If you had to shop for some gifts for a family that is near and dear to you what would you choose? Would you buy mom and dad and all the kiddos separate gifts or maybe buy them one big one they can all enjoy?
I was thinking about this today when someone close to me asked me what I wanted for xmas. My response was the same as last year…uhm…something for the kids I guess. :) Then I pinpointed a gift that an entire family could really use. It also happens to be a gift that is has minimal impact on the planet and it is one that will enable a family to spend quality time together. What gift could be better than one that promotes family togetherness? So, I think my top pick for gifting a family would be annual passes to a local art or science museum or the city zoo. In my experience you can get an annual pass to one of these establishments for around $75 and they are such a wonderful thing to have. If you had to buy gifts for your sibling, his spouse, and their kiddos for instance you would probably spend more than that buying separate gifts.
When the weekend rolls around and you want to do something together but money is tight you can always pack a lunch and hit the zoo (or museum) with your annual passes. Seasonal events like Boo at the Zoo, Christmas Lights, and new exhibits are easy to attend when your admission is already covered. So you may want to consider annual passes to kid friendly places when doing your shopping this year for family and friends who have kids. These would even be a great gift for your own kids.
Happy Holidays!
We get my son a Zoo membership every year for his birthday. It’s last all year long, he appreciates that it makes the zoo one of our “free” events and we can go for just a few hours and it’s still worth it because I don’t have to pay every time. It’s a gift I suggest to friends for their families often!
i love this idea! I asked for this for one of my kid’s birthdays this year. Their grandparents usually spend between 75-100 on birthday gifts and we surely do not need anymore toys! This is also a great idea for a family gift at the holidays :)
Love it!!! We have done this in the past when money was an issue….we got passes to the local Y, we did use it as a family and enjoyed it. I would love passes to local museums and parks….great way to spend some quality family time!
This is a great idea – we’re planning on doing passes for our nephew and his parents to the Children’s Museum this year. Christmas shopping can be tough, and it helps so much to know that what you’re spending is going somewhere you can feel good about.
We like to give and receive experience gifts as well. When asked what we wanted for Christmas we asked for a family annual membership to the Seattle Pacific Science Center and/or the zoo. I usually give my mother a gift certificate to the spa because she doesn’t like “stuff.” I am taking my 9 year old daughter to see the Nutcracker ballet for her gift and tickets to a pro soccer team game for my husband.
this is usually my b-day gift! it’s definitely a great gift for the whole family.
That’s a super idea! I also like asking for board games as family gifts – for good togetherness.
There is a green- friendly gift section at http://nurseryartist.com with some ideas. Let me know what you guys think about the site. I just put it up and I’m looking for kind but constructive feedback.
A lot of zoo passes reciprocate with other zoos. Ours gets us free admission to the zoos where all the grandparents live too, which is even better!
We have often done this for others, but since we live in a very small town this is not really an option for this. But then as I read this… I started to think outside the box. We have a small ski area on the Olympic Peninsula that my son loves to go to- so… a lift ticket. Thank you for spurring my out of the box thought.
Why have I never thought of that? Perfect. I’m asking for it for our family and giving it to others!
I can’t remember when was the last time that we had lunch together in the zoo. I wish I could spend some time with my parents again just like the old days. =)
and to answer your questions about what to give to my parents. You know the idea of giving them one gift has never came to my mind. But I think, something that they could both share would a nice present =)
It surprises me that, as someone who likes to encourage living naturally and having low impact on the planet, you are willing to support the zoo. I may be biased because my local zoo and most zoos I have been to are horribly small and underfunded. But if you are going to take your children to the zoo, and you want to raise them environmentally conscious, you should really make sure to educate them on how zoos are an unnatural environment. I refused to take my children to the zoo for many years, but my mother really wanted to bring them one year. They wanted to go, so I let them. I was very proud when they came back and said they thought the animals were cool but they felt sorry for them and never wanted to go to the zoo again. I knew then I had been instilling the right values on them.
Just something to think about.
Great idea…. We have a season pass to our zoo (Bronx & Central Park Zoo). They are wonderful places and very educational. They teach conservation and love for the planet & animals.