The holiday season is quickly approaching (and I’m sure a birthday party or five). You might find yourself asking the age-old question...what am I going to do about gifts?!

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt “stuck” when it comes to gift buying (ME!).

I’m a huge proponent of consumable and experiential gifts (check out the 2017 and 2018 guides here) and wanted to make sure that we addressed the littlest gift recipients in our lives with this year’s installment.  

$ - FREE OR LESS THAN $10

• Kids love one-on-one time with you (especially if you have more than one child). Give your kiddo a budget and let them pick how you will spend it - the only caveat being that you have to DO something (rather than BUYING something). A suggestion, the Nutcracker Tea Party at Tina’s Traditional Tea Room in Carmel coming up on December 8.

• If you’ve got time to get creative, plan a scavenger hunt or adventure day. Maybe you pull out a good old fashioned map and let your kiddo choose the destination. I promise the conversations you have & the memories you make will be worth more than any “thing” you could have bought them. 

• Instead of the traditional $10 White Elephant Gift Exchange, host a Family Toy + Book Drive for Riley Children’s Hospital (or your favorite organization of choice). Include your child in the selection & also the delivery process. The most important thing you can “gift” to your child is the impact they can have in another person’s life.

$$- MODERATE PRICING

• In lieu of the traditional puppy with a bow around it’s neck on Christmas morning (sorry kiddos), consider a Butterfly Garden. You’ll receive caterpillars by mail & are instructed to keep them in an enclosure until they’ve hatched as butterflies. Once they’ve hatched, you can release them as a family outside.

• For the budding chef in your life, how about a class at Sprouts Cooking School. The youngsters in your life can begin to develop a lifelong skill they will carry with them, and hey - they might even want to start helping out at home!

• For the tiniest creatives, give them the chance to get messy & create things you wouldn’t typically make at home. Brightly Art Studio in Brownsburg, IN offers art classes for kids of all ages. The prices are reasonable and the best part...you leave the mess there! *WIN*

$$$-SPLURGE

• Annual memberships to any of the great Indianapolis museums or attractions are my favorite splurge gift to give or receive. One experience that I cannot live without is our membership to the Indianapolis Zoo. It’s fun for all ages & they have so much to offer - a dolphin show, butterfly garden, & even the new sloth & snake exhibits. Another crowd-pleaser is the Children's Museum - perfect for those long Indiana winter days when you’re stuck inside!

• Take advantage of our amazing parks system with an annual pass to Eagle Creek. Truly the gift that keeps on giving all year long!

• Think of the child’s interests and see if there are any classes offered locally for your child to experience their favorite new hobby outside the home - some of my favorite ideas include sewing, hip hop dance, ceramics or photography classes and this wildly cool fairy garden workshop. 

• Sporting events are a treat for the entire family. Treat them to Colts, Pacers, Indy Eleven, Indy Fuel tickets or my personal fave, a Naptown Roller Derby bout.

• If one class just wasn’t enough, Sprouts Cooking School also offers a summer camp! The options are so unique and fun, I feel like any kid could find something in their offerings!

How’s that for idea central? Do you have any favorite gifts to add to the list? If so, comment below.

And just because you are gifting an experience doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with the wrapping! Consider rolling up the gift certificate and sticking it inside a balloon along with a bunch of confetti!

The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces and events throughout Indianapolis. 

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