I mentioned awhile ago that we weren’t going overboard on gifts this year and instead focusing on giving experiences instead. So here is a list of ideas in case it’s something you want to try as well! (We are giving each kid a few gifts, and I have them posted on my Amazon Store under Christmas Gifts if you need some actual gift ideas.) For us, the best gifts aren’t things though, they are experiences and time together.
Memberships:
- Children’s Museums: In Austin we have The Thinkery, and I know most cities each have their own version of this.
- The Little Gym
- Inflatable Playhouses or Trampoline Parks: Braxton loves Locomotion here in Austin.
- Wildflower Center
- Disney+, Netflix, Hulu or other streaming service.
- Zoo or Aquarium: Most will let you do a yearly membership!
The Aquarium 
Locomotion 
The Wildflower Center 
The Thinkery 
The Zoo
Activities:
- Sports Programs: Signing kids up for a sports activity lasts longer then the excitement of most toys. Little League, T-Ball, Soccer Cubs, Flag Football, etc. You can even wrap a ball for that sport with a letter explaining what they will get to do!
- Dance Classes: Same idea as sports programs, where you could wrap ballet slippers, or tap shoes and write a letter explaining that they will get to start a dance class.
Gift of Time: I love the idea of gifting a monthly outings box. For this, you plan ahead of time something to do each month of the year and put the idea, or tickets in an envelope and put all the envelopes in a box that you give to your child. Each month the child gets to open that month’s envelope, and so the magic of Christmas can last all year! It can even be things you were already planning on doing! Here’s a yearly example.
- January: Day Trip to a neighboring city. For example, we love taking day trips to San Antonio to see the Riverwalk, or Waco to see the Magnolia Market.
- February: Dinner and a Movie
- March: Going to the Rodeo
- April: Easter Egg Hunting
- May: Disney on Ice
- June: Going to a Zoo, Aquarium or Museum.
- July: Attending a 4th of July Parade and Fireworks Show.
- August: Going to a Splash pad, or having a picnic at the Park.
- September: Going to a Football Game.
- October: Going to a Pumpkin Patch.
- November: Renaissance Festival.
- December: Making hot chocolate and going to look at Christmas Lights.
Magnolia 
Toy Story Movie 
The Austin Rodeo 
Easter Egg Hunting 
Disney on Ice 
Splash Pad at SeaWorld 
4th of July Parade 
Pumpkin Patch 
The Texas Renaissance Festival 
Christmas Lights
We are aiming to go to Disney World around January or February of 2021. Kaley will be about the same age Braxton was when we took him, and Braxton will be old enough to ride almost every ride, plus be able to do the Jedi Training Academy. So this might be next year’s big (and only) Christmas gift!
I hope everyone is enjoying the magic of the season, and I can’t believe we are already down to 15 days to go!