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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Original poster

Experience gifts - ideas and feedback?

13 replies

AlliwantforChristmasisgu · 11/11/2022 13:03

In an effort to stem the tide of 'stuff' coming into the house I am looking at experience gifts for the kids this year. I am sure I am not the only one - can we have a thread to share ideas?

Thoughts I have had so far are:

Young drivers for a 14-16 yr old - eg from here www.youngdriver.eu/

It looks quite fun as a one off but is it worth doing a course for a 14/15 year old or is it too soon?

Zoo experiences - meet the animals/keep experience - has anyone done one of these eg www.zsl.org/experiences/zoo-explorers-at-zsl-whipsnade-zoo-5-7-year-olds?

OP posts:
trimma · 11/11/2022 13:11

Last Christmas I booked a meet the red panda experience for my niece and SIL (not at whipsnade) and they had an amazing time. Was £99 for the two of them, they went in June.

OneFrenchEgg · 11/11/2022 17:43

Cinema card - has been fantastic.

ChristmasCwtch · 11/11/2022 18:24

That’s a lovely idea. I like the zoo days.

I’m also tempted by the Dino Snore sleepover event at the Natural History Museum

TwitcherLady · 11/11/2022 18:34

We've done quad biking, white water rafting, tall trees experience, a Thai cooking experience, helicopter ride, blacksmith experience, diving experience (in a pool) among others. Like you, I want to stop the flow of "stuff".

Bobbybobbins · 11/11/2022 18:45

Go ape is good fun

Worriedmum42 · 11/11/2022 18:47

My daughter did the junior zoo keeper day at London zoo - she loved it! She has also done. 4 day summer camp at Woburn Safari park and currently waiting to be old enough to do the 5 day one at Whipsnade!

thestuffthatdreamsaremadeof · 11/11/2022 18:49

With teens we've done cinema & theatre tickets, Segway, young drivers lesson.

All been really popular. I've been looking at that I fly thing.

minipie · 11/11/2022 18:50

We tend to do experiences as the main gift these days

We have done a local zoo experience when DD was little - she loved it, she adores animals and isn’t bothered by poo and mealworms Grin

Go Ape vouchers a couple of Christmases ago

Last Christmas tickets to Harry Potter studio

This year will be tickets to Matilda

The NHM sleepover looks fab but seems to sell out super fast!

Going to look up cinema card

There’s a cookery school nearby which does kids’ cookery days so that’s a good idea too

minipie · 11/11/2022 18:50

Ooh also escape room voucher

red4321 · 11/11/2022 18:51

ChristmasCwtch · 11/11/2022 18:24

That’s a lovely idea. I like the zoo days.

I’m also tempted by the Dino Snore sleepover event at the Natural History Museum

I've done the Dino sleepover, was quite good fun (in a tiring way).

If anyone lives around West London, the Mercedes World in Surrey has some excellent driving experiences for kids. My son (I think 13 or so) did the off-road experience driving a 4WD (they're very trusting). You can also go round the race track as a passenger plus interesting things to do in the building.

KILM · 11/11/2022 18:53

Go Ape! Do you want to share roughly whereabouts in the country you are - north/south etc, might narrow it down

5foot5 · 11/11/2022 21:19

A few years ago we got DD the carnivore experience at Knowsley Safari Park. It was first thing before the park opened to the public and she got to go round in the land rover with a keeper and help to let out the lions and feed the wolves by throwing in lumps of meat. Some days you get to feed the tigers too but that didn't happen on her day. Actually I think you had to be 18+ for this one but there were other experiences there that younger ones could do.

Last year we got her a voucher for her and a friend to do an activity at a local place which offers a variety of quirky thinks like zorbing, axe throwing, segway safari etc. After some discussion they settled on archery and had quite a good time.

Citygirlrurallife · 12/11/2022 23:06

We do experiences too as main present and this year are taking DC to see The Cursed Child

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