Gifts That Aren’t Things: 42 Non-Material Gift Ideas In 2025

For adventure-seeking friends

For your active friends who love the thrill of exploring the outdoors and are into movement and fun:

• Outdoor adventures ($20–$90, good for hikers & nature enthusiasts): Guided hikes or national park entry passes. Great for all of your adventurous friends who love spending time in nature. Check out All Trails – it helps people explore the outdoors with the largest collection of detailed, hand-curated trail maps, or Cloud9Living, which offers hiking deals. 
• Water activities ($40–$150, water sports lovers & adventurous buddies): Kayaking, rafting, snorkeling, scuba diving surfing, Kite surfing, or paddleboarding sessions. 
• Movement classes ($30–$100, good for friends who like to try new things): Aerial silks classes, Capoeira (Brazilian martial arts combined with dance and music), Tai Chi, Acro yoga, ice skating, etc. If some of these are available to you, check out some local options.
• Ski or snowboard pass ($60-$100): A perfect idea for winter sport enthusiasts. Research the most convenient and affordable deal that will fit your budget. 
• Sports lessons or class passes ($40–$150): Tennis, swimming, dance classes, martial arts, Barre, etc. You can also check online courses (Masterclass, Udemy, ClassPass, etc.)  
• Climbing ($25-$80): If you have adventurous friends who like trying new things, check out some climbing centers or indoor skydiving near you. 

For wellness enthusiasts

For your yogi friends, and close ones who like to prioritize self-care and relaxation, consider: 

• Meditation or yoga classes ($15–$80, good for your yogi friends or mindfulness seekers): From one-off local sessions to online platforms like Headspace. Find something locally, or check out online options. For yoga, Alomoves is a good starting point. Or even better, if you know their favorite yoga teacher, you can check if they offer some yoga classes or courses online. Some that I like include Dharma Yoga Center Online Classes & Patrick Beach. 
• Spa day ($50–$150 good for good friends, new moms, or your partner): Massages, facials, or thermal bath passes. 
• Wellness retreat ($100-$200, good for couples, or close friends): Organize a weekend escape. 

For the creative friends

For the creative people in your life, consider some of the gifts that include creating, crafting, and making or learning new things:

• Artsy/Crafty workshops ($30–$100, good for crafty, artsy friends): Pottery, painting, photography, embroidery, or other type of art class or course. You can look for options locally or online (perhaps Skillshare or Udemy).
• Cooking classes ($50–$120, good for foodies, home chefs, or couples): Plant-based cuisine, international cooking, or baking workshops.
• DIY kits ($20–$60, good for crafty friends, families, kids, or hands-on learners): Mushroom-growing kits, soap-making supplies, or candle-making kits.
• Music lessons ($15-$80): You can check your local area for classes. TakeLessions.com offers online, at-home, and studio classes. Udemy and Skillshare for online classes & courses.

For the eco-conscious

Encourage greener living or get for your sustainably-minded friends with:

• Zero waste workshops (from $30, good for DIY enthusiasts, and sustainability advocates): On making zero waste products like reusable wraps, DIY personal products, DIY cleaning supplies, or composting techniques.
• DIY coupon (under $10): DIYing a coupon can be for any fun and thoughtful experience gift. It can be for a free homemade meal, a free foot or back massage, babysitting, or a coffee gift card. For example, a friend gifted a coffee gift card to another friend (image below); it was a cute gift. 
• Tree-planting day ($20-$40): Organize or gift participation in a tree-planting activity with organizations like One Tree Planted. This gift can be a fun option for your eco-conscious friends. If you do it with The Gifted Tree, they will send a beautiful handmade paper certificate. 
• Guided foraging adventure (good for nature lovers, adventurous friends, food enthusiasts): Treat someone to a guided foraging walk where they can learn about edible plants, mushrooms, and sustainable harvesting practices in the wild. 

