearly Pass Gifts
Local Zoo
Local Aquarium
Local Amusement Park
Trampoline Park
Museum
Pool & Waterpark
Yoga Studio
Theater Season’s Pass
Botanical Gardens
Golf Course




If your love language is Acts of Service, gifting professional services is definitely a great idea.
Professional Services Gifts
Glamsquad – hair and beauty styling membership
Poplin – personal laundry service
SoothePass – massages
Food Fire + Knives – private chef services
Neat Method – professional home organizing
Next Level Wardrobe – personal styling services
The Expert – interior design consultations
Care.com – home cleaning
International Detailing Association – car detailing
TaskRabbit – handyman services


Gifting knowledge is one of the best experiences you could ever give! If your unsure of your recipient’s interests, Masterclass has tons of options.
Giftable Classes
Masterclass – variety of classes for many skillsets
Rosetta Stone – language lessons
Obé Fitness – fitness classes
Fender Play – guitar lessons
Virtu.Academy – music lessons
YesChef – cooking lessons
Alo Moves – fitness & self-care classes
Craftsy – art and crafting lessons
The Crafter’s Box – crafting lessons
Steezy – dance classes
iPhone Photography School – videography/photography courses
Magic Lessons


The best way to gift quality time!
Entertainment Gifts
Cameo – personalized video messages from celebrities
Fandango – movie tickets
StubHub – show tickets
Theater Shows
Comedy Shows
Concerts
Sporting Events
Magic Shows
Ice Skating Shows
Dancing Exhibitions
Circus / Rodeo




If you have a gamer or a little learner in your life, an app would be a big hit.
Giftable Apps
ABC Mouse – kids’ math & reading games
CodeSpark Academy – kids’ coding games
Disney + Bundle – TV, movies, and sports
Adobe Photography – photo/video editing
Calm – mindfulness and stress relief
Planta – plant care
Xbox Game Pass – gaming
Nintendo Switch Online – gaming
Sony Playstation Plus – gaming
YouTube Premium – video entertainment
Spotify Premium – music entertainment


Activity gifts don’t have to be anything over the top. They can be as simple as a picnic in the park.
Better yet, gift an activity box or a date night jar with lots of ideas written on them that you and your loved ones can do together for months ahead.
Activity Gifts
Turo – Vintage Car Rental
Xtreme Xperience – Driving Experience
Tour2Sky – Helicopter and Plane Tours
Secret Food Tours – Tasting Experiences
Resy – Dinner Reservations
Paintball / Laser Tag
Paint and Sip Sessions
Rollerskating / Ice Skating
Sunset Cruises
Mini Golf / Top Golf
Vacation / Staycation




Check out REI Adventures for lots of outdoor adventure tour options.
Outdoor Adventure Gifts
Skiing / Snowboarding
Camping / Hiking
Outdoor or Indoor Skydiving
Surfing / Surf Simulator
Hot Air Ballooning
Rock Climbing / Caving
ATV Excursion
Bike Tour
Sailing / Kayaking
Zip-lining / Bungee Jumping
Whale Watching




There are so many tours and experiences I never knew existed until browsing some of the tour booking sites out there. It’s fun even to treat our own hometown city like a tourist destination to discover new things to do.
Where to Book Experiences


Charitable Giving
Best of all is the gift of making donation in someone’s name to a charity they love.
More Creative Gift Ideas

