Northwest Experiences Holiday Gift Guide – Gift Ideas for the Family & Date Night Ideas too!
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Are you looking to give a gift that doesn’t take up any space or create any more clutter for your loved ones? While most folks don’t need more stuff, you can never have enough time with the ones that you love.
We have some great ideas for you that are gifts of experience and special memories around the Northwest that can be enjoyed throughout the year. Recipients will be thrilled to play tourist in their own city, try something fun they’ve always wanted to do, or simply enjoy the gift of quality time with loved ones.
A few National Deals to Highlight, before we get into the Northwest-specific ideas:
Western Washington:
Gift Ideas for Kids and Families:
Favorite Experience Gift Deal for this season –
How to Get This Offer:
- Head to Get Out Pass here https://getoutpass.com/, and choose the area you want a pass for
- At checkout, change the promo code to THRIFTYNW
- That will drop the price down to $19.99 (Reg $99) for the Washington location! You can choose other locations too, and this code should get you the very lowest price for all locations.
- That is $80 off! Wow!! (You’ll need to replace the code that’s already in there with this new one for the best savings!)
- Woodland Park Zoo – 1 admission
- Arena Sports (Mill Creek) – 1 game of bowling or laser tag
- Family Fun Center Tukwila – 1 activity a WEEK
- Big Air Trampoline Park (Outlet Collection mall) – 1 hr visit/quarter
- UW Hockey Game – 1 admission
- Old McDebbie Farm – 1 admission
- BrainyActz (Tacoma) – 1 nerf or arrow tag game (this is $30/person normally)
- And soooo much more – there are over 50+ activities!
Dave & Busters Game Play Card – Auburn, WA & Bellevue WA
Take the family for a fun night out with bumper cars, Max Flight roller-coaster simulator, outdoor race cars, and the outdoor Screamin’ Swing, as well as bowling, laser tag, mini golf and bumper boats. They often offer discount game cards. We have a review on the Tukwila Family Fun Center & Bullwinkle Restaurant, as well the details on current deals available.
Or if you are shopping for young kids, you can get $50 in gift cards to Chuck E Cheese for $37.50!
FEVER Seattle Events is offering a Black Friday sale
with discounts on local event tickets like the Candlelight Concerts, Tomb Raiders Escape Room, Ballets and more. We have done a few events through them, and you can find those shared on our Instagram page (like a visit to the ballet included in this sale here)!
Sia in the iFly Seattle location.
iFly Indoor Skydiving Experience – Tukwila, WA
We share our iFly Seattle review, from our visit a few years back, to give you an idea of what to expect. We also share all of the current deals we know about for iFly in that article as well.
Top Golf – Renton, WA.
They have now opened a Top Golf location in Renton! Top Golf is a sports entertainment complex with high-teak golf games (these are fun even if you are not a golfer), food, and a fun high-energy atmosphere. It is especially great if you are buying for a family with tweens teens, or young adults.
Plus, find a deal on Gift Cards for Top Golf at Costco too!
Paintball Tickets – Multiple locations around Puget Sound
Get all-day paintball admission and equipment rental for 1 or groups of 4, 6 or 12. This is for ages 10 and up, so it’s most appropriate for the tweens and teens in your life. Get tickets on Groupon starting at under $5!
Build a Bear Workshop Gift Cards – Tacoma, WA or Lynnwood, WA
If you have kiddos who love stuffed animals, you can get them a gift card to Build a Bear. They’ll be able to make their own stuffed animal with a choice of accessories and unique personalization. Sams Club sells Build a Bear discount gift cards here too! Build-A-Bear has some great savings available all year that you can combine this with, like their birthday bears and other promotions.
Chocolate Tours!
Tour Seattle’s Theo Chocolate Factory – Fremont, WA
Give your recipient a chance to pretend to be Willy Wonka for an afternoon while touring a working chocolate factory, Theo Chocolate, in the heart of Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood. Tours start at $12 and children 6 and over are welcome on the regular tour, while younger children may participate in a weekly chocolate story time that can be booked through the factory’s website. This is a bean-to-bar chocolate, fair-trade, organic chocolate company.
The Seattle Chocolate Tour in – Tukwila. Wa
This tour is in the Tukwila area, so there are lots of other things to do for families in this area, making it a great option for families especially.
Find more ideas to do in the South Sound area for families, if you plan to head out there too.
Urban Adventure Scavenger Hunt – Seattle, WA
Embark on a scavenger hunt that takes you on a journey through Seattle’s landmarks, traversing 3 miles and riding the monorail. The hunt is $49 for the full quest and it includes a family or team of 2-5 people.
Find deals on Urban Adventures as well as more scavenger hunt options here.
Axe Throwing – Seattle, WA
Axe Throwing is a fun activity for many ages. Jens family enjoyed Sea Axe, but you will find them in many locations throughout the Puget Sound. Check out Jen’s reel from their Axe Throwing Adventure here to get a better idea of how it works. Find deals on Axe Throwing here.
