Give Her the Gift of Making Memories this Mother’s Day With One of These Experience Gifts

April 27, 2022

Mother’s Day always seems to sneak up on me. Easter ends and I think “ok, we’ve got a while until the next holiday.” Then, BAM. Mother’s Day.

It never leaves me with much time to find a gift. Which honestly, has never presented much of a problem. When I was younger, my dad and I would usually make my mom breakfast and I’d gift her a concoction of glitter, cardboard, and hearts that I glued together in our basement. As I got older, Mother’s Day usually meant getting together for dinner, but again minimal gifts involved.

I guess my point is that I’m not huge on physical Mother’s Day gifts because I don’t want to get my mom something she doesn’t really want or need (to be clear, she did need those glitter, cardboard, heart concoctions).

I’ve started to prefer experience gifts, partly because they’re much easier to buy last minute, but I also find them to be so much more meaningful. I’m not wasting money on a “thing” that’ll end up in the landfill. Instead, we’re making memories that’ll last a lifetime. If you need some inspiration for your Mother’s Day experience gifts this year, continue reading below!

7 Mother’s Day Experience Gifts Your Mom Will Actually Love

Mother's Day Experience Gifts: A mother and daughter in a kitchen eating spaghetti

1. Museum Tickets

Is there anything your mom loves to geek out on? Is there a museum for that thing? Boom, there’s your gift. Snag a couple tickets and make a day out of it for the two of you (or the whole family). You could even consider getting her an annual pass so she can gain access to extra events throughout the year.

2. A National Park Pass

If your mom is more of the outdoorsy type, get her an annual National Park Pass. It costs $80 and will give her 12 months of access to thousands of federal recreation sites. You can also come along for the ride since the pass covers admission for both the owner and passengers as long as you’re traveling in one non-commercial vehicle.

3. Plant Shopping

Offer to go with her to a local plant shop to pick out a few new plant babies for her home. For extra quality time, start with a brunch near by. Once you head to the shop just make sure to know the light / air conditions of her house so you can get plants that will thrive. Trust me it will be disappointing if you go visit a week later and the plants you so lovingly picked out together are already dead.

4. House Cleaning Service

Moms love clean homes. They get so much serotonin from clean sinks and freshly vacuumed floors, which makes a cleaning service one of the best Mother’s Day experience gifts. Now I know on the surface it doesn’t seem like an experience gift, but hear me out. Make her a DIY voucher that she can redeem on a day of her choosing, and then get her out of the house so the cleaning people can do their thing. Take her to lunch or to get a mani / pedi and when she returns home she’ll not only have a sparkling clean home, but will have gotten to spend quality time with you.

5. Sign Her Up for a Class

Whether it’s online or in person, there’s a class for practically everything these days. You could give your mom the gift of learning photography, vegan cooking, painting, pottery, floral arrangements, whatever you think she’d find interesting. And if you can, sign yourself up too because if you haven’t noticed a theme here, the greatest gift of all is spending time with you.

Not sure what kind of class she’d enjoy? Browse online classes through Uncommon Experiences or in-person classes through Groupon.

6. Audiobooks Subscription

Subscriptions make great Mother’s Day Experience Gifts because they truly are gifts that keep on giving (well at least, for as long as you keep paying). If she loves reading, but maybe doesn’t always have the time, an Audiobooks subscription is a great option. She can listen to books while accomplishing all her super mom duties.

7. Meditation App Subscription

I have yet to meet a mom who doesn’t need a little help with relaxation. Make it easier for her with a subscription to an app like Headspace or Calm. They’ll help her find little moments in her day to unwind and let the stresses of motherhood melt away.

If you enjoyed learning about these Mother’s Day experience gifts and are craving more sustainable living tips, then sign up for The Eco Edit! You’ll be joining hundreds of other pro-planet enthusiasts who are passionate about bettering the world through small, sustainable steps.