Halloween is over which means only one thing – Santa Claus has taken over from the witches and pumpkins in the shops. And that yearly problem of what to buy has reared its ugly head yet again. Is it just us or does it get more stressful every year to find that ‘perfect’ Christmas gift for everyone on your shopping list?
One of the challenges we face is what to buy for the children on the list. We are really conscious ourselves of how many toys our own children have and how much clutter and stress huge amounts of toys generate at Christmas. Attacking a huge pile of presents ripping off the paper from one present to another, not even pausing to appreciate the toy they’ve just opened. I mean, let’s face it – can you or your child remember even half the toys they received as a gift last Christmas? No, we can’t either. And did you know that the average child in the developed world owns over 200 toys but only plays with 12 of them?!
For many years giving board games have always been a go to favourite gift of ours to give. We usually buy it as a family gift and then give a little stocking filler for each of the children in the family to open individually. This is more often than not something edible – affordable, simple and not an actual physical item that needs to be found a place for afterwards! We must admit thought, that although the board game present has worked well for us, as the years have gone by, we’ve lost track of which ones we’ve given before and stressed about what games they may already have!
Giving an experience as a gift is just as easy and straightforward as a board game. And not a bit stressful. An experience like a Mini Adventure where the whole family explore a town or city in a fun and unique way is perfect. But why is an experience the best gift you can give?
Studies have shown that material belongings do not equal happiness and that experiences are substantially more satisfying than things. People hold onto memories. They generally don’t remember toys and objects. What will be remembered are special times. Places they visited, trips they took and experiences they had with family and friends.
Shared family time and experiences have been linked to:
· Bonding within the family
· Fewer behavioural problems in children
· A stronger sense of identity
· Higher rates of academic success
· Lower rates of violence.
Additionally, they won’t have to find a place to keep experiences except in their heart, memory and on their phone’s gallery or perhaps in a photo album!
So, you can easily rest knowing that the memories a Mini Adventure will create will leave them happier than any toy ever would. Memories that may well last a lifetime and certainly past next Christmas. Plus, you’ll be an absolute superstar for giving the gift of adventure.
There are 18 Mini Adventures to choose from in and around Slovenia. They are suitable for families with children of ages of five upwards. Great for tweens, teens and big kids (dads and grandads especially). Check out our destinations waiting to be explored and help your loved ones make memories, one step at time!
You may also be interested in our blog 15 THINGS TO DO WITH KIDS THAT DON’T INVOLVE A SCREEN– click here for a quick read.
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