Our family celebrates birthdays from September to January. Throw Christmas in that mix and all the new toys and things in our house can get downright overwhelming!
To avoid the influx of stuff into my house, I ask relatives to consider giving my family "experience" gifts each holiday season.
If you live near family, encourage them to participate in the experience gift with your children. This is a great way for them to enjoy some quality one-on-one time -- the greatest gift of all.
Need ideas for great experience gifts? We have some GREAT local businesses and organizations who can help with this! Here's a great list to help get you started!
Lessons make great gifts for kids! Just make sure you've talked to the child's parents about their interest level, and worked out any important details -- like transportation and costs of uniforms or other incidentals:
- Swimming: The Clarksville Area YMCA, Clarksville Athletic Club, Clarksville Parks and Rec and APSU all offer swimming lessons for kids:)
- Music: Vanessa Green Guitar Studio, Mary's Music, and Madison St Music and Arts Academy
- Photography: Check out our Local Photography Guide
- Kids Cooking: There are some great cooking based subscription boxes such as Raddish
- Tae Kwon Do: Kriegisch Martial Arts, Harris Holt Martial Arts Academy and Song's Tae Kwon Do all offer this locally for kids.
- Dance: We have some awesome local Dance Studios including: Acro Dance Express, Dance Force, STARS Dance Studio and Natalie's Dance Network
- Gymnastics: For the little tumbler in your life check out: Clarksville Elite Gymnastics, Action Gymnastics, American Twisters and Clarksville Cheer Extreme
- Horse Riding Lessons: Check out our favorite weekend spot Legend Acres
Gift cards or homemade gift certificates can mean the world to parents and kids. Consider offering:
- Babysitting services for a monthly date night
- Gift cards to a favorite ice cream shop! Some of our favorites include: Golly Gs, Berry Bear and La Michoacana Gourmet , Frozen Fuel or Hudubam
- Tickets to see their favorite college or pro sports team (wrap them in a new shirt or jersey!)
- Tickets for an upcoming concert or theater performance
- Indoor Family Fun Passes: Check out our Indoor Play Guide for lots of ideas!
- Painting and Pottery Classes: Some Local Favorites include: Horsefeathers, The Pottery Room , The Candle Loft and The Blank Slate By Blue Cord
- Learning through Play: Give the gift of educational fun with Kindermusik and Tinkergarten.
Memberships are the gifts that keep on giving! Typically annual memberships come with free daily entry or tickets, along with other perks. Here are some ideas for places that may offer annual memberships or season passes that are great fun for the whole family:
- Zoo: The Nashville Zoo is right up the road and family passes are available
- Theater: Locally we LOVE the Roxy. My family also really enjoys performances at TPAC, The Nashville Ballet, The Nashville Symphony and The Nashville Children's Theater
- Museum: The Customs House Museum is fun as well as educational! In addition the Frist Art Museum offers some incredible exhibitions as well as FREE Home School Days
- Amusement Park: Thinking of planning a summer adventure? Check out this list of the Top 10 Amusement Parks in America. Also if you are planning a Disney Vacation, make sure to connect with the local Disney experts at David and Wendy's Magical Mouse Travel.
- Fitness or Recreation Center: Get fit as a family this upcoming year with a membership to: Local Community Centers, The Clarksville Athletic Club, The Clarksville Area YMCA, Total Obstacle Fitness or Lotus Yoga and Fitness
- Planetarium: The Sudekum Planetarium located in the Adventure Science offers Laser Light Shows, Holiday Show and even Sensory Friendly Performances
Experience gifts are a great way to encourage quality family time that everyone looks forward to. Here are some ideas for gifts that are worth a fortune in terms of memorable family time:
- Monthly subscription boxes. You can find family-friendly subscription boxes for crafting, cooking, reading ... at this point, there are subscription boxes for almost any interest your family shares! Click HERE for the 2019 Readers Choice Best Subscription boxes for kids
- A family movie night in a box. All you need is a DVD or Redbox rental. Add popcorn, hot chocolate, candy, and a cozy new blanket.
- Plant a garden. Wrap seeds and offer the gift of helping them create a backyard garden next summer.
- Send them on a scavenger hunt. Create a scavenger hunt in your home or community and have a fun prize at the end. It won't matter what the prize is -- the gift is in the fun of the hunt!
- Rent a chicken coop. Check with a local farm to see if you can rent a chicken coop to hatch chicks and then return to the farm after the chicks are grown.
- Charter a boat. Most local marinas have boat rental options that come with a captain or guide. Give the gift of a day on the water relaxing, swimming, fishing, and having fun with your family.
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