Gift-giving season is here! Instead of filling your home with toys that may break, become clutter, or lose their appeal, why not focus on experience gifts for kids that create lasting memories? Experience gifts offer amazing opportunities for family bonding and can be used close to home or while traveling.

Whether it’s visiting their favorite animals or characters, venturing into the great outdoors, or enjoying delicious meals together, these ideas are all about creating joyful experiences. Let’s dive in!

Zoo or Aquarium Membership

There is nothing that our kids (and most kids!) love more than animals, so why not give them unlimited access to their favorite creatures?

All zoo and aquarium memberships typically include free yearlong access, and many also include free parking and discounts on food, merchandise, birthday parties, and special events. We make a point of taking advantage of special days for kids like Boo at the Zoo trick or treating, holiday events like Cookies with Santa, and monthly animal spotlights. It’s also a great treat for out of town family visitors with or without kids – everyone loves animals!

Here are some membership options at of zoos and aquariums we love:

Elmwood Park Zoo

Elmwood Park Zoo memberships are around $260 for families with caregivers and offer benefits like free year-round zoo admission, access to exclusive events, and discounts on food, merchandise, and special activities like giraffe feedings and Treetop Adventures ropes course. Members also enjoy discounted admission to participating zoos nationwide and savings on party packages, camps, and facility rentals.

Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium annual memberships include year-round access plus 40% off parking and 10% discounts on general admission, retail, and dining, with additional savings on animal encounters and special events. Tiers run from Individual to Family Plus, each offered in Standard or Premium; pricing is dynamic and shown at checkout, but recent local guidance puts Family memberships starting around $340, and the Land & Sea package that bundles Georgia Aquarium with Zoo Atlanta is currently listed at $490. Premium options add one-time free guest admission tickets and parking vouchers, which can be a good value if you plan to bring friends or visit during peak times.

Philadelphia Zoo

The Philadelphia Zoo membership benefits include free daytime admission all year, free parking for one vehicle per visit, a 10% discount at zoo shops and dining locations, and exclusive access to members-only events and hours. Members also enjoy discounted admission to over 100 zoos and aquariums across the country!

Membership levels now start at the “Zoo for You” Individual membership (currently $69), which covers one adult. Other tiers include “Zoo for 2” ($109) covering one adult plus one guest, “Zoo for 4” ($189) covering two adults plus two visitors (adult or child), “Zoo for More” ($299) covering two named adults plus six additional people, and the top-tier “Zoo Explorer” ($499) covering three named adults plus six additional people.

All membership levels include free daytime admission year-round, free parking for one vehicle per visit, member-only events, and discounts on dining, retail, attractions and special-event tickets. For families, “Zoo for More” includes one carousel and train ride per visitor each visit and two free tickets to the seasonal holiday experience LumiNature; “Zoo Explorer” adds one ticket per person each visit for the “Wings of the World” and “Giraffe Experience”, plus four free LumiNature tickets. Members can add a third named adult or unnamed guest spots to many tiers for a separate fee.
Philadelphia Zoo

Beyond admission, a zoo membership is a meaningful gift and supports ongoing wildlife conservation, education and animal-care programs.

Zoo Atlanta

Zoo Atlanta membership offers unlimited free daytime admission all year long, plus access to special events like Boo at the Zoo, Wild World Weekend, and the Art Gone Wild Artist Market. Members also enjoy discounts on parking, guest admission, select zoo events, and in-park experiences such as rides and family programs. Additional perks include savings on animal sponsorships, Wild Encounters, Safari Camp, and even discounted admission to select zoos and aquariums nationwide.

Membership levels start at $129 for the Companion plan, which covers two adults, and go up to $500 for the Journey plan, which includes five adults and up to four children. Flexible options like the Family Adventure Pack $199 allow for three adults and up to four children, making it perfect for extended families or caregivers. Memberships are tax-deductible and can be customized with e-gift cards or discounted animal sponsorships.

North Carolina Aquarium Society

Family Membership with the North Carolina Aquarium Society offers numerous benefits for families passionate about marine life and conservation. Beyond providing year-round access to all three North Carolina Aquariums for two named adults and their children or grandchildren under 18, this membership includes reciprocal admission (discounted or free entry) to over 150 zoos and aquariums nationwide through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) reciprocity program. Check out all of the zoos and aquariums that belong to the reciprocal program along with their discounts here.

If you need help finding a zoo or aquariums nearby your loved one, here is a list of all of the zoos in the United States, and here is a list of the aquariums in the United States. See if they have membership programs you can gift this holiday season!

How to Make It Personal

Add a little extra money on a gift card to the zoo or aquarium, so kids can take home a stuffie of their favorite animal or other souvenir from the gift shop.

Airline Gift Cards

We’ve lived far away from our family and friends, so we love giving and receiving airline gift cards to help facilitate visits with our non-local family members. Even if your family mostly lives locally, your kids can still benefit from airline gift cards that boost the family travel budget and help them see the world.

And, bonus!, when you buy a gift card through the airline directly, you will earn miles on your purchase that you can use towards future flights of your own. Plus, the person who is using the gift card can also earn miles when they buy their flight. This benefits both the gift card giver and receiver and can be a built-in way to help both of you travel more. For example, Delta purchases.

How to Make It Personal

Pair the airline gift card with a map or book about your destination. We love the Good Night City books for toddlers and the Exploring the States books for older kids.

