The Gift of Time Box: A Year of Experiences in One Amazing Gift
The gift of time is a unique present that anyone will appreciate.
The gift of time is possibly the most thoughtful present someone could ever give! Here’s a fun way to pledge time well spent as an incredible gift. ❤️
Consider making an experience box by using a gift box and filling it with 12 fun ideas and activities to spend time with your kids, grandkids, or any loved one.
Each month of the year, the recipient can look forward to picking a card that will reveal a different idea (or two). Make sure to put each card in a sealed envelope to keep the surprises coming throughout the year!
This gift can also become a family bucket list for the new year!
Need ideas? Here are a few activities for inspiration:
- Hiking, camping, fishing, or anything outdoors.
- Family date nights: movies, bowling, restaurants, etc.
- Go to the beach and build a sandcastle.
- Learn something new, like a cooking lesson, music lesson, or pottery class.
- Visit a local museum of their choice.
- Host a lemonade stand in the summer.
- Visit your local escape room.
- Volunteer at a local charity.
- Go putt-putt golfing.
- Attend a baseball game or other local sporting event.
- Have a pizza night and make everything from scratch.
- Have a pajama party, watch movies, and eat ice cream for dinner!
- Painting night! Everyone gets a canvas and creates a masterpiece!
Gift of Time Box
PrintSupplies Needed
Directions
1
Decorate or purchase a gift box.
2
Label your envelopes by month.
3
Write your creative craft ideas or family bucket list adventures to accomplish that month.
4
Seal your envelopes so the recipient can open them every month.
Personalize your Gift of Time box for your loved one and your budget.
This gift box will encourage you to say YES to experiences you might normally say no to. Have the kids been begging to go to a local Escape Room? Put it in an envelope! As a bonus, having the “gifts” spread out over the year will make the costs seem more manageable.
This gift in a box will make spending time as a family the best gift! After all, vacation experience gifts are the best gifts of all and can easily be added to your gift box, no matter how big or small.
Think outside the box! 🎁
This gift would also be so special for a spouse. Simply add some fun and unique date night ideas throughout the year, or even simple things you can do at home to romanticize each day.
Don’t forget about the older loved ones in your life, too! This box would be an incredible opportunity to organize some special time together with a parent, grandparent, or anyone special in your life.
Here are some heartwarming comments from readers who have done this in the past:
“I did a smaller version of this last year. I have five kids, and I’m a single mom, so each child got to have a ‘date with mom’. My twins got gift cards and tokens in their packages for Chuck E. Cheese. My daughter got a cute stuffed animal of a stingray and a gift card for the aquarium she wanted to go to.
As for my older son, he got tickets for a movie with his favorite candy, and my oldest daughter got socks with sushi on them and a bottle of wasabi sauce (she loves it), and a gift card for a sushi restaurant for us to go to together. My kids loved it and so did I!” – Melanie, Hip Reader
“I have a lot of nieces and nephews. In years past, I have made them each a ‘gift card’ redeemable for things like a dozen cookies, a whole pie, a batch of homemade ice cream. Always something different each year. They can redeem it for whichever kind/flavor they choose. I supply the ingredients, and we make it together.
They are always so happy because they don’t have to share their favorite treats with their siblings, and we get to spend time together doing something just for them. It was very helpful to also space out the amount of money spent.” – Teah, Hip Reader
Cute idea’s 🙂
Thanks so much Ana!
Thank you so much for posting this. To elaborate on this, please, please, please consider giving the older ones in our lives this gift of time in the form of doing things for them, i.e., cleaning the house, taking out the garbage, raking the leaves, shoveling the sidewalk, etc. I’m not to the point where I can’t do these things myself… just know at that age, I won’t need “things.” I am all about “experiences” though!
Oh my goodness great idea! Thanks for sharing Lisa!
This is SUCH a wonderful idea!! ❤️ Thank you so much for sharing.
Love this. When I was little. Mom would make coupon books like this. But could use them when ever I wanted. It was cute idea.
Oh my goodness I love this
Yay thanks Melissa!
We are doing this for our four boys this year! I’m thrilled and I’m sure that they will be too! There is no better gift than spending time together! ❤️
Sounds great! I agree ❤️
Thank you for posting this! As I am done Christmas shopping (thanks to you all), I have felt there was just something missing. This is exactly what I needed. Love Love Love this idea!!!
Oh yay! You’re so welcome.
I’m hoping someone can help with some other ideas along this line… My aunt has Alzheimer’s. She’s physically capable, but mentally struggling, so I need some ideas of things I could do with her that aren’t as physically intensive as a hike, but not as helpful as cleaning house. She needs something that makes her feel like I want to spend time with her. Anyone have any ideas along those lines?
Oh I love this idea! ❤️
I had a friend who used to watch say yes to the dress with her mom. Her mom loved fashion and still liked to give her opinion. She didn’t know who she was watching the show with but she loved the interactive part. I like the idea of having her helping folding laundry, it would help her feel useful, even if it was the same load of towels over and over. My mom doesn’t have Alzheimer’s but I know going to the movies was one of her favorite things to do as a child and she loved going with us as we were growing up. She still lives going and getting popcorn. I think it’s something she would love to do at anytime in her life. Think about her favorite hobbies or what she liked to do as a child and try to recreate that.
LOVE this idea! I let extended family buy “gifts” for my son while we give him experiences so that we can make memories as a family. Now I can put down a general categories and he can pick the activities or places. Thank you for the idea, H2S!
Oh sure! Enjoy!
