Why You Should Consider Experience Gifts for Kids This Christmas
Over Christmas, kids tend to get showered with presents from family and friends.
While it’s lovely to give and receive gifts, it can also be overwhelming. When the focus is on material items, it’s easy for kids to lose sight of the real value of giving. Sadly, many of these items will also end up in landfill, adding to environmental overload.
Happy memories are not made up of things, they are made up of moments. These moments involve doing something enjoyable, having an adventure or spending time with loved ones.
When you give kids an experience gift, it helps them appreciate what matters most and unlike toys, the memories made will last forever.
Here are some more reasons to choose an experience gift for your child this Christmas:
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Encourages active kids
Some of the most popular experience gifts involve activities such as rock-climbing, ice skating or karate lessons. With so much time spent online today, it’s important to get kids out and moving as much as possible. Anything that encourages physical activity is helpful, and it might even turn into a serious hobby or sport.
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Provides quality time together
When life is busy, families often miss out on quality time together. Gifts that can be enjoyed together, such as tickets to a show or a round of mini-golf, provide wonderful opportunities to focus on each other and reconnect. Choose something you’ll both enjoy and make a conscious effort to relax and be present in the moment. Make a whole day or weekend of it and savour the time together.
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Helps kids feel adventurous
Choosing an experience gift that allows your child to step out of their comfort zone can help them develop confidence and a sense of adventure. It’s important to choose something that is fun and not too scary, such as a ride in a hot air balloon. Even a trip to the museum can be an exhilarating experience that expands kids’ minds.
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Reduces waste and clutter
Research has found clutter is one of the biggest stressors for families. This is particularly true at Christmas time when there’s so much to deal with. Experience gifts can bring stress levels down by reducing the amount of ‘stuff’ in your home. Fun and laughter are also well-known stress relievers.
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Can Be Inexpensive
Some of the more expensive experience gifts include activities like skydiving and helicopter rides. Fortunately, for the budget conscious, there are a lot of other options. Movie tickets are always appreciated, or a night of ten-pin bowling can be great fun for the family. You can even give your child a gift certificate to teach them one of your hobbies or skills. The real gift is your undivided time and attention.
Kids may grumble a little at first if they’re used to getting material presents, but they’ll quickly learn to appreciate the value of experience gifts.