If you feel like your kids have plenty of “stuff” and you’re not sure what to give them without adding more clutter to your house, consider gifting them experiences! Added bonus: gifts in the future feel like gifts that keep on giving when the time to redeem that experience approaches. Check out these experience gift ideas in the Denver area.
Paw Patrol Live!
Have young ones in your life? Chase, Marshall and the Paw Patrol gang are coming to Denver from January 31-February 1st at Bellco Theater. In “A Mighty Adventure,” the pups must save their victory party from supervillain Victoria Vance and you could give the kids in your life an up-close view. PAW Patrol Live’s website has more information on the show, tickets, VIP packages and more!
Disney on Ice
Experience the magic right here in Denver with Disney On Ice. See some of your favorite Disney stars from Aladdin, Frozen, and more brought to life on ice! Find out more specifically about Disney’s Road Trip Adventures as well as ticket information. It will be passing through Colorado Springs at the Broadmoor World Arena March 19-22, the Denver Coliseum from March 27-29, and Loveland’s Blue Arena April 2-5, 2026. All guests 2 years old and older must have a ticket.
Monster Jam
Experience Monster Jam® live and become a fan for life with an ultimate day of family fun, gravity-defying stunts, heart-pounding races, and plenty of big air! Monster Jam events feature some of the most famous 12,000-pound trucks in the world including Grave Digger®, Megalodon®, Sparkle Smash™, and many more. Monster Jam is coming to Ball Arena February 6-8, 2026. It will return to the Denver area May 9th, 2026 at Empower Field. All guests 2 and older must have a ticket. Their website has all the information including how to add on Pit Passes and other extras to your experience.
Supercross
Monster Energy AMA Supercross, part of the SuperMotocross World Championship series, is the most competitive and highest-profile off-road motorcycle racing championship in the world, attracting the top professional racers from around the globe. This is a thrilling gift for the kids in your life who love adrenaline and racing. Racers will be competing in Round 16 here in Denver at Empower Field on May 2, 2026. You can see the whole schedule, 2026 track maps and links for tickets here.
Harlem Globetrotters
Got a basketball fan in your life? Looking for a fun, entertaining outing? The Harlem Globetrotters are celebrating 100 years with a world tour and we are lucky enough to get 3 opportunities to see them! They will be at the Blue Arena in Loveland on March 11, the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs on March 14, and the Denver Coliseum on March 15. Check out their website for all the details.
Events Based on Interest
In addition to specific shows passing through town, there are a variety of concerts, shows and sporting events taking place in Denver all year long. Choose the one that best fits the interest of your child and make it a date! Family date, parent/child, or an outing with friends – it’s the perfect way to put a smile on their face and give them something to look forward to!
Denver Center for the Performing Arts has a wide variety of shows throughout the year that you can choose from after browsing their website. This year, from May 30-June 21, 2026, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be showing for those Harry Potter fans in your home.
Musicians of all types frequent Denver. Check out the Ticketmaster website to see who is coming to town and pick the right concert for you and your family.
Denver is home to the Broncos, Rockies, Nuggets and the Avalanche so you can match the perfect sporting event to your family. Check their websites to see when they (or your favorite team who might be visiting) play and to purchase tickets.
Play Together
Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park
The park might not be open year-round, but you can buy tickets and season passes as a great gift! If you buy a 2026 season pass soon, you’ll also receive free admission to Elitch Holidays 2025. When the summer rolls around, they’ll be excited and ready to ride!
TopGolf (Centennial, Thornton or Colorado Springs)
Make it a one-day family outing or invest in a membership or lessons. However you do it, paired with the delicious food on their menu, you are sure to have a good time.
Boondocks: Food and Fun (Parker and Northglenn)
From bowling and arcade to bumper boats, mini golf, go-karts and ropes course, Boondocks has something for everyone. You could gift them a generic outing where you plan to spend the day eating and playing, or you can gift them a pre-loaded arcade card or play pass. Pick the right option for your family and have fun!
