experience over things

Over the years, we have used mini vacations as family holiday gifts. We pick a destination, schedule a weekend (ideally within a month or two of the actual holidays so we do not have to wait too long to enjoy the gift) and plan a small itinerary of fun activities. Trips have been as simple as weekend getaways to Atlanta and Savannah to enjoy being tourists in our own state and as big as adventures to Legoland in Florida and Dollywood in Tennessee. With each of these trips, the anticipation of cashing in the gift left us with a sense of holiday excitement up to and throughout the actual trip. Events are another fun way to surprise someone with a unique gift. My husband and I have each given each other concert tickets to see some of our favorite bands perform as birthday gifts. Once, my husband got me tickets to see a comedian we both like, giving us a nice evening getaway to Athens for the two of us. Two years ago, we surprised both of our children with event tickets: Atlanta United tickets for my son to enjoy with his dad and Atlanta Ballet tickets for my daughter and me. Not only did this allow each of them to enjoy seeing their activity of choice performed at the highest level, but it also allowed them to have precious one-on-one time with a parent. Other event gifts have included dinner and Broadway show tickets for my in-laws and Cincinnati Reds gift cards for my Ohiobased parents, allowing them to get game tickets and in-the-park concessions whenever they are inspired to go to a game.

Another angle to take when trying to create experience gifts is to invest in a material gift that will allow you to share time together in a special or unique way. When we first bought our house in Milledgeville, we surprised our children by buying a canoe for the family for Christmas. That canoe has taken us on numerous adventures together on Lake Sinclair and the Oconee River as well as state parks all over Georgia. Just last year, we got a wood-burning fire table for our patio as a family Christmas gift. Time spent hanging out and talking by the fire on chilly evenings is a gift that keeps on giving.

While experience gifts provide a great payoff in the long run, they can raise a challenge when it comes to presentation. How can you present an experience gift without sacrificing the fun and anticipation that comes with ripping open a gift in the moment?

Over the years, we have used mini vacations as family holiday gifts. We pick a destination, schedule a weekend (ideally within a month or two of the actual holidays so we do not have to wait too long to enjoy the gift) and plan a small itinerary of fun activities. Trips have been as simple as weekend getaways to Atlanta and Savannah to enjoy being tourists in our own state and as big as adventures to Legoland in Florida and Dollywood in Tennessee. With each of these trips, the anticipation of cashing in the gift left us with a sense of holiday excitement up to and throughout the actual trip.

Placing something unconventional under the Christmas tree can start Christmas morning off with a bang. Last year, the newly assembled fire table was waiting in the living room with s’mores supplies on it, allowing our children to be excited for Christmas evening when they had only just gotten out of bed. Also, in what is still a favorite holiday moment in our house, our children will likely never forget the Christmas morning they woke up and found a fourteen-foot canoe with paddles and life jackets sitting in the living room in front of the tree.

There will always be room for traditional gifts, from clothes to books, video games, toys, electronics and more. If you are looking for something different, however, consider the experience gift option. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that there is not much more important in life than spending time with loved ones. By sharing new experiences together, you create memories that will last well beyond the holiday itself. To borrow from a favorite Dave Matthews Band song (incidentally, one of the bands we have seen in concert as a result of experience gifts), “Turns out not where, but who you’re with that really matters.”

Happy gift hunting and may this holiday season result in some of the best memories yet.