There’s no denying the way a child’s eyes light up at the sight of presents under the tree. But there’s also no denying how quickly many of those toys are soon abandoned for the next shiny object. 

And let’s consider that Christmas classic by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. When the three ghosts visit Scrooge throughout Christmas Eve in the last-ditch effort to help him remember the true meaning of Christmas, they don’t bring him things. Nope. They give him the gift of experiences, lessons, and memories...a gift that changes his life forever and for the better.

So as the gift-giving season descends upon us, let’s explore five reasons why experiences make better gifts than things.

1. They prove the thought really does count

We’ve all heard the old adage, “It’s the thought that counts.” And this is true no matter what gift we give. But it’s especially true when we give an experience.

Why? Well, have you ever planned a trip, special celebration, or even an afternoon outing? Then you know the amount of research and effort that goes into it! You want every detail to be perfect, especially when it’s for someone you care about. That means lots of time thinking about who they are, what they like, and what makes them unique.

But “thought” also applies to that tantalizing thing, anticipation.

For many of us, looking forward to an experience is as exciting as the experience itself! When my husband gifted me with Christmas in an English castle a couple of years ago, we spent the entire month before daydreaming over pictures of the castle and rereading the itinerary in anticipation of the visit. In the end, not only did I have an amazing experience, but I also had all the fun of looking forward to it!

3. They make us better people

As much as we may really like our things (and hey, there are some cool things out there!), experiences become a part of us in a way that stuff never can. Tom Gilovich, one of the psychologists in a 2003 study comparing happiness from experiences versus from material goods, says: We are the sum total of our experiences.

So by giving an experiential gift, we’re really gifting someone with a new piece of themselves!

When we arrive in a new place, put our bags down in our hotel room and look out the window at the view of new sights and sounds and smells, all our senses come to life. We are in the moment, open to new flavors, new people, new ideas. And as we go through that experience, new loves, hopes, and interests are woven into our souls.

In a time when self-awareness, mindfulness, and openness are essential to not just our well-being, but the world’s experiences are the best gift we can give.

5. And finally, science says so!

Remember Tom Gilovich up above? After he and Leaf Van Boven published their 2003 findings that experiences are more likely to lead to happiness than things, other researchers started taking a serious look at, basically, the art of gift-giving. Definitely read more on that research, but here are the takeaways.

As humans, we’re hardwired to adapt quickly, especially to things, but experiences give us more to chew on for longer. More than that, as we’ve already mentioned, we absorb those experiences into our very being, learn from them, and carry them with us in ways we can’t with things. They can’t be lost. And, finally, it’s in our nature to be interested in the world and people around us; we find the most fulfillment in other people, not things.

While it might seem like a physical object would give longer-lasting happiness, the complete opposite is true. Experiential gifts are actually better valued for money and will make your loved ones smile way longer!

So this gift-giving season, forego trips to the mall, and hours hunting for token objects. Instead, spend your time thinking about the people you love and an experience that would make them truly happy for the long run! And with photographers in over 500 cities, we can help take that experience to another level by capturing those forever memories.