Christmas Ideas - Activities, not stuff

[mom2alix]

DH and I have been planning what to get the kids for Christmas this year. We decided that instead of getting "stuff" for which we'd have to find storage, we'd like to get the kids activities this year and let them have things to open that they'll use for those activities.

For example, DS6 has expressed an interest in taking martial arts so we thought we'd sign him up for a class and let him open a box with the uniform. DD9 would enjoy art lessons so we'd fix up a small box of art supplies and let her know she's signed up for classes at the Art Museum.

Anyone have any other good ideas to go along with this theme? Please share!!!

 

[java]

Martial arts has things like targets, belt holders.

Art classes

Well you are getting the supplies. What about membership to a local art museum? another year long kind of gift.

 

[mchllevns]

Movie tickets, tickets to sporting events, Disney on Ice, etc

 

[mom2alix]

Movie tickets, tickets to sporting events, Disney on Ice, etc

Great ideas. Movie tickets would go over big with my kids.

I think we may put them in swim lessons, so maybe I'll get them some beach towels to open for that. I knew I could get some more good ideas here!

 

[mom2alix]

Martial arts has things like targets, belt holders.

Art classes

Well you are getting the supplies. What about membership to a local art museum? another year long kind of gift.

I actually got the art museum membership last month as a Groupon. They offered it for 1/2 price and now that we're members DD's classes will be at a discount. This was kind of what got us started thinking about doing Christmas this way. That and finding storage for stuff they hardly use after Christmas is over.

This is exactly the kids of idea I'm looking for!

 

[treehugnmama]

Every year Santa brings us a two night stay at great wolf lodge. We are local and is great memories vs broken toys. We are doing art classes for dd too. Not sure what for my ds (5). My 7 is asking Santa for an iPhone so that I don't have to spend all the $$$$$ to buy her one. In her defense she thinks she can call me anytime she. Misses me at school. We also do movie cards. My kids love doing fondue so we usually do some fruit and chocolate. Tim hortons card to go for hot chocolate after tobogganing

 

[sk!mom]

My kids are much older but I always look around for event tickets. Last year DD15 got tickets to see the Radio City Christmas Show on New Years Eve and everyone got tickets to see Bon Jovi in March. My kids are old enough for delayed gratification and future events. This year I'm planning on tickets for the touring companies of Billy Elliot and La Cage. (March and April events.)

We're leaving the day after Christmas on a ski trip so DD will also get some cute ski stuff.

 

[a1tinkfans]

I love your idea OP, what a great way to give a great gift and have fun too!

 

[nilseks]

Last Christmas I surprised my family and got them season passes to a theme park (Six Flags). We are very lucky in that we only live 15 minutes away, so we got tremendous use out of it (and still are). We went at least 10 times so we definitely go our money's worth and had a great summer in the process. My boys recently told me it was the best gift ever and asked for it again this year.

I just printed off their individual passes and wrapped them in a box with a tag for the whole family, although I'm sure there are more creative ideas as far as the gift-giving aspect of it.

 

[java]

Do you live near anything that has Summer memberships - like amusement parks? Or water parks? Or ski resorts? We did ski passes one year for the family.
And they are usually discounted if you buy them now.

Magazine subscriptions are also a year long gift.

Great idea and I am leaning towards something similar.

 

[MSSANDRA]

I love these ideas! I would be sure to include a few family themed ones

 

[jacksmom]

This is a great idea! I am thinking about getting a family pass for Carrowinds (we live about 25 min away)!

 

[stephbillalec]

Do they each have a favorite restaurant? Maybe a gift card for each one with a card saying they would have a "date" with Mom or Dad??

Would your daughter like a manicure? You could wrap up some pretty polishes and a nail care kit with a gift card to a local place.

Does your son have a favorite sporting team? How about tickets to a game along with a team jersey?

Sounds like a great idea! I can't stand clutter and every January I kick myself for all of the frivilous gifts I bought just so there was a big pile under the tree!

 

[mom2alix]

Do they each have a favorite restaurant? Maybe a gift card for each one with a card saying they would have a "date" with Mom or Dad??

Would your daughter like a manicure? You could wrap up some pretty polishes and a nail care kit with a gift card to a local place.

Does your son have a favorite sporting team? How about tickets to a game along with a team jersey?

