Get ready to unwrap a whole new world of gift-giving goodness. I’m here to let you in on a little secret: The best presents don't come in shiny packages or fancy bows. No, no! The real treasures lie in the magical realm of quality time spent with your loved ones. In this delightful guide, we're throwing out the traditional notions of material gifts and embracing the joy of shared adventures, laughter-filled moments, and heartfelt connections.
1.The Great Outdoors
This would be classed as anything that, as the title suggests, is outdoors soaking up nature! For this you could consider going on a hike (and perhaps finishing in a pub!) Or taking a trip to the coast, finding a nice coast path and rewarding yourself with ice cream or chips. Or maybe there’s a nice forest trail you haven’t been on yet?
2. Food
You can never go wrong with food! As long as the recipient doesn’t have to cook it or clean it up that is! There are so many food options: picnics, BBQ in the garden, takeaways (which you could pair with a movie night or games night), restaurants, pubs, bottomless brunch, afternoon tea, high tea, all you can eat, street food, etc. The list goes on!
3. Live Performances
There is a whole world of live events out there! The most obvious would probably be concerts, gigs, or theatre performances. But you could also consider festivals, comedy shows, or even going to a live recording of their favourite tv show as an audience member!
4. Sporting Events
Whether they like to shout at their team in support or silently observe, there are so many sporting events to choose from. There’s the popular choice of football or rugby games, and then you’ve got things like golf, darts, snooker, rallying, F1, surf competitions, sailing, dressage and ice hockey to name a few!
5. Bucket List
Ask them about their bucket list! Do they have one? What is on it? Is there anything that interests you too or that you could make come true? This is a perfect excuse to help them tick something off and create memories with you at the same time!
6. Self-care
Self-care isn’t selfish and can be a wonderful gift to encourage someone to slow down, de-stress and take some time for themselves. This could include things like going for a manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, or even a trip to the spa!
7. Road Trip
Is there a part of the UK that they’ve always wanted to visit and just haven’t managed to get there yet? Or perhaps they have a most favourite place that they don’t get to visit often? This is your opportunity to make it happen and take them on a road trip, or, if it’s not necessarily something that interests you, organise for them to go away with their partner instead!
8. A Trip To The Airport
What countries are they yet to tick off of their list? Choose one and take them on an adventure! It doesn’t have to be for long, a few days is plenty, but it’s a great opportunity to see somewhere new and spend some quality time together exploring!
9. A Night Off
Does the recipient have children? When was the last time they had an evening off? Could you arrange a sitter or look after the children yourself so that the parents could go out for dinner or even have a night away somewhere?
10. Friends
When was the last time they had a weekend away with friends? Send them off for the day or for the weekend with friends doing something that they enjoy, even if it is just permission to go on a sesh with the boys/girls!
11. Thrill Seeking
If you’ve got an adrenaline junkie on your hands then how about something like caving, coasteering or mountain biking? Or perhaps a hot air balloon ride, a sky dive (indoor or out of plane!) or go on a high speed zip line? Or there’s always abseiling, paragliding or white water rafting!
12. Culture
There’s plenty of art, culture and history around the UK to soak up! You could take a trip to an art gallery, visit a museum or attend ‘talks’ that inspire and interest the recipient.
13. Country Homes
In the UK these could be National Trust or English Heritage sites. Days like this are always a hit with my family because it usually ends in a trip to the cafe or a picnic! If it is something they are VERY interested in, you could consider an annual pass or membership.
14. Classic Days Out
The classics are things like cinema experiences, a competitive game or two of ten pin bowling (some even do glow in the dark events!), crazy golf, or a trip to the local arcade or theme park.
15. Culinary Experience
Treat your loved ones to a cooking class or a culinary workshop where they can learn new recipes, techniques, and indulge in the joy of creating delicious meals together. And if you’re really lucky, you may get to sample the results!
16. An Organised Tour
This could be a tour of absolutely anywhere that interests them! You could visit a local distillery and end in product tasting, or tour their favourite sporting ground, go on a pottery factory tour, or even a walking tour around a new city. You could even find filming locations for their favourite shows and do a tour based on those too!
17. Learn Something New
Are there any classes that they’ve always wanted to try? Think dancing, pottery, jewellery making, flower arranging, blacksmithing, sculpture, photography, stained glass painting, candle making and shoe making, etc! The list goes on.
18. Nature
This could be anything to do with the natural world. Here we’re thinking about bird watching, animal sanctuaries, zoos, keeper for the day experiences, aquariums, seal spotting, boat trip, dolphin watching or a trip to a remote island to watch the wildlife. Places like Brownsea Island and Steep Holm come to mind!
19. Shows, Exhibitions and Festivals
I’m not talking about big music festivals when I say festivals but small events like craft shows, county shows, garden shows, art exhibitions (or art week), gin festivals, folk festivals, crufts, horse of the year.
20. Stay Home
You don’t have to leave the house to spend time with your loved ones. You could stay in and have a movie marathon with loads of snacks, cosy blankets and lots of laughs! Or maybe a games night with all of your friends is more your thing? Either way, spending time with people doesn’t necessarily mean you have to spend lots of money!
No matter how you choose to do it, making memories with people and spending quality time with loved ones can be much more rewarding than material gifts. So next time you’re looking for a special gift with someone, maybe consider one of these options and take the opportunity to enjoy the company of others, have fun and create lasting memories!
And just in case one of these ideas has piqued your interest, I have the perfect way of presenting the gift! Pop over here to have a browse of my scratch card collection to see how I can help you make this is a truly memorable gift!