Gift an Experience this Christmas
Art Market. Experience Gifts for Kids
As a kid, the most wondrous things are often the most simple (and sometimes, the most hands-on). It doesn’t have to be some elaborate, expensive shindig—as long as it’s personalized to them, they’ll eat up the chance to spend special time with you doing something they love! Focus on imagination, learning, and fun: Animal Encounters – If they’re an animal lover, treat them to a behind-the-scenes zoo tour or horseback riding lessons at a local stable like Equest Farm or Cascade Stables. • Play Passes – Storyland, Luv 2 Play, Sky Zone, and Create & Play Club, to name a few. • Subscriptions – Extend Christmas by purchasing a monthly or quarterly subscription to craft kits, science boxes, or even kid-friendly cooking sets. • One-on-One “Day with Mom/Dad” Certificates – Pick a day to spend just the two of you and let them choose an activity, lunch, and outing together. • Movie Night – Whether you actually buy movie tickets to a movie they want to go see or you plan to do an at-home movie night, print off “tickets” and jazz it up with Teens can be so hard to shop for—they have their own unique sense of style you often don’t exactly understand, their interests are ever-fluctuating, and they don’t want toys anymore. Not to mention how when you try to have a conversation, they offer one-word answers. Use these experiences as opportunities to bond with them despite their teen moodiness. • Concert Tickets – Check performing schedules for the Saenger Theatre, Fillmore, House of Blues, Orpheum popcorn and themed PJs. Experience Gifts for Teens Theater, Caesars Superdome, and Smoothie King Center to see who’s touring in Nola. • Spa or Self-Care Day – Take “Fancy Nancy’s Spa Day” and upgrade it to teen edition with a mani/pedi, facial, or yoga class. • Sports Tickets – Pick their favorite sport and snag tickets to a game: the Saints, Pelicans, the Tulane Green Wave, New Orleans Jesters, or the LSU Tigers. • Adventure Experiences – Help them get their angst out with an escape room, axe- throwing, go-karting, or a climbing gym like New Orleans Boulder Lounge. • Photography Class or Music Lessons – Something to nurture their creativity. • Theatre Productions – Whether it’s to a new show or their favorite Broadway
BY JULIANNA STEEN
20 DECEMBER 2025 | NOLAFAMILY.COM So basically, whatever your peoples’ love language may be, chances are, you’ll strike it rich if you give them an experience instead of a physical gift. In fact, a recent GetYourGuide survey discovered that 92 percent of Americans L et’s face it: Finding the “perfect” gift to give your kids, spouse, or grandbabies for Christmas goes one of two ways—you immediately have an inspired, brilliant idea… or you have no clue what to get them. Not to mention the adult kids who claim they “don’t need anything”—like, how is that helpful?! Because you can’t not get them anything. Herein lies the Christmas gift hunting dilemma. Instead of scrolling on Amazon into the wee hours of the night trying desperately to find an innovative, meaningful gift, consider gifting an experience this Christmas. Why You Should Gift an Experience Making memories is what Christmas is all about—after all, can you name three things off the top of your head that you received for Christmas last year? Now tell me three holiday activities you participated in, whether it was decorating gingerbread houses or attending a holiday concert. While you may struggle to remember last Christmas in general, there’s a good chance that you can recall special moments over material goods. An experience often combines nearly all of the love languages into one: You receive a gift that allows you to spend quality time with someone you love, which often leads to hugs and kisses (physical touch) and encouraging, affirming words.
would prefer to receive experiences over physical gifts for Christmas. The key is intentionality. Before trying to scour the internet for inspiration, take a few minutes to jot down things you know they love: music, painting, sports, a band, reading, traveling, cooking, and more. Then use what you know to help you come up with something you would enjoy doing together. Here’s a list to get you started: Experience Gift Ideas for Families I have a friend who gifted her son and grandson with season passes to the zoo years ago, and they still talk about how much fun they had going to see the animals all year long. Whether it’s one- time fun or a season pass, New Orleans is brimming with sports teams, museums, parks, art studios, and more that make for special activities perfect for families of all ages and preferences. • Zoo or Museum Memberships – A year-long pass to the Audubon Zoo or Audubon Aquarium means unlimited animal adventures. Or go big with membership to the National WWII Museum, one of the best in the country, or Louisiana Children’s Museum. • Workshops or Classes – Allow the whole fam to embrace their creative side with pottery painting, cooking classes, dance lessons, art classes (Earth & Fire Pottery Studio, Posh Paint Pottery, NOAFA). • Local Adventures – Spend a day exploring City Park, take a streetcar ride through the Garden District, or plan a “tourist in your own city” day with beignets, jazz, a Mardi Gras World tour, or strolling through the Frenchmen
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