Communion and spring celebration: 50 "experience" gift ideas

Family celebrations, be it a birthday, a communion, a spring festival, a new project – they all bring up THE question of gifts! We already have everything, we don't need anything, we try not to accumulate too much, we care about the planet, and all that is great, but in our society, it is still customary to give gifts (and it's still really nice to be spoiled).

So in this article, I wanted to share some ideas for immaterial gifts. These are gifts that don't take up space in the living room, don't need batteries that run out, don't break after two uses, aren't complicated to assemble, don't get lost… Instead, they are gifts that create memories, moments of togetherness, discovery, anticipation, a shared topic, discussions, sharing, experiences. Yes, yes, it's possible and this is where it happens.

1: Hands-on Activities

Give a fabric painting workshop to create your own scarf, a porcelain painting workshop to decorate your breakfast bowl, discover a wood engraving workshop, create jewelry, spend some time sewing. There's no shortage of ideas to learn a new technique, try new machines, and develop creative affinities and techniques.

A makeup or makeover session and a photo shoot are also activities that break from routine and allow you to enhance your appearance and take care of yourself; this can be learned at any age :)

The idea is also to offer a moment to share, either with the person giving the gift, or to offer two spots, to go with a friend, for example.

2: Cultural Activity

While we might first think of an exhibition or a show, there are plenty of other cool outings to offer: a play, an opera, a dance performance, a concert, a musical, a cinema ticket to see a 3D movie, discover a science park, an escape room, a virtual reality session, a fashion show, etc.

There's no shortage of ideas to broaden cultural knowledge and discover new horizons. For a temporary exhibition or a specific show, it's important to agree on a date and offer the entrance tickets as a gift. For a cinema ticket, the gift can be valid for longer as it's not necessarily tied to a fixed event.

3: City Discovery Excursion

Wandering around looking up, strolling along canals, getting lost in pedestrian streets – discovering a city is very refreshing and allows you to find beautiful places often close to home.

Here are some ideas: Brussels, Antwerp, Namur, Bruges, Tournai, Ghent, Durbuy, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Cologne, etc.

Choosing to travel by train (see our article here) allows you to enjoy moments together, plan a visit, a must-see place, or browse a tourist guide.

4: Unusual Night Out

This is an experience that delights both young and old! Sleeping under a transparent dome to see the stars, in a treehouse, on a boat on the water, among the tigers of Pairi Daiza, in a teepee or yurt, in a castle, etc.

The offer is expanding because spending a good time with family for a weekend doesn't necessarily require flying to the other side of the world for a 4-week trip. Even in Belgium, you can find a refreshing change of scenery to create lifelong memories.

5: Gourmet Activity

As a big foodie, I still remember that school visit, 30 years ago, discovering a chocolate factory. It just goes to show that significant memories last a lifetime :)

Going to a restaurant always feels festive, so why not offer this gift, looking for an original place: dining in the dark, tasting exotic cuisine, a restaurant in a bubble, in the sky. At certain times of the year, there are also gourmet walks, which are an opportunity to taste while strolling.

And for aspiring chefs, there's nothing like a pastry course or a home chef to take the time to learn.

6: Sports Activity

For athletes, beginners or confirmed, ideas are also not lacking: tree climbing in an adventure park, entrance to a trampoline park, freefall simulator to discover weightlessness, an introduction to a sport requiring large infrastructure (water sports, horseback riding, etc.), a day at an amusement park (see our article on this topic), a day as a driver at Spa-Francorchamps, circus initiation, a rock climbing outing with an instructor, a caving expedition, a hot air balloon ride, a parachute jump, going ice skating, supporting your football team, getting a ticket for a tennis match, organizing a bike day along the canals, …

Most activities are easily compatible with children of all ages. Just inquire before booking to adapt the activity to the child's age.

7: Subscription

The idea behind a subscription is to have a gift that can last all year. It's not entirely immaterial, as you receive a magazine or a box each month, but this concept still relies on the 'activities, discovery, and experience' aspect, allowing for wonder throughout the year.

Some examples: a subscription to a magazine (science, animals, stories, etc.), to a craft box, a book box, a creative box, a theater and show subscription, a gourmet box, etc.

8: Solidarity Gift

A lovely idea, inspired by Saki Party's blog: the gift we give is undoubtedly the one that gives us the most pleasure. Sponsoring a child, supporting an association committed to animal welfare, protecting the environment, planting a tree—so many ideas that help make our children aware of their good fortune and help others.

9: Arriving Empty-Handed?

What scares us most about giving a slightly different gift, whether it's an activity or a second-hand gift, is that there might not be a 'big, brand new package' to unwrap.

If you think about it, do we remember the color of the wrapping paper used? Of that gift lost among so many others given on the same occasion? Not always, and in the end, it's often the experience gift that we remember most…

And if you really want to arrive "with full hands," nothing stops you from slipping the entrance tickets, the invitation to an activity, into a box of cookies or a personalized pouch :)

I highly recommend the article from 'la fabrique d'étoiles' concerning immaterial gifts for our children's birthdays.

10: Making a Gift List Throughout the Year

And as often happens, it's when the question is most pressing that we have the fewest ideas, so I can only advise you to encourage your children to make their gift list throughout the year.

This works well for all types of gifts; new and second-hand, material and immaterial, but it allows the child to write down their ideas somewhere, and also to look forward to, desire, and imagine, because that is also one of the ills of our society: instant gratification.

Thanks to this list, the parent has an out: "You want a new bag? What a great idea, put it on your gift list" :)

You can download a list and print it, handy for the child to keep in their room or on their desk. You can also use the Kadolog website, for example, to save direct links to desired items and share the gift list with those who ask for it.

But don't forget that in the end, whatever the gift, it's your presence that counts :)