Ideas for Christmas presents that aren't stuff

[Namechangeforone]

I am done with 'stuff' and giving it too frankly so am after ideas for alternative Christmas presents. Basically things that disappear once used!

So far I have:
A subscription to the Spicery (monthly delivery of spices and recipe cards).
Theatre tickets.
Flower or plant subscription.
Tickets to an art class.

Completely stuck on ideas for kids (niece and nephew aged 11 and 13) and in laws! Although they like wine...

Any ideas?

Cinema vouchers for the young ones.

If your in laws like wine then get them some wine. Majestic do cases of 6 or 12 if your budget runs to it.

For the children

www.allsubscriptionboxes.co.uk/category/box/kids/

Audible subscription
Masterclass subscription
Restaurant vouchers
Treatwell (or local salon) vouchers
Ancestry DNA kit and/or subscription
Escape room vouchers
Crazy golf/bowling vouchers
Fishbox Subscription

Cinema voucher with popcorn/sweets
Starbucks/Costa voucher with reusable coffee cup
Robux voucher with Roblox guide book

Bakedin does baking subscription, the normal one is fine for teens. Or just buy a couple of kits if that’s something they would like.

Cinema or Costa/Starbucks voucher?

Readly subscription
We love it here

I know it is technically 'stuff' but I send people something nice to eat - posh biscuits/jams. I used to send people things like a calendar or photo frame, but for the same sort of money, I can order them a tin of nice biscuits or some jam or chutney from Fortnum and Mason, and get it delivered with a gift message.

If the recipient is near the coast, do they have any surf schools locally? It’s about £30 for a lesson including board and wetsuit. Or hire a beach hut for them for the day
Cinema passes
A Cookery class
An evening class (some do Saturday taster sessions)
Florists work shop - some here do them all year round
Afternoon tea
A charity gift/plant a tree/sponsor an animal (I have two dogs and a giraffe)
Hire of a classic car or campervan for a day
There are companies who do driving lessons for 10-16 year olds (on their own track, obviously, and all dual controlled)
Museums often do workshops and classes, but they go quite quickly in my experience, so you can’t hang about.
Cider/other alcohol subscriptions? Some of them do boxes for one, two or three months, so you can choose the right price for you.
Tickets to a zoo, theme park etc
National Trust membership or entry to a stately home/castle
A Go Ape experience
A city ghost/film tour
Any budding musicians? One of the Stranglers (I think) does Guitar lesson experiences
A food foraging experience where they then cook what they’ve found (I mean seaweed and blackberries, not skips)
Ice skating
Sporting tickets
How willing are you to get involved? Could you offer them a day’s gardening?

All excellent ideas! Thanks so much

Bloom and wild do monthly letterbox flower subscriptions. Boxes are recycled, flowers are gorgeous. 3 - 12 months
Plant a tree
WWF adopt and animal
Red letter days
Cookery lessons by a local chef

A driving experience for the niece and nephew. My DD did one at Mercedes Benz World and there were no age restrictions, just height (you had to be able to reach the pedals!).
Family National Trust membership.
Animal experience at a zoo.
Flying in a wind tunnel at Xscape.
Afternoon tea voucher.
Books for their kindles.
Lush hamper for the niece.

I think DC just prefer cash (or bank transfer), my DS loved getting cash, he was always good at saving and now he's 20 and has built up fairly decent savings, vouchers are tricky unless you know exactly what the young person wants. I have ended up 'buying' endless vouchers from my DS over the years as they were never really for shops/restaurants etc that he used neither did I.

Definitely cash & chocolate for the younger ones. It may seem like you haven't put that much thought into it but I know my son is much happier if he receives this than a well thought out present (but that is of no interest to him) or a gift card for a shop he doesn't use !

My DC are similar ages to your nieces and nephews, their ideal present is a tenner stuck to a selection box

Wine tasting? There is a wine merchants in the city I live in that runs tastings. I got it for my dad (and me) a few years ago, and we really enjoyed it. I'm thinking of booking on for my in laws this year.

Football stadium tour

RSPB subscription.
Bird food.
Seeds to plant.
Candles.
Cut flowers.
Posh bath potions.
Cheese and chutney.
Alcohol.
Gorgeous chocolates.
Sailing lessons.
Go Ape session.
Gym membership.
Spa day.
Afternoon tea vouchers.
Local cinema voucher.
Session with local photographer.
Local honey.
Hire a boat for a day.

Why not just give them the cash to choose a gift and they can let you know what they get? In our house we hate vouchers for 'experiences' we don't want.

Subscriptions to online libraries/online classes
Subscriptions to useful software like movie makers or photo editors
Coffee/cinema vouchers
Subscriptions to beauty/alcohol boxes
Children may like fun stuff like seasonal passes to entertainment places or gift certificates to art classes.

In my experience, teenagers tend to prefer cold, hard cash to vouchers - @caringcarer is right to suggest that. In fact, of my three dses (all of whom are in their 20s) two are getting cash for Christmas - the other is getting National Trust membership - but we know he and his fiancee want that.

Experiences are great, as long as the person will enjoy them - I bought dh a Birds of Prey experience for his birthday, a couple of years ago - he got up close and personal with hawks, condors and owls, and got to go on a walk in the woods carrying one of the owls - he had an amazing time. But I knew he was fascinated by birds of prey, and condors in particular, so I knew it would be a good choice of gift.

Sadly I don't think I can repeat it, as a gift, and he is horrendously hard to buy for. The biggest source of stress for me, each Christmas, is thinking what to get for absolutely everyone - even his family. We do stockings for the boys, and he and I do them for each other - so the only presents he has to think of are my stocking fillers - I have to tell him what I want as my main present. And both of us have birthdays in December too - so that is more mental load.

I would check with the parents of the 11 and 13 year old first. Not all children are interested in 'experiences'. It could be that they are really looking forward to Christmas and are hoping for that final Lego set to complete a theme, a specific book that's a new release, a game to go with the console they are getting for their main present....etc etc and would be well disappointed with a season ticket for Museums or a gift card for a coffee shop.
Ask the children and their parents if there is anything particular they would love for Christmas and what the 'main' gift is. I very much prefer gifts that match (ie parents gift the child a console, friends and relatives get games for it) than random stuff - and random 'stuff' includes random subscriptions or season tickets and gift cards. (In my humble opinion)

Do they like Harry Potter? The studios tours are fab for a family day out and pricey enough they might not buy them for themselves. You do have to pick a specific day (but the same for theatre etc).
Llama walking is great fun?

Can I suggest not a Buyagift hotel voucher. We received one a few years ago for a “deluxe two night stay”. The only hotels on there to choose from are absolute dives and to stay anywhere near decent, you’d need to top up the voucher by at least a couple of hundred pounds. Biggest rip off ever!

Yeah I'd be careful with experience gifts unless you are sure they will get used. Even cinema tickets, it creates an obligation to plan things around it.

For adults, I've started just getting alcohol. They all drink, so I just get a fancier version of whatever it is they like.