Love this idea
Thanks so much Charity!
Love love love this!!
Yay! Thanks Anna!
THIS is why I love Hip2save. The regular store deals are amazing but I also loooove posts like these and especially Lina’s posts about regular home stuff! I love the mix I get when I visit Hip2Save!
Ah that’s so great THANK YOU for reading and commenting today ❤️
Your comment means SO much to our team. Thank you! ❤️
Very nice ideas!! 🙂
Thanks Jen!
Lina, I find your clever ideas and delicious recipes simply fabulous. I wish I lived next-door to you so that we could be best friends.
AHH thanks Lulu! That made my day! ❤️❤️ I appreciate your sweet comment!
YES, I second that lol – I want Lina to be my next-door neighbor too!
Me too! We all want Lina as our neighbor LOL!
I LOVE this idea! Thank you so much for sharing!
You’re so welcome! Thanks for reading today! ❤️
I did a smaller version of this last year. I have five kids and I’m a single mom so each child got to have a “date with mom”. My twins got gift cards and tokens in their package for Chuck E. Cheese.
My daughter got a cute stuffed animal of a sting ray and a gift card for the aquarium she wanted to go to. My older son got tickets for a movie with his favorite candy and my oldest daughter got socks with sushi on them and a bottle of wasabi sauce (she loves it) and a gift card for a sushi restaurant for us to go to together. My kids loved it and so did I!
That’s so fantastic!! Love ❤️ Thanks for sharing Melanie!
I love your ideas Lina! I have done a simpler version of this each year for my son. I add these kind of coupons into his advent calendar in some of the days instead of small toys or candy. He has always loved these ideas. I would let him choose dinner one night thinking he’d probably choose ice cream but I was surprised when he chose tacos. Another idea was to have 20 minutes of Nerf gun playing around the house or yard. He enjoyed his mom taking time to play with his toys or games or letting him make a choice for the family. Just a few examples.
By the way, he is a freshman in college this year which made advent calendar planning a little tougher this year. I didn’t want to let the tradition go just because he was away. I individually wrapped each item or coupon and numbered them. That way he could pull one out and unwrap each day. When I handed him the box with these goodies over Thanksgiving, he was touched that I had taken the time to keep the tradition going.
I also make coupons for my husband and my father who lives with us. At this point in our lives, we don’t need more stuff and like to give each other experiences or time with one another. My dad likes when I wash his car or take him to play bingo or take a drive to look around and see the sights.
Thanks again Lina. Your posts brighten my day!
Oh I love your ideas!! Thanks so much for sharing, and how sweet of you to do that for your son ❤️ I love that. Thanks for sharing Andrea!
This is IT! Thanks!! I’ve been trying to think of something to give my son, and this will be it. His sisters have plenty of ideas for me (dolls, games, clothes, etc.), but he is at the age where he’s outgrown toys, but not ready for adult things yet. This will be perfect. Thanks!! (By the way, I made your Oatmeal Caramel cookies for a recent cookie exchange last weekend. Delicious!)
Oh yum! Those are good 🤗 thanks for sharing and yes this will be great!!
Love this cute idea! I’m excited to do this this year. Thank you for sharing!
I spent time today writing down my ideas for each month. I am more excited about this gift for my husband and two teenagers than anything I purchased. Thank you for this post and all the wonderful suggestions!
Yay! That is so great Penny! Thanks so much for reading and being here with me. ❤️
Lina, you always have the best ideas and posts! Love this!
Aw thanks Justine! So nice of you. ❤️
Definitely doing this for my husband for Christmas this year. It’s our first married xmas and we said we wouldn’t buy gifts because we just spent a fortune on heart surgery for our dog. He’s drawing me a picture of her and now I finally know what I can do for him!! Thank you for the great idea!
Ah that’s sweet – and hope you’re pup is ok!
I have a lot of nieces and nephews. In years past I have made them each “gift cards” redeemable for things like a dozen cookies, a whole pie, a batch of homemade ice cream.. something different each year. They can redeem it for which ever kind/flavor they choose, I supply the ingredients and we MAKE it together. They are always so happy because they don’t have to share their favorite treats with their siblings and we get to spend time together doing something just for them. It was very helpful too, to space out the amount of money spent. The presentation of the “gift card” is also fun to come up with ideas for. I’ve used paper cookies, recycled aluminum pie plates, cleaned out ice cream pints, just print the gift card words out and glue it on add a ribbon and hang it on the tree.
Oh those are such great ideas! Thanks so much for sharing ❤️
I love this so much! I hadn’t figured out a gift for my Mom yet and this is totally perfect! I even had a Shutterfly cards printed for each month! We did dinner at our house, a concert, a shopping trip to some stores she has been wanting to go to, a photo shoot, a family craft, a broadway show, movie night, dinner out, museum tour, ice cream sundae party at our house, meet at the park to play, and a December Christmas tea! I think she will be totally surprised and excited!
I’ve done this the last few years for my 9 year old daughter! She loves it and looks forward to the beginning of each month to see the adventure. This is a great opportunity for some one on one time, but there are times she wants to include the entire family. Highly recommend doing this!
This ‘gift of time’ is such an excellent idea, especially if you decide to give it to the elderly loved ones in the family. Sometimes just a phone call or a special home made meal means so much to them. They have all the ‘things’ they need, what they actually want is people spending time with them!! Thanks Hip2Save & Lina for reminding us🌷🌷
I really love this idea. thank you so much♥️
Yes! SO true! You’re welcome, Jay!