As the holidays approach, I’m exploring clutter-free, experience gifts. We try to steer our children’s focus to things like enjoying special traditions or the spirit of giving but, despite our best efforts, we know what they are most looking forward to this season – presents!
As I do a deep clean of the house in preparation for the festivities, however, reality sets in. While my kids are dreaming of a mountain of gifts, I’m wondering where we’ll actually put it all after it’s been unwrapped! We don’t need anymore stuff. Even with regular toy purges, it’s an uphill battle. I need to be more strategic about gift-giving.
I still want to see my children’s faces shine with joy as they open boxes that reveal the goodies that they have been dreaming of! After what feels like a year of saying “No” and “Stop” and “Not today”, holidays feel like a time when we as parents can be indulgent. So what gifts can I give that will live up to the holiday hype without creating more clutter in my home? Here are several ideas for experience gifts in the Rochester area.
Memberships
Whether it’s to a museum, a gym, or an amusement park, a membership is the gift that keeps on giving. Pay one flat rate upfront and enjoy unlimited access all year! Need ideas for local establishments that offer memberships? Check out a list of our ideas here!
20 Best Family Memberships In Rochester
It may feel like school just started, but the winter holiday season is already upon us. Although there are many wonderful family traditions during this festive season, there are few…
Read MoreConcert Tickets
An excellent idea especially for your tweens and teens! You don’t even need great seats. It’s the experience that counts. Dress to impress. Take a ton of pictures. Dance and sing out loud with the artist. You can go out to eat together before the show and/or stay overnight at a hotel afterwards. The true gift will be the memories created.
Athletic Competition Tickets
A chance for the sports enthusiasts of your family to bond while attending a game together. It doesn’t matter the sport. It doesn’t matter if it’s a professional or college game. Paint your faces. Bring a cowbell. Let your kids be as loud as they want. Most importantly, don’t skimp on the snacks!
Classes
Do you have an aspiring singer, artist, or computer-coder? There are typically a variety of classes for kids or beginners offered at your local parks and rec centers, libraries, or museums. For your older kids, you might even find programs through a nearby college. Wrap a printed class schedule along with some materials that might be needed for the class.
Guide To Classes & Sports In Rochester
Read MoreSubscriptions
So much is available via subscription services these days! Video games, cooking, international snacks, reading – whatever your kid’s interest, a subscription service can allow them to have unlimited online access or a surprise sent to them through the postal service monthly. Instead of a new toy that might be forgotten or even broken within a week, this is a gift that, in a sense, regularly refreshes itself into a new gift.
Performance tickets
This is the perfect gift for your aspiring film or theater star! It doesn’t matter if it is a professional production or a performance at a college. Make the evening extra special with a new outfit. Grab all the snacks and merch you can at intermission. Stay after the show to get autographs of and pictures with the actors. It will be a night they never forget!
Movie Tickets
Have a date night with the young cinephile of your family. Pick a late night showing and let them stay up past bedtime. Say yes to the carbonated, caffeinated drink that you usually say no to. Let them choose their own snack or popcorn that they don’t have to share. You could attend a double feature at a drive-in or find a full-service dining cinema. Don’t forget to take a picture with the movie poster!
One–Time Use Kits
Sometimes grandparents struggle with this shift in perspective. Don’t children always want toys? Sure they do, but they don’t need an endless supply of toys. A fair compromise might be to give science or cooking kits that are meant to be used one time. Many discount stores sell educational kits that have everything needed for one science experiment. Once the experiment is done, the remaining materials can be disposed of. The same goes for a baking or cooking kit; Once the food is created and enjoyed, it no longer contributes to the clutter.
