Buy Your Kids Experiences, Not Toys
Buy Your Kids Experiences, Not Toys
Kids will remember experiences more than they will remember the many little toys you’ve purchased them throughout the year. I noticed early…
Kids will remember experiences more than they will remember the many little toys you’ve purchased them throughout the year. I noticed early on that more often than not, my kids will play with a toy that they’ve received (either by mom and dad or at a birthday party) only a few times before it gets tossed to the side never to be looked at again. And then I thought to myself… I want to give my kids experiences or more meaningful gifts that they will remember for a long time.
The best gift I ever remember receiving as a kid was when my parents were in a particularly bad financial position and only had enough to fill a big TV box with craft supplies that they had gathered from other family members and dollar stores. This kept my brother, sister and I busy for months.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some toys that are timeless and will get used such as Lego or Hot Wheels tracks and craft supplies. The Wellness Mama suggested a great 4-Gift Rule that I will likely implement sometimes. But, to shake things up a bit, here are a few of the ways I’m starting to challenge the status quo around gift giving.
HERE ARE A FEW OF THE WAYS I’M STARTING TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO AROUND GIFT GIVING BY PROVIDING EXPERIENCES OVER TOYS.
BIRTHDAY PARTIES
Party trade-off
This year I explained to my soon-to-be 7 year old son the costs that go into throwing the kind of birthday he suggested (renting out a birthday room at a play facility and inviting 8–10 friends) and gave him a choice of having a birthday party or receiving a computer that he and his sister could share to play games, learn programming, etc. To my relief (I seriously dislike throwing kids birthday parties) he chose the computer.
Experience Party in Lieu of Gifts
Another idea I plan to implement for a future birthday is to sign up for an activity such as horseback riding, zip lining, skiing, rock climbing, etc. and encourage the kids’ parents to contribute a small amount (let’s say $20) towards the cost of the activity rather than purchase a toy. These are experiences the kids will remember forever and our house won’t be full of unused toys.
CHRISTMAS
Less income for me this year means that I have had to come up with some creative ways to celebrate the holidays with the kids that do not cost as much money. I took a look around my house and collected a few good pieces of sport equipment that we no longer needed and traded them in at the second-hand sports shop in town. I was able to get enough credit to purchase my kids a used set of skis for my 4-year old and a snowboard for my 7-year old. Instead of receiving toys from me this Christmas we will be spending a day at the local ski hill learning how to ski/snowboard.
Gifting experiences will not only be something they remember for years to come, but it will also instil a love of movement and give opportunities for everyone to come together as a family.
Have you tried gifting experiences instead of gifts? If so, what has worked or what hasn’t?
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Originally published on www.selfishmom.ca