Help Santa and His Reindeer Lighten Their Burden
As the holiday shopping season (Black Friday and Christmas) approaches, many parents ponder how to delight their children with meaningful gifts that don't add to the material pile. This year, give your child a gift that's light as a feather yet endures through time. Aim for this Christmas gift to not fill closets but to broaden minds, unite the family, provide quality time together, and create experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.
In this article, we present a few intangible gift ideas based on togetherness. It's a well-researched fact that children genuinely prefer spending time with their parents. To them, it's simply the best!
And what's great; many of these gifts cost little to nothing or can be managed with reasonable expenses.
Organize a LAN Party at Home or the Office
This is a surefire way to earn the crown of the coolest parent on the block. Listen up! Clear some space at home or book the office for the weekend, because you'll be bringing in computers, consoles, board games, and UNO cards from all over the neighborhood to spend a couple of days playing games, building LAN culture, and enjoying each other's company. You can ask for tips from the experts at School of Gaming on how to organize the world's best home LAN parties and earn the admiration of all the kids.
Domestic Train Journey and Hotel Stay
A train journey to a new city combined with a hotel stay is an exciting adventure for a child, one that they will remember for a long time. To top it off, this trip could include a fine dining experience or be combined with another activity listed on this page.
The Child's Own Day
What could be a better gift than letting the child decide how to spend the day? Let them plan the day's activities and choose what to eat and drink. You could even draw a map and a travel guide for it. And all this in the best company, together with the whole family. This day will surely be memorable! Ps. Remember to document the day with photos.
Go on a Virtual Journey - Rent VR Equipment
If you don't want to invest hundreds or even thousands of euros in the latest technology, you can always rent. Many companies rent out the latest gadgets for business and entertainment use. Rent the best VR glasses and equipment for the weekend and embark on breathtaking experiences from home with your family. Trying out the best VR games is also a must. Definitely an unforgettable experience for both children and adults.
Weekly Family Exercise Time
Why haul your child across town and then just tap away on your phone in a coffee shop during their activity time? Instead, why not nail down a weekly family exercise hour in your schedule! The activity can vary from week to week. Swimming, climbing, dance lessons, trail running, forest hikes, berry-picking trips…
Go to a Concert or Theater Together (via the Flea Market)
A children's concert or theater performance provides memorable experiences for a child. Make it an event that is prepared well in advance and that the child looks forward to immensely. Perhaps it would be good to dress up especially for the occasion. Could you find some great outfits at a thrift store for the event? Both a concert and a theater performance can be educational and entertaining events. And they are definitely memorable!
An Unprecedented Experience is a Memorable Gift
Take your little one to a place where every day is an adventure, such as a science center, amusement park, circus, zoo, or museum. If you gamify your joint trip by creating, for example, a bingo-style game from the things you encounter, these experiences will leave a lasting impression.
Build an Escape Room for Kids at Home
Escape room puzzles are all the rage! Children love to solve tricky problems. And the best part is that you can build one yourself at home. The internet is full of tips for this. A bit of effort, some supplies, and a dose of your own imagination, and you can create an escape room complete with puzzles in your own garage. Invite the neighbors and the kids' friends over for a fun and slightly different day together. These are the memories that last!
Adventure Park or Indoor Play Area
Adventure parks and indoor play areas designed for children provide a safe environment for releasing energy and meeting new friends. Adults can join in the fun too, so it can be considered a workout. You're guaranteed to break a sweat! Uncles, aunts, and godparents can also give this as a gift to parents. A child-free afternoon is priceless for many parents and makes the giver a hero of everyday life!
Organize a Fun Nature Trip (spice it up with adventure and stories)
A trip to nature or a picnic in the park offers shared time and new learning experiences in the great outdoors. Do some research in advance about the destination and its history. Maybe there's an old haunted house or some other imaginative tale? Invite your child's friends along and make the trips a collective experience that will provide plenty of talk and memories among friends throughout the school year. Maybe you could make this an annual tradition?
Interested in intangible and Developmental Gifts for Your Child?
In another blog post we list interesting gifts that will keep on giving years after you hand them over. Please read more about them in this blog post: "Intangible and Developmental Gifts for Children".