■Workshops or Classes – Allow the whole fam to embrace their creative side with pottery painting, cooking classes, dance lessons, or art classes (BellyFire Studios, Young Chefs Academy, Tari's School of Dance, BREC Art). ■Local Adventures – Play “tourist” for the day, even if it’s only walking through the Red Stick Farmers Market, listening to live jazz, or eating a po boy. 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 do- ing something they love! Focus on imagina- tion, 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 Frazier's Homestead or Sommerview Farm. ■Play Passes – Sky Zone, Chee Chee’s Play- room, Bunnie Bounce Grove, The Little Gym. ■Subscriptions – Extend Christmas by purchasing a monthly or quarterly subscription to craft kits, science boxes, or even kid-friendly cooking sets (e.g., KiwiCo, Lovevery, MEL Science, Universal Yums, Little Passports, Raddish Kids). ■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 popcorn and themed PJs. EXPERIENCE GIFTS FOR TEENS 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 at Raising Cane's River Center, Manship Theatre, Shaw Center for the Arts, and more to see who’s touring or perform- ing in Baton Rouge. ■Spa or Self-Care Day – Take “Fancy Nan-
Gift an Experience this Christmas BY JULIANNA STEEN
L et’s face it: Finding the “perfect” gift to give your kids, spouse, or grand- babies 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 in- novative, 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 . 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 would prefer to receive experiences over physical gifts for Christmas. The key is intentionality. Before trying to scour the in- ternet for inspiration, take a few minutes to jot down things you know they love: music, painting, sports, a band, reading, travel- ing, 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, Baton Rouge is brim- ming 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 – BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo, Friends of the Capitol Park Museum, Knock Knock Children's Museum, Louisiana Purchase Gardens, Louisiana Art & Science Museum, and Blue Zoo Aquarium Baton Rouge are all wildly fun.
32 DECEMBER 2025 | BRPARENTS.COM
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