Birthdays and holidays are an exciting time of gift-giving for your kids. If you’re getting tired of the clutter of toys and material gifts, you have another present option to explore. Shake up the norm and give experiences not toys this year. If you’ve never considered doing an activity as a family or sending your kids to an experience as a gift, now’s the time.
Why Give Experiences Instead of Gifts
Many parents think that because a toy lasts longer than an experience, something material makes a better gift than an activity. But that’s not the case. An event or memory has a lasting impact in contrast to a material gift, making it the better choice for your child for many reasons. Here’s why experiences are more important than toys:
1. Physical Presents Lose Their Novelty
If you’ve gone through your kid’s toys recently, you may notice they don’t play with a lot of them anymore. While kids are excited to receive a new toy at first, they’ll grow tired of it. Even if they play with their new gift, they’ll eventually outgrow it and want new things.
An experience won’t lose its novelty. It’s unique in the moment, especially if it’s something your child has never gotten to do. Even repeated activities can present novel moments for kids, making them valuable and enriching.
2. Your Children Will Make Memories
Whether you do something as a family or let your kids enjoy experiences independently, they’ll make more memories with an activity than with a toy. When you make those memories together, you can develop a stronger relationship and a closer bond with your child.
To increase the impact of those memories, take plenty of pictures along the way. Have them printed and display them as a reminder to your child of what a fun experience they had. This lets you incorporate a material gift other than a toy into the experience that honors the moments you shared together.
3. Experiences Help Kids Develop
No matter your child’s age, they’ll benefit from enriching activities. As children develop, there are four areas they must grow and improve in:
- Cognitive
- Emotional
- Social
- Physical
Toys may not develop all those areas, especially if your child plays alone. Working with others through activities and being active helps cover several developmental areas. That means the gift of an experience is more beneficial for a kid. Children alsodevelop through engaging their senses. They learn by doing. While play is a form of doing, it’s not as structured as experiences are. Tailor a structured activity or event for your child to help them develop in multiple areas, depending on their needs.
4. Experiences Create Happiness
According to a study at Cornell University, people are more grateful and happy with what they do rather than what they have. That means giving experiences instead of toys can encourage your kids to be more grateful. Your children will appreciate these moments that develop into happiness and other positive feelings.
Getting gifts may make kids happy, but they’re not as likely to feel as thankful as they would with an experience. With an activity or event, your child gets to do something. That can spark appreciation and happiness about the experience itself and toward you for giving them the opportunity.
5. Your Child Can Develop Confidence
Kids develop confidence through repeated activities. If you give your child the gift of an experience and they enjoy it, continue with that activity. A meaningful experience builds a neural connection in your child’s brain. If they continue doing an activity, they’ll continue building those internal connections. This contributes to developing a passion and competence for an activity, and that makes your child more confident in the skills they’ve developed.
Best Experience Gifts for Kids
So now that you have reasons to give experiences instead of gifts, what experience should you choose? You know what your child would enjoy, but for inspiration, consider the following:
1. A Museum Visit
If your child has a passion for art, history or science, give them the gift of a museum visit. Experiencing their interests up-close helps reaffirm their passions. They’ll get to learn more about a subject and share their existing knowledge with you as you tour a museum.
Let your child pick the museum for their experience if they’re old enough. For younger kids, plan the museum visit based on their interests. If you have to travel to the museum, consider that a part of the experience and make it a fun trip.
2. A Physically Active Experience
Physical activities let kids unleash their energy and develop their coordination. Plenty of sports and activities don’t require much prior knowledge, but you can always make it a recurring experience. If you want to let your child be active with a fun experience, try:
- Indoor rock climbing
- Ice or roller skating
- Bowling
- Skiing
- Dancing
- Swimming
- Indoor trampoline jumping
You don’t have to do these activities as a family, either. Instead, gift the experience of classes or a one-time activity for your kid to enjoy. They’ll get to develop their independence and social skills in an active setting.
3. A Creative Activity
Whether you enroll your child in an art class or get supplies to create at home, getting creative is an enriching experience. Painting, pottery and other arts and crafts involve cognitive and physical development as kids use their minds and hands to create.
Children love expressing themselves and exploring the world through creative endeavors. Creating together can even be one of the great experience gifts for toddlers. They may not remember the activity, but they’ll have what they made to remember later on.
4. A STEM Experience
Developing an interest in engineering, math, science and various STEM fields benefits children. They’ll learn about the fun side of science and understand how science plays a role in our world. That interest could stay with them throughout school and into their careers.
For a STEM experience kids are sure to enjoy, consider programs and events with Bricks 4 Kidz®. Bricks 4 Kidz promotes STEM literacy through exploration and play with LEGO® Bricks and games. With after school classes, camps and workshops, Bricks 4 Kidz encourages a love for robotics, technology and STEM overall.
Your child doesn’t need to have an interest in STEM fields to enjoy these activities. Because they’re learning through play, they’ll focus on having a fun experience. The enrichment, engagement and learning are all positive side effects of having fun.
The Best Experience Gifts for Families
Want to get everyone in on the fun? A family experience is a great gift for a holiday or just because. Celebrate the end of a school year or spend a bit of much-needed time together. No matter when you enjoy something together, you have plenty of options, including:
- A theme park visit: Ride the rides with older kids or get photos of toddlers with the park’s characters. A visit to a theme park is full of opportunities for families to have fun and make memories.
- A movie night: Whether you all go to a local theater or stay at home for a movie marathon, you can have fun with the whole family. Make snacks and a blanket fort to add to the experience, and let kids choose the movie so they have a say in the evening.
- A hike: Active families can make memories by trekking local hiking paths. Pack a picnic to fill the day with even more experiences. Learn about local plants and wildlife for an educational and enriching time together.
- A party: Focus on creating a party that functions as an experience gift, especially for birthdays. Plan something special to integrate activities into the party experience. At Bricks 4 Kidz, we help you put on a party with LEGO® based games. Friends and family will enjoy building, playing and making memories together.
Give Experiences Instead of Toys With Help From Bricks 4 Kidz
At Bricks 4 Kidz, we learn, build and play, all with LEGO® Bricks. Our birthday party services and programs and events give your kids an engaging STEM experience. We’ll help your kid develop interest and curiosity in the world around them. When you want to give your child something, give them the gift of an experience with Bricks 4 Kidz.
Find a Bricks 4 Kidz class near you to give your child the gift of fun, enriching experiences today.