You don’t need a psychological study to know that experiences bring more happiness and last longer than material gifts. But if you need more convincing feel free to read this article about the study or check out these 7 reasons why experience gifts are better than things.
In the meantime, here are 51+ wonderful ideas for experience gifts. These experiences are divided into three main categories that may help you choose those your teens may enjoy the most.
Classes and Workshops
- Archery class
- Axe and knife throwing class
- Cake decorating workshop
- Dance classes (belly dance class perhaps?)
- Fencing lessons
- Golf lessons
- Gourmet Cooking class
- Horseback riding lesson
- Jewellery making workshop
- Mermaid swimming lesson
- Pottery making class
- Ski lessons
- Stand up paddle boarding lessons
- Surfing lessons
- Wilderness survival workshop
- Yoga pass
Live Events and Shows
- Live events and shows
- Animal show passes
- Chocolate show passes
- Comedy club passes
- Comic-Con passes
- Health and beauty show passes
- Live sporting events tickets (like hockey, football or soccer)
- Local fair entry passes
- Music concert
- Special exhibit passes
- Theatre or musical tickets
- Video game convention passes
One Time Adventures
- Bowling
- Day ski pass
- Dog sledding
- Driving range pass
- Escape room
- Extreme trampoline
- Ghost tour of a nearby town
- Go karting
- High rope obstacle course
- Laser tag
- Minature use golf passes
- Movie passes
- Paint night
- Paintball adventure
- Pottery making
- Pottery painting
- Rock climbing.
- Sailing adventure
- Snowmobiling adventure
- Theme park day pass
- Zip lining
Little More Extravagant
- A day at a spa
- Helicopter tour over your town
- Hot air balloon ride
- Race car driving experience
- Tandem hang gliding
- White water rafting
If you feel particularly generous, you could do what this grandma did and give the teen on your list an experience or adventure to open and enjoy each and every month!
What Experiences Would You Give Your Teen?
Now, there are a ton of other experience gifts that I didn’t think about at this moment. I would love to hear what are some of your favourite experience gifts that you love to give or to receive.
4 Comments
Taylor
March 21, 2020 at 2:31 pmThe right experience gift can give memories of a lifetime
Mira
March 21, 2020 at 6:38 pmYou are so right! The funny thing is that even the not-so-great-ones experiences that you may laugh about years later 🙂
yummyyemi19
February 22, 2020 at 4:44 pmI need to keep this list nearby. I have tweens and it’s difficult finding things! This post is excellent!
solidparent
February 15, 2020 at 1:57 pmExperience gifts really are the greatest. I wish more people in my children’s lives would listen when I try to tell them these gifts are more valuable than anything. Wonderful list!