Experiences to Give Your Kids (Instead of More Stuff)

As your children grow up, you want to enrich their lives and open their minds. Parents like to give their kids gifts, and while gifts are important, people often choose things over experiences, which is a mistake. Give your children some wonderful experiences instead, and their life will be richer for it. Here are some ideas:

Gardening

Tending to plants and harvesting them is a rewarding experience, and one that your children will remember for years to come. By letting them garden, you won't just share a new experience with them, you'll enable them to grow something on their own. You may instill a love for nature in them and encourage them to study it and try to help it when they're older.

Reading

Read with your children. There are books for all age groups. This'll help you spend time together, and get them interested in the activity. However, make sure you don't force them to read. Make it a fun, bonding experience - not a chore. Find age-appropriate books, and turn them into a fun storytelling session, instead of just them reading as you supervise.

Pets

Everyone needs a friend. So, give your children a furry friend who'll always love them. It could be a dog, cat, rabbit, hamster, parakeet, or whatever seems best to you. As long as they share a bond, nothing else matters. If pets aren't possible due to apartment restrictions, you could go to feed birds at a local park. The ducks, robins, doves and bluejays will make it a joyful experience, and the birds will soon start to recognize you, making them almost-pets.

A new language

Learning a new language is mentally stimulating, and it'll come in handy. Parents often drown their children in classes, wanting them to learn new skills. However, many skills are somewhat useless, and children don't particularly like being schooled. So, use a different approach - just speak the language around your children, or help them learn it through an interactive platform like Duolingo.

Painting

It has been compared to meditation, so it's a good idea - especially for high-energy kids. Once they start to like it, they'll always want to paint. This'll help them understand colors, appreciate art, and who knows - it might just change their life. Even if they just like slathering paint about, that's a very satisfying process. Teach the kids to clean their brushes and take proper care of painting supplies.

Watching nature

Watch the night sky with your kids; point out constellations and major stars. It's a beautiful experience, and as cities expand it's slowly becoming impossible - seize the opportunity while you still have it! You can also sit outside on a nice day and watch out for shapes in clouds, or encourage your kids to go looking for bugs. Birdwatching is another excellent way to spend some time with your children. Point out interesting new birds to them.

Now, these experiences aren't an alternative to gifts - toys, games and other such gifts have their place. However, the experiences listed above are sustainable hobbies that'll make not just their childhood, but also their adult life fun. And you can always gift them hobby-related items instead of plain old toys.