Sounds like a great idea! I can't stand clutter and every January I kick myself for all of the frivilous gifts I bought just so there was a big pile under the tree!

Great ideas! DS loves the Chiefs and after the way they played today tickets may go cheap. LOL

DD would LOVE the manicure idea! She's super excited to get a "MIckey" pedicure before we leave on our trip next month.

 

[kayrosek]

Chiefs huh? Sounds like you may be in my neck of the woods. My son would love Chiefs tickets. I'd love it if they dropped in price. We've done tickets to Broadway across America shows in past years as well as gift certificates to Build a Bear and Libby Lu's. Last year Santa brought us Worlds of Fun Amusement Park Season Passes. This year the kids are asking for Gold passes which grants them acess to Worlds and Oceans of Fun. We have also considered season passes to the zoo and to Union Station which includes Science City, the planetarium and the railway experience. Another thing we have done is Arcade4 tokens. Last year we stayed at Great Wolf Lodge over Christmas and many presents revolved around that. Same this year I think they'll get goggles in thier stockings and they will probably get the pup pass that gives them a build a wolf, craft project and arcade tokens.

 

[TheresaBoynton]

I'm giving family zoo memberships and frequent user cards (allows 10 visits) for our local Monkey Joe's (an indoor playground for children). I love the idea of movie gift cards and gifts cards for manicures, etc. I'm also considering a gift certificate for a massage for my mother who never treats herself.

 

[mom2alix]

I'm giving family zoo memberships and frequent user cards (allows 10 visits) for our local Monkey Joe's (an indoor playground for children). I love the idea of movie gift cards and gifts cards for manicures, etc. I'm also considering a gift certificate for a massage for my mother who never treats herself.

Ohhhh.....a massage GC would be a great gift for DH! Thanks for the great idea!

 

[mom2alix]

Chiefs huh? Sounds like you may be in my neck of the woods. My son would love Chiefs tickets. I'd love it if they dropped in price. We've done tickets to Broadway across America shows in past years as well as gift certificates to Build a Bear and Libby Lu's. Last year Santa brought us Worlds of Fun Amusement Park Season Passes. This year the kids are asking for Gold passes which grants them acess to Worlds and Oceans of Fun. We have also considered season passes to the zoo and to Union Station which includes Science City, the planetarium and the railway experience. Another thing we have done is Arcade4 tokens. Last year we stayed at Great Wolf Lodge over Christmas and many presents revolved around that. Same this year I think they'll get goggles in thier stockings and they will probably get the pup pass that gives them a build a wolf, craft project and arcade tokens.

We're actually about 3 hours away from KC, but that's where DH grew up and where we lived when we got married so he and DS are big Chiefs fans. I sometimes think we're the only family that watches football on Sundays. Around here they seem to think the Huskers are a professional team.

Great Wolf Lodge might be fun. We haven't done that yet. Usually when we're in KC we're busy visiting family and don't really get to be tourists.

 

[kayrosek]

Great Wolf Lodge is really fun and we found it amazing at Christmas. It snows in the lobby, there is a story time with a reindeer that comes out at the end. They had a really amazing Christmas Dinner buffet and Santa Visits Christmas morning. Truthfully though we have loved it anytime we have gone there and there are lots of other special events throughout the year including on New Years Eve. I know they have GC's. For wrapped gifts to go with this I would think a new swimsuit, goggles or beach towel or a roll of quarters for the arcade there ( I saw a really cute DIY article once where they wrapped quarter tubes like rolls of candy, very cute and very christmasy)

 

[Darcy03231]

I've posted this before:

Instead of doing a big Christmas with lots of gifts our family does a big family vacation each year. I give the kids a budget to work with and they each research a place that they would like to go. On Christmas morning they all present their plans and we vote on where we're going (with Mom and Dad having the final say). Its been a lot of fun and the kids have a great time doing it. Some of things we've done have been cruises (they're really popular with our family), an all inclusive resort, dude ranch, and a two week Florida vacation. So far each child has had their destination chosen a couple of times. Some years a child likes one of the other ideas better than his/her own and has voted on that. They have to budget in the cost of the airfare, lodging, food, activities, etc. Its been a great teaching tool for them too.

They do get some smaller gifts to open on Christmas Day, but the big gift is the vacation/gift of time. We do breakfast, open gifts, drag out the scrapbooks/videos of previous trips and go through those to "relive" our memories.