Gift memories - not stuff - this holiday season

Megan Raposa -

This is a paid piece from the Children's Museum of South Dakota.

Simplified: It's the season of gift giving, but not every gift has to come in a big, wrapped package. The Children's Museum of South Dakota has some great options for gifting experiences.

Why it matters

  • An annual membership to the children's museum is a gift that will keep giving again and again all year long, while toys collect dust in the closet. And if the membership feels like too big of a commitment, you can also gift individual Play Passes, which are each good for daily museum admission.
  • Visiting the Children's Museum in downtown Brookings is also a way to really get to know the children in your life by watching them experience the world through play. There are more than two dozen exhibits that let kids do everything from grocery shopping to farming to climbing to creating.
  • Worried about not having something to open on Christmas morning? You can also find a toy in the museum gift shop to pair with an annual membership. Or, you can wrap up passes in a big cardboard box that doubles as a toy in and of itself.
"You're gifting memories. You're gifting time together," said Kerrie Vilhauer, director of marketing for the museum. "When you gift an experience, that's carving out hours of family time that you just get to be together."

Tell me more about the Children's Museum

The museum's mission is to spark imagination through play, creativity and discovery.

  • The idea is, if you design an environment with kids in mind, they'll learn by exploring and playing.

In addition to regular exhibits and programming, the museum also has a number of holiday-themed events in the coming weeks – including a chance to see Santa and celebrate "Noon Year's Eve." Learn more here about all of the upcoming events.

A visit to the museum involves a quick trip up Interstate 29 to Brookings, and, as an added bonus, the odds are pretty good that your kids take a good nap on the ride home.

How can I gift experiences?

Get an annual membership, Play Passes, gift certificates and more at prairieplay.org.