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, Colorado is brimming with sports teams, museums, parks, art studios, and more that make for special activities perfect for families of all ages and preferences. It doesn’t have to be extravagant either, fun can be anywhere. ■ Zoo or Museum Memberships – Denver Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus, Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. ■ Season Passes – Elitch Gardens, Pirates Cove Water Park, a Colorado State Parks annual pass, or local trampoline parks like Urban Air Adventure Park or Defy Denver. ■ Workshops or Classes – Allow the whole fam to embrace their creative side with pottery painting, cooking classes, dance lessons, or art classes (Ceramics in the City, Sur La Table, Cook Street School of Culinary Arts, Think 360 Arts, the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities). ■ Local Adventures – Spend the day exploring Garden of the Gods, ziplining in Manitou Springs, whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River, or taking a scenic ride on the Georgetown Loop Railroad. 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 Denver Zoo tour or horseback riding lessons. ■ Play Passes – Urban Air Trampoline & Adventure Park, Sky Zone Trampoline Park, Kids Wonder, Kickin’ It Kids Gym, SweetPlay Greenwood Village, Activate Games Westminster, Bounce Empire. ■ 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 for Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Mission Ballroom, or The Fillmore Auditorium—you can’t go wrong with live music under the Colorado skies. ■ 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: Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Avalanche, or Denver Broncos in action. ■ Adventure Experiences – Help them get their angst out with an escape room, axe-throwing, go-karting, or a climbing gym. (EscapeWorks Denver, Archery Games Denver, K1 Speed Go-Karting, Movement Climbing + Fitness) ■ Photography Class or Music Lessons – Something to nurture their creativity. ■ Weekend Getaway – Plan a mini trip to a nearby town like Golden, Estes Park, or the mountains for quality family time. (Take the skis and turn it into a skiing adventure at Breckenridge, Vail, or Winter Park!) ■ Theatre Productions – Whether it’s to a new show or their favorite Broadway production, you won’t regret taking them to a performance. (Denver Performing Arts Complex, Paramount Theatre, Bellco Theatre, Curious Theatre Company) Experience Gifts for Adults Adults need to have fun too! Whether it’s an experience you “book” or a sort of choose- your-own-adventure, your parents, spouse, and friends will love the thought and effort it took for you to give them a memory- making experience. ■ Date Nights or Dining Experiences – Why not make your gift revolve around food? Try your hand at cooking classes, wine tastings, or a progressive dinner of your own making (or ordering). ■ Wellness Packages – My parents have given each other a couples massage for
years, but you could also buy facials, fitness classes, hydrotherapy or sauna sessions. ■ Adventure – There’s nothing more life- changing than going on a trip together, whether across the state, country, or across the pond. If you can, give them an adventure—they won’t ever forget it! Ride a hot air balloon ride in Boulder, go on a snowshoe tour in Breckenridge, or take a guided hike through Rocky Mountain National Park. ■ Subscription Boxes – Coffee tastings, books, dinner made easier, and shopping; all gifts that bring small “experiences” home—literally. (Atlas Coffee Club, Book of the Month, Hello Fresh, Fab Fit Fun, Nuuly) ■ Classical Music – Give the gift of music that moves the soul (Colorado Symphony or Opera Colorado). Creative Ways to “Wrap” an Experience “But how do you wrap an experience?” you might be wondering. There are plenty of creative ways to surprise your people with their experience. Print tickets or membership cards and wrap them with something small that relates (zoo tickets + a stuffed animal, pottery class + a small paintbrush, sports ticket + sports ball). One year, my parents surprised my siblings and me with Justin Bieber tickets, but instead of just printing out the tickets, they printed off pictures of a bee and a bird and packaged them separately and made us unwrap them, sound it out, and guess until we figured it out. You can also create a homemade invitation to the experience, a photo collage, or a “coupon book” of experience ideas for family members to choose from. Let your creativity loose, and have fun with it! Experience the Magic of Memories That Last Whether you consider yourself a wonderful gift-giver or you dread picking out Christmas presents every year, giving experiences to those you care about will not only elevate your gift-giving, but it will lead to special, unforgettable moments and memories you’ll both cherish. Colorado has hundreds of possibilities for a magical experience—just figure out which works best for each person and go for it! They’ll be sure to thank you when the wrapping paper is trashed and they still have something to look forward to.
24 COLORADO PARENT DECEMBER 2025
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