Choosing the best gift for Mother’s Day can sometimes be a challenge. After years of sending flowers and giving chocolates, scarves, jewelry and personal spa items, the well of ideas might seem to run a little dry. What many adult children forget, however, is that what mom wants most is to spend time with her kids.
This Mother’s Day, why not grant mom her biggest wish and give her an experience gift instead? An experience gift is simply the gift of an outing instead of a tangible package that mom unwraps.
There are countless ways to give an experience gift, but they all start with examining mom’s hobbies, fondest memories, or even unfulfilled dreams. Moms have favorite pastimes just like anyone else, but spending the day engaging in a hobby with her kids alongside is a bonus. Children can also re-create a memory they shared when they were still young, or help mom revisit one of her own childhood memories. Or, perhaps there is something mom always wanted to do but never got the chance. A dream-come-true Mother’s Day experience gift would certainly create a lasting, treasured memory.
To help mom celebrate this year, children might purchase tickets to a sporting event, musical theater performance or take a picnic lunch to a scenic spot. Kids might also take mom on a trip down memory lane with a visit to an old neighborhood, arranging a visit with a long lost friend, or planning a day that duplicates the outings of a day long past. If mom has a bucket list, arrange a helicopter tour, a music studio recording session, dance or art lessons, a scuba dive, hot air balloon ride, or up-close visit with exotic animals.
In the St. Louis area, mom might enjoy time with her kids doing some of the following outings:
Painting With A Twist: art projects requiring no prior experience and enjoyed with a glass of wine.
The Paint Spot: choose from a variety of unfinished pottery pieces and turn them into works of art.
Third-Degree Glass Factory: create beautiful blown glass beads, dishes, and more.
St. Louis County Parks: get back to nature with a hike and a picnic lunch.
Crown Ridge Tiger Sanctuary: sneak in a day trip to get a close-up look at tigers and lions.
World Bird Sanctuary: go bird-watching on a large scale with eagles, falcons, owls, hawks and much more.
Ted Drewes: enjoy St. Louis’s best frozen custard while catching up on each other’s lives.
Bissell Mansion Restaurant and Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre: enjoy a fabulous dinner and help solve a make-believe crime.
Mastermind Room Escape: be “locked” in a room with only your wits and puzzle-solving ability to escape in 60 minutes.
Mark Twain Boyhood Museum: Re-live favorite childhood books with a trip to Mark Twain’s boyhood home, just a short day trip from St. Louis.
Sheldon Concert Hall: let the music move you; there are many different genres represented.
Missouri Botanical Garden: enjoy the sunshine, floral arrays, and chance to chat in a café over looking gorgeous gardens.
Forest Park Boathouse: spend the day on the water and enjoy a Mother’s Day brunch from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., reservations required (314-367-2224).
St. Louis Balloon: give mom a bird’s-eye view of St. Louis in an unforgettable hot air balloon ride.
Cardinals Hall of Fame & Museum: run the bases of memory lane with a tour that will bring all her favorite baseball memories to life again.
Whatever experience is chosen for a Mother’s Day outing, mom is sure to cherish the memories made for years to come.