Local Restaurant Gift Cards for Family “Dates”

About once a month, we go to a restaurant, ideally with new foods for our kids to try. Learning about new cultures through shared food is so fun and helps picky eaters branch out. Our kids look forward to these family date nights, and they’ve loved getting little gift cards that they can use towards a yummy treat at the end of the meal.

Ask Mom and Dad if there’s a favorite local spot, or look online to find a new place for them to try in their area. If you’re searching on your own, choose a restaurant with a unique atmosphere or fun theme—think Italian pizzerias with open kitchens or cafes with large outdoor seating that tends to be more kid-friendly.

How to Make It Personal

Include an Around the World in Food coloring book where they can track cuisines they’ve tried. 

Annual State or National Park Pass

Being in nature is so a valuable gift for kids! Being outside helps young children develop essential motor skills like coordination, agility, balance, and dexterity. Nature walks and hikes in national or state parks are perfect for nature exploration. Our kids love hiking local trails with us as a family, and we often also add hiking to our travel itineraries. State and national parks also often host kid-friendly programs like guided walks, junior ranger activities, or seasonal scavenger hunts.

The “America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Lands Pass” provides access to over 2,000 federal recreation sites for $80. This pass is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase and admits the pass holder plus passengers in the same non-commercial vehicle to many parks sites around the country. With this pass, the whole family can enjoy stunning recreation areas across the United States, with proceeds going towards enhancing visitor services and site improvements. We are America the Beautiful pass holders, and we recently used our pass to spend a wonderful day in Sandy Hook, NJ, where both of our boys earned junior ranger badges.

There is also a version of this pass for US citizens or permanent residents of any age that have been medically determined to have a permanent disability called the Access Pass. This pass is free, and if your loved one qualifies, you can help the family facilitate getting the pass, which requires some paperwork to be filled out and turned in at a National Parks site.

How to Make It Personal

• Add a National Park Activity Book, designed by National Parks expert Meggie of Parks Family Travel. This printable activity book is packed with 30 exciting activities designed to spark curiosity about America’s amazing National Parks.
• Include some hiking gear with the pass. Here is a list of our favorite hiking essentials.
• Consider a National Parks water bottle, so they can add stickers as they hike their favorites

Hiking Ideas and Parks

Through the years, we have hiked in many places around the country, which have been incredibly memorable activities our children have loved. Read about some of our experiences: 

• Diamond Head Hike with Kids: An Unforgettable Family Experience
• Three Great Hikes in Zion for Beginner and Intermediate Hikers

Tickets to See Their Favorite Characters

There are so many theme parks and shows for kids to see their favorite characters in person. Theme parks like Walt Disney World or Disneyland immediately come to mind, but there are lots of wonderful smaller theme parks like Sesame Place Philadelphia or Peppa Pig Theme Park, which we visited. Legoland Florida is our sons’ wishlist right now, and we have a Legoland Discovery Center nearby our home that my mother in law got the boys’ a membership to. They go every time they’re off of school and love it!

How to Make It Special

• Give the tickets along with a small toy or costume related to their favorite character.
• Turn the outing into a full-day adventure with snacks, souvenirs, and photos to remember it by.

More Experience Gift Ideas for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids Up to 8 Years Old

1. Children’s Museums
2. Music Lessons 
3. Swimming Lessons  
4. Dance or Gymnastics Classes  
5. Indoor Play Center Pass
6. Farm Visits: A chance to interact with animals, learn about farm life, and enjoy the outdoors.
7. Art Class or Crafting Workshop  
8. Train Ride Adventure: Tickets for a scenic train ride or themed experience like a holiday express or dinner train.
9. Cooking or Baking Classes  
10. Ice Skating or Roller Skating Pass  
11. Camping Trip or Backyard Campout
12. Horseback Riding

Why Should You Give Experience Gifts for Kids

Gifting experience offers more than just a fun day out. It’s an opportunity to spend time together as a family, create connections between each other and make lasting memories. Plus:

Toys are forgotten within days and create clutter

Toys have a way of taking over your home, creating piles that add to everyday chaos. Studies show clutter can elevate stress and make it harder to focus. Experience gifts, provide mental relief through joy, relaxation, or physical activity. Less mess equals a happier home and mind.  

Fun for Everyone

Experience gifts are a win-win! From a family outing to an amusement park to a family dinner in a new place, these gifts are entertaining for kids and enjoyable for adults, too. When you give experiences, you’re creating shared moments that everyone can look back on.  

Build Stronger Bonds

Gifts that bring people together, like cooking classes or tickets to a kid-friendly show, deepen relationships. Research shows shared experiences strengthen bonds and create meaningful connections. Whether it’s you, a grandparent, or a family friend sharing in the experience with the child, the time spent together makes kids feel loved and valued.  

Encourage Growth and Curiosity

Every experience is a learning opportunity. Museum passes, art classes, and other activities help kids develop skills, explore new interests, and grow their confidence. Even simpler outings, like a nature hike or a day at the zoo, can inspire curiosity about the world around them.

Create Memories That Last Forever

Unlike toys, which often lose their appeal after a few weeks, experience gifts leave a lasting impression. A trip to the aquarium, a ride on a scenic train, or an outdoor adventure create memories that stick with kids for years. They will retell the stories as they grow.

Final Thoughts

The holidays are about celebrating together, and what better way to do that than through meaningful experiences? Use these gifts as opportunities to bond with the little loves in your life.

If you have any questions or need further advice, feel free to email me or send me a message on Instagram. I’m always happy to share more tips and insights to help you.

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