The second Sunday in May is always Mother’s Day in the United States. Even though that holiday rolls around each year, you may find yourself stumped on what to buy mom. This year, skip the stuff and give her an experience gift — read on for ideas to make it happen.
Experience gifts for mom
The notion of giving a mom experience gifts — for Mother’s Day or another present-buying occasion — is that you create a memory through an experience, versus something that she will end up putting on a shelf or cluttering up her house. For the person who seemingly has everything or for a mom living in a small space, an experience gift is a gift that won’t leave her saying, “Now what am I supposed to do with this?”
If you’ve been helping your parents declutter, the last thing you want is to add more stuff with Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gifts. This notion makes experiential gifts a smarter choice, especially as your mom ages. In time for Mother’s Day this year, here are some suggestions. Many focus on hobbies or passions she already has or ones you think she would enjoy exploring in the future, thanks to your experience gift.
Gift idea for a dog mom
Need to buy a gift for a dog mom? Think about a gift you could give her that would help her enjoy her dogs even more than she already does. Even something as basic as a new dog leash would work in this instance.
For something a bit more extravagant, how about a dog DNA test kit? One brand to consider is Wisdom Panel, which can trace a dog’s ancestors as far back as their great grandparents. It’s a great idea for a dog-loving mom who adopts rescue animals and wonders what breed her pets really are.
Ideas for moms to learn a new skill
Does your mom or the mom in your life want to learn a new skill from an expert in the field? There are classes she can take online from companies like Wondrium or MasterClass. From National Geographic photographer Bob Krist to Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates, you can find all kinds of classes to do and adventures to take from home.
You may find something a little closer to home, too. For instance, many local libraries offer workshops you can sign up for to learn something new, even hobbies and pastimes where everything old is new again. You can learn about soapmaking, knitting or even genealogy.
Check out local makerspaces that might offer woodworking classes for women. Some specialize in making charcuterie boards. If a mom in your life enjoys entertaining and loves charcuterie boards when having family and friends over, then giving her the gift of learning to make one from scratch could be a great Mother’s Day gift.
What about giving the gift of learning a new language or reconnecting with your family’s first language? According to UCLA, after emigrating to the United States, it takes only three generations for people to lose their native language. Has your mom always expressed learning the language of her ancestors, or just brushing up on the French she took in high school? Then language lessons just might be the perfect gift for her.
Go somewhere or do something together
Is your mother an avid gardener? Consider giving a garden-themed experience gift that you could enjoy with her. Some examples might include:
- Taking a trip together to see the Chelsea Flower Show in London.
- Visiting a local arboretum together.
- Working side-by-side in the garden.
Enjoy a meal together
According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother’s Day is one of the busiest days at American restaurants. This includes having lunch or dinner at a restaurant, and people who get takeout to enjoy together at home — a trend that started during the pandemic and continues today. To save money on dining at a restaurant or ordering in, look for online coupons on Groupon.
For years, Sage Scott of Sage Alpha Gal enjoyed afternoon tea with her daughters, including finger sandwiches and cookies. “But since the pandemic, we’ve had it at home,” said Scott. “The girls will typically grab a few things at a local bakery and make the rest at home.”
It’s similar for Paula Jones of Call Me PMc. “When they get me something they know I love,” she said, “it will be a tray of desserts that I didn’t have to make, or they will make a meal for me.”
Staying with the food theme, you can arrange to do taste tests of different cookies or pastries, or you can set up a flight of coffees or teas to sample together. You can also treat mom to a tin of mini jars of jam that you can enjoy while you have brunch together on Mother’s Day. If mom really likes the jam, you can get it for her again later in the year: Bonne Maman always offers advent calendars for adults during the holidays.
Personal stylist experience gift ideas
If your mom is like most, she spends a lot of her time — and money — worrying about clothing for everyone else. So why not treat her to the gift of a personal stylist? You can set up this experience for her to do in person at a store like Nordstrom. There, you can work with Nordstrom personal shoppers for free.
Even if you don’t live near a Nordstrom, there are many opportunities for mom to work with a personal stylist online. It’s an experiential shopping gift that takes place entirely at home through companies like Stitch Fix and Wantable.
Wrapping up this gift advice
With all of these experiential gift ideas in your back pocket, there is no reason to give the mom in your life more stuff for Mother’s Day this year. When you create an experience she can enjoy, you create memories that could potentially last a lifetime.
Leah Ingram has written 15 books, ranging from how to pay to college to topics about gifts, weddings and etiquette. She writes about shopping and buying gifts for all occasions on her money-saving blog, Cost of Shopping.