Main Event (Highlands Ranch, Thornton, Windsor and Colorado Springs)
Similar to Boondocks but in different parts of the city, check out the website for the right combination of fun for your family!
Water World (Denver) or Pirates Cove (Englewood/Littleton)
While both water parks are closed for the season, season tickets for next summer are on sale now and a promise for tickets to either one, even if a handmade certificate because you don’t want to buy in advance, will get kids excited for summer! You can currently buy Pirates Cove 2026 season passes for 20% off until December 31!
iFLY (Lone Tree)
Discover the thrill of skydiving without actually having to jump out of a plane! They also
welcome individuals with physical or cognitive challenges. Their website is currently offering 35% off Instant Gifts (gifts delivered digitally). Check out their website for details and packages.
Classes and Lessons
Children who are passionate about something love to learn more and spend time honing their skills. Gifting your child lessons in their area of interest is a great way to show them you care as well as pay for lessons and a gift at once (win, win!).
SNOBAHN (in Centennial/Littleton and Thornton) is a great place to teach them to ski or allow them to increase their skillset without actually having to drive in to the slopes. A promise of ski school on an actual ski trip would be great, too, but this is a good option for those not already planning a ski trip.
Horse riding lessons at a local riding club or ranch often come in 4-packs or allow you to buy an introductory lesson or summer camp. Great for the horse lover in your home!
Guitar Center locations offer lessons for the budding musician in your family. They offer guitar (electric and acoustic), bass, drums, piano and DJ. At select locations, they offer lessons for orchestral stringed instruments and brass & woodwind instruments as well as singing lessons. Check their website for a location nearest you.
You can also ask around to family and friends if they have a local teacher they would recommend and gift your child a certain number of lessons.
Raddish Kids is a mail-order cooking club that sends kids a monthly box including that month’s recipe, grocery list, cooking skill of the month and a nice quality cooking tool (spatula, whisk, ravioli mold, etc.). This is a great gift that keeps on giving for a child who loves the kitchen.
Sur La Table (Southglenn and Boulder). If you would rather they learn outside of the house, consider cooking classes. Sur La Table also offers a 5-day winter cooking class series for ages 7-11.
Gift a Getaway
Find a creative way to gift your kids your next vacation! You could wrap Mickey ears and t-shirts to announce a trip to Disney, Hawaiian leis and sunglasses to let them know they’re going to Hawaii, or ski lift passes for the next ski trip. If you’re taking a vacation anyway, make it a gift, too. Or, if they already know about it, you can gift them spending money that they can spend however they want on the upcoming trip.
Not able to go far away? No problem! Plan an easy getaway near home. Great Wolf Lodge in Colorado Springs is a great option (especially when it means water slides in the winter!) or look up an affordable VRBO or hotel in the mountains and go spend a cozy weekend as a family sledding or skiing or just drinking hot chocolate by a mountain of board games and movies! As long as you’re enjoying time as a family, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing.
IOUs or “Coupon” Books
Gifts don’t have to break the bank. Kids get excited about all kinds of things. Create a book of coupons – handmade or printed from the computer – for things they will appreciate all year long. You can let them have “veto power” over dinner on a night where the dinner plan does not sound good to them – they choose the replacement meal. You can let them “get out of a chore free” and when they are not in the mood to fold the laundry or do the dishes, they redeem the coupon and you do it instead that night. It doesn’t mean they’ll never do chores again, but it can sure feel good to get a break when they just aren’t feeling it. And it didn’t cost you a dime!
Some other possibilities could include “You Pick the Movie” for family movie night or “You Pick the Game” for game night and no one can argue. You could also include some that cost money, but not much, like going out for ice cream, to the movies, or “Yes You Can” when they ask for a specific item at the grocery store you would usually say no to. You can also include multiple coupons for the same thing if you want more coupons but are out of ideas. They’d probably like several “get out of chore free” cards! Get creative thinking about your kids and their specific likes and dislikes.
