The holiday season means something different to everyone but for many people, it is all about giving gifts. They may start early, trying to find the perfect gift for everyone on their list but as the end of December gets closer, the shopping gets a little more frantic. That is especially true when you are trying to buy for children, and any grandparent will tell you that it is not always the easiest thing to do.
It doesn’t matter if we are shopping in a real store or if we are doing it digitally, we may find that we are loading up the cart with all types of toys and electronics. We want to see the expression on their face when they open their gifts on December 25. Parents take the time to plan and save and make sure that they are able to get plenty of goodies for that day. The problem is, the day comes and goes and then it is another year before it arrives again.
One grandmother did something last year they went viral and it is a gift idea that people are going crazy over. Her name is Darlene Howell Waller and unfortunately, the original Facebook post was removed by that doesn’t mean that the idea was removed altogether. She said that she wanted to give something good to her grandchildren that wasn’t a toy because they had everything.
What she wanted to give them was the gift of time and memories. She was inspired by some DIY ideas from Pinterest and she came up with a unique way to package some individual experiences. She called it the ‘adventure box’.
Waller found a treasure chest at a craft store and decorated it. She then filled it with envelopes that were labeled for each month of the year. Inside each envelope was an activity that the family could do together and many of them included her in the mix.
Some of the gifts included movie tickets, laser tag, picnicking, horseback riding, an outing to the pumpkin patch and a visit to the beach. It was shared on a popular blog and she said that every monthly adventure would include a picture that would be kept inside the box.
‘Nonna’ also included a letter along with the gift that explained what the box meant. When it was posted on social media, many people started commenting on how they could make this work for their family.
There were many people who were inspired to do all sorts of things, including minigolf, fireworks, fishing, hiking, s’mores and almost anything in between. Some people said that they would take care of the payment for activities and events to spread out the cost over the year. When you give it as a certain gift, it is a surprise and a sentimental gesture that lasts all year long.
When the originator of the adventure box commented on her own upbringing, it meant something even more:
“If we looked back on our years, we don’t remember the gifts that were given or WHO gave them. But for me, time spent together are some of my sweetest childhood memories. I remember the family vacations, the Saturday trips to the grocery store, the lake and camping adventures with my family, the fun we had in the tree house that my dad built for me. But I couldn’t tell you a single gift that was a ‘thing’ that I remember receiving.”
Perhaps we could all learn a lesson from this. Regardless of whether we are a parent, grandparent or anyone else who wants to give a gift, get creative when doing it.