10 Ways to Give Experiences as Gifts
We can’t deny the thrill of diving into a stack of presents for a special occasion. But who has room in their apartment to fit more stuff? Truthfully, many of the best presents don’t come in piles. So next milestone, opt to treat your friends and fam to experiential gifts instead of things. Play your cards right and you may just score a plus-one invite to join them.
1. SKYDIVING: Give someone the gift of pure, belly-flipping adrenaline: have them jump out of an airplane. Specialty schools around the country offer skydiving lessons for those willing to leave city limits behind for more aerial climes. If that all sounds a bit stomach-churning, indoor skydiving in a vertical wind tunnel recreates the experience – without the free-falling-thousands-of-feet part.
Photo courtesy of joggiebotma/iStock/Thinkstock
2. GOURMET TOURS: Sure, you could shove a few chocolate bars into your siblings' stockings. Or, you could opt for experiential gifts and send them straight to the source for a chocolate factory visit. Cult chocolatiers like Mast Brothers in Brooklyn host regular tours of their bean-to-bar facilities.
Photo courtesy of Alexi Ueltzen/Flickr
3. COOKING MASTER CLASSES: Like to get even more hands-on with your foodie pursuits? A number of restaurants and culinary schools across the country help budding cooks sharpen their knife skills under the tutelage of master chefs. At Eataly in New York, Chicago, Boston, and LA, students are schooled in the art of Italian cooking, while Relish Culinary Adventures focuses on Northern California farm-to-table fare. And that's just the tip of the iceberg (lettuce).
Photo courtesy of Goodluz/iStock/Thinkstock
4. WEEKEND GETAWAY: Looking to impress your new significant other? A weekend getaway will be way more memorable than that sweater you were otherwise going to get. Book a cozy bed and breakfast, make a reservation at the most original spot in town, and book a Zipcar for the weekend.
Photo courtesy of LuminaStock/iStock/Thinkstock
5. FLYING LESSONS: A trip on a plane not quite exhilarating enough? Leave the city far, far behind when you give the gift of flying lessons to the would-be aviators in your life. Amateur pilots can sign on for one-on-one instruction – and check off that bucket list item besides.
Photo courtesy of zorandimzr/iStock/Thinkstock
6. HEAR NPR LIVE: Know anyone who's an NPR lover? Once you've disentangled them from their headphones, give them the gift of NPR – in real life. At NPR's roving shows, you can watch comedians like Paula Poundstone and Alonzo Boden try to remember current events at a taping of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me. Or if you're in NY, attend a live taping of radio quiz show, Ask Me Another. (You can even sign your loved one up to be a contestant! Or not.)
Photo courtesy of Josh Rogosin/NPR
7. GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK: Giving gifts to others is an experience in itself – and when you're assisting charities and helping the less fortunate, that's perhaps the best experience of all. UNICEF's Inspired Gifts provide vulnerable children with bikes, vaccines, school supplies, and other life-changing presents.
Photo courtesy of Unicef
8. SPA DAY: Between endless second cousins, squabbling siblings and snarled urban traffic, the holidays can be stressful. Get out of town: gift a spa treatment, complete with massage, plunge pools, and longed-for quiet time, for a break from the chaos of the city. (Pro-tip: this one's sure to be a parent-pleaser).
Photo courtesy of Chad Baker/Jason Reed/Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Thinkstock
9. THEATER TICKETS: Skip the holiday movie watching and ante up with a trip to the theater instead. For a truly memorable cultural foray, opt for Punch Drunk-style immersive theater, where you as the audience become part of the action.
Photo courtesy of Jovo Marjanovic/iStock/Thinkstock
10. CIRCUS TRAINING: From the trapeze to the tightrope, acrobatics to gymnastics, the daring (and double-jointed) are sure to appreciate a trip to the circus. Aerial Arts NYC offers a range of classes, as does the Circus Center in San Francisco and many other big-top specialists around the country.
Photo courtesy of mdmilliman/iStock/Thinkstock
1. SKYDIVING: Give someone the gift of pure, belly-flipping adrenaline: have them jump out of an airplane. Specialty schools around the country offer skydiving lessons for those willing to leave city limits behind for more aerial climes. If that all sounds a bit stomach-churning, indoor skydiving in a vertical wind tunnel recreates the experience – without the free-falling-thousands-of-feet part.
Photo courtesy of joggiebotma/iStock/Thinkstock
2. GOURMET TOURS: Sure, you could shove a few chocolate bars into your siblings' stockings. Or, you could opt for experiential gifts and send them straight to the source for a chocolate factory visit. Cult chocolatiers like Mast Brothers in Brooklyn host regular tours of their bean-to-bar facilities.
Photo courtesy of Alexi Ueltzen/Flickr
3. COOKING MASTER CLASSES: Like to get even more hands-on with your foodie pursuits? A number of restaurants and culinary schools across the country help budding cooks sharpen their knife skills under the tutelage of master chefs. At Eataly in New York, Chicago, Boston, and LA, students are schooled in the art of Italian cooking, while Relish Culinary Adventures focuses on Northern California farm-to-table fare. And that's just the tip of the iceberg (lettuce).
Photo courtesy of Goodluz/iStock/Thinkstock
4. WEEKEND GETAWAY: Looking to impress your new significant other? A weekend getaway will be way more memorable than that sweater you were otherwise going to get. Book a cozy bed and breakfast, make a reservation at the most original spot in town, and book a Zipcar for the weekend.
Photo courtesy of LuminaStock/iStock/Thinkstock
5. FLYING LESSONS: A trip on a plane not quite exhilarating enough? Leave the city far, far behind when you give the gift of flying lessons to the would-be aviators in your life. Amateur pilots can sign on for one-on-one instruction – and check off that bucket list item besides.
Photo courtesy of zorandimzr/iStock/Thinkstock
6. HEAR NPR LIVE: Know anyone who's an NPR lover? Once you've disentangled them from their headphones, give them the gift of NPR – in real life. At NPR's roving shows, you can watch comedians like Paula Poundstone and Alonzo Boden try to remember current events at a taping of Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me. Or if you're in NY, attend a live taping of radio quiz show, Ask Me Another. (You can even sign your loved one up to be a contestant! Or not.)
Photo courtesy of Josh Rogosin/NPR
7. GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK: Giving gifts to others is an experience in itself – and when you're assisting charities and helping the less fortunate, that's perhaps the best experience of all. UNICEF's Inspired Gifts provide vulnerable children with bikes, vaccines, school supplies, and other life-changing presents.
Photo courtesy of Unicef
8. SPA DAY: Between endless second cousins, squabbling siblings and snarled urban traffic, the holidays can be stressful. Get out of town: gift a spa treatment, complete with massage, plunge pools, and longed-for quiet time, for a break from the chaos of the city. (Pro-tip: this one's sure to be a parent-pleaser).
Photo courtesy of Chad Baker/Jason Reed/Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Thinkstock
9. THEATER TICKETS: Skip the holiday movie watching and ante up with a trip to the theater instead. For a truly memorable cultural foray, opt for Punch Drunk-style immersive theater, where you as the audience become part of the action.
Photo courtesy of Jovo Marjanovic/iStock/Thinkstock
10. CIRCUS TRAINING: From the trapeze to the tightrope, acrobatics to gymnastics, the daring (and double-jointed) are sure to appreciate a trip to the circus. Aerial Arts NYC offers a range of classes, as does the Circus Center in San Francisco and many other big-top specialists around the country.
Photo courtesy of mdmilliman/iStock/Thinkstock