A weekend at Great Wolf Lodge – Grand Mound, WA
Sometimes a weekend away together is a perfect family present and Great Wolf Lodge is a fabulous getaway for the whole family especially when there is a discount involved.
Great Wolf Lodge has frequent deals we share in our Great Wolf Lodge Promo Codes, and Great Wolf Lodge Groupon Deals too. You can pre-book the dates when you purchase so you know ahead of time what weekend you can visit. This is a great last-minute gift and it’s also easy to print out a picture to wrap up and put under the tree.
Olive Branch Cafe & Tea Room in Tacoma
Right now, Groupon has discount tickets here,
Museum Memberships in Washington
You can’t go wrong with a museum or zoo membership, too. Memberships are awesome because the recipient can use them year-round, and most include gift shop discounts and additional passes for friends.
Plus, most museums and zoos participate in a reciprocal agreement with nationwide zoos or museums, which means you can get a discount or even free admission at locations around the country, which offers even more savings.
Some favorites for kids and families include:
- Northwest Trek
- Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
- Woodland Park Zoo
- Seattle Aquarium
- Seattle Children’s Museum
- MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry)
- Pacific Science Center
- Museum of Flight
- MoPOP Museum ( purchasing a Family Membership also includes 50% admission to the Living Computer Museum and the Flying Heritage Collection.
- The All-New Burke Museum
Gift Ideas for Adults:
Puzzle Break – Seattle, WA
You’re locked in a room for 60 minutes and the only way out is by solving a puzzle! The entire experience is about 90 minutes long and works great for families or groups.
Photo Credit: Show Me Seattle
Show Me Seattle Pike Place Market Tour – Seattle, WA
Play tourist in your own town on a guided Pike Place Market Tour while trying some fun foods along the way. Kids under 5 are free on this tour which lasts about 2.5 hours.
Or head to South Lake Union for a Street Food Tour. I did this one and loved it (we share about it on Instagram, if you want to see what is included)!
- Make sure to check Groupon as they are frequently available on Groupon for discounted food tours in Seattle.
- Or find more ticket options on Fever Seattle here as well!
Seattle Self-Guided Food Tours – Seattle, WA
Here is another idea for food tours, self-guided tours. You could provide funds to taste some of the items at the included restaurants.
If you love to discover new restaurants, Emerald Palate’s self-guided food tours are a great way to explore new neighborhood restaurants and visit at your own pace. There are 2 self-guided food tours you can purchase – Ballard & Fremont . Each food tour includes an 8-stop itinerary for visiting food blogger, Adria Saracino’s favorite restaurants in those neighborhood, 13-14 “honorable mention” restaurants and interviews with the restaurant owners as well.
Gift a Terrarium Bar Visit for the Gardner in Your Life!
The Terrarium bar is such a fun idea. Get a gift card for someone to visit to make their own custom terrarium. Jen visited this one in Renton, and had a great time!
Western Oregon:
Gift Ideas for Kids and Families:
Sky Zone Trampoline Park – Vancouver, WA
One of the best ways to get exercise & have a blast together is by heading to a trampoline park. Kids & adults will love jumping on the trampolines, so it’s a great activity to do as a family.
Live Laugh Love Art Paint Your Own Pottery Studio – Portland, OR or Vancouver, WA
Enjoy some one-on-one time with one of your kids or head there as a family to show off your artistic abilities at this Paint Your Own Pottery studio. Walk-ins are always welcome & they are open daily except Tuesdays. So give the gift of art & have fun painting your masterpieces.
Gift Ideas for Adults:
Roosevelt Terrariums – Portland, OR
Looking for a relaxing class where your recipient can take home a special item for their home? Give the gift of a terrarium class! They will teach you how to plant a beautiful terrarium that can last for years. These terrariums are totally enclosed, low-maintenance terrariums with tropical & woodland options to choose from. They have everything from antique glass jars to fine glass containers.
Stumptown Escape Room – Tigard, OR
Escape rooms are a great date night or adventure with friends (or these are also fun to do with older tweens/teens for a family bonding experience). Players will have one hour to reach escape pods, save the Western Hemisphere, gather evidence & escape the dark forces.
Museum Memberships in Oregon:
You can’t go wrong with a museum or zoo membership, too. Memberships are awesome because the recipient can use them year round, and most include gift shop discounts and additional passes for friends. Plus, most museums and zoos participate in a reciprocal agreement with nationwide zoos or museums, which means you can get a discount or even free admission at locations around the country, which offers even more savings. Some favorites for kids and families include:
- Oregon Zoo– in 2018 this also included monthly reciprocal benefits at other Portland-area museums.
- OMSI – (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry)
- Portland Children’s Museum
- Gilbert House Children’s Museum
- Evergreen Aviation Museum
- High Desert Museum (Bend OR)
Wow!! This is such an awesome and comprehensive guide! I loved so many of the suggestions. You rock!