For learning new skills

For your endlessly curious friends, some of these might be a good idea: 

• Online Courses ($10–$99): Online learning platforms offer a wide variety of courses on nearly any topic, making them a perfect gift for curious minds. Here are some of my favorite recommendations:
  – Skillshare: Subscription-based platform with courses in creative fields like graphic design, illustration, animation, and marketing. Costs $99 annually or $19/month.
  – Udemy: A marketplace with 130,000+ courses in topics ranging from IT and Business to Music and Personal Development. Courses are priced between $10 and $30.
  – Coursera: Offers courses taught by instructors from leading universities and companies, covering Science, Psychology, Entrepreneurship, and more. Prices start at $39-$49 per course.
  – Masterclass: Features video lessons from experts in various fields, along with workbooks and an online community for interactive learning. 
• Language classes ($15-$60): Search for nearby tutors at Care.com. TakeLessions is another place that offers online, at-home, and studio classes. Online options – Coursera (from $49), Udemy (from $20), Groupon (from $30), Skillshare (from $19).
• Museum memberships or tickets ($10–$50): Perfect for history buffs and art lovers.
• Audible gift card ($15-$100): If you have friends, who love reading but don’t want to accumulate tons of books, consider gifting them an Audible membership. It is an inexpensive and great gift, ideal for people who like to listen to podcasts & audiobooks. You can check out other e-book subscription services, or even a local library. 

For culinary enthusiasts

Treat your foodie friends with tasty experiences & all things delicious:

• Dining experience ($40–$100, good for couples, foodies, or culinary adventurers): Gift vouchers for local, sustainable restaurants, or gourmet tasting menus.
• Meal kits ($20–$80): Options like vegan cooking kits or snack boxes with global flavors. 
• Specialty ingredients ($10–$50): This is more on the edge of experience gift and consumable gift, but will put it here anyway. It can be artisanal chocolates, organic spices, or exotic coffee blends.
• Themed cooking night ($20-$60, good for parents, partners, foodies, and friends): You can create a dinner party focusing on a specific cuisine from a specific region, like French pastries or sushi-making, and have a fun immersive food adventure.  

For kiddos

Some fun and creative experiences for the little ones:

• Art, sport, or music class: There are various art classes for kids, such as pottery making, drawing, or acting, trying a new sport like swimming, football, gymnastics, or learning to play an instrument. 
• Amusement park or a water park: Not every city has one, but it might be a fun experience gift if there is one nearby. Try to see if you have some close-by options.  
• Scavenger hunt: You can organize a scavenger hunt for your kids & their friends for B-days or other holidays. A scavenger hunt doesn’t require much, and it is an affordable and fun indoor or outdoor activity. You can get over 20 scavenger hunt ideas & maps here. 
• Bowling: This affordable fun activity is a great non-material gift idea for both kids & adults.
• Symbolic animal adoption ($40-$80): If you know a kiddo who’s crazy about animals, you can symbolically adopt an animal for them. Many organizations offer the adoption and protection of animals for endangered species, including elephants, sloths, penguins, baby orangutans, etc. These adoptions generally come with a plush animal, an image of the animal, exclusive adoptive parents-only events, the monkey’s story, a certificate for adoption, etc. For more details, check out Wild Futures UK or Born Free USA.

For anyone in between

Find non-material & experience type of gifts for anyone who doesn’t fit into any of the other categories. The ideas below are a mix of experiences that can fit nearly anyone:

• Concert or event tickets ($50–$200): Music festivals, musicals, or theater performances. A safe choice. 
• Subscription services ($15–$50/month): Access to platforms like MasterClass, ClassPass, Netflix, or local cultural memberships. 
• Question card games or tarot decks ($20–$40): More ‘material’ than the other gift ideas, but still a fun & introspective gift idea.
• Picnic date ($20-$50): Gifting a picnic experience can be a romantic or fun way to spend a few hours together. Pack some of their favorite treats and drinks and go to a nearby park, beach, or rooftop.  
• A letter (under $10): Write a handmade letter and send thoughtful handwritten notes to friends and family. If you need a little help, consider getting the LITTLE LETTERS series – they have many great letters with prompts, ideal for your mum, dad, grandparent, friend, etc. 
• Wine or chocolate tasting tours ($40–$150, good for: couples, adult friends, or curious foodies): A fun thing to gift someone is a curated tasting experience in person or at home with a kit.

• A day trip ($30-$100): Exploring a new spot, city, or even state is a fantastic non-physical gift that can be affordable. Buy a train/bus ticket, pack a lunch, or to a nice cute place & go someplace new. Or bring things even further, and book a stay at an eco-lodge, a weekend camping trip, or a guided nature tour. 
• Escape room tickets ($25–$50/person, good for couples, coworkers, or families): Most cities host several escape room options, each with a theme. Do a quick search and find what is available for you.
• Stand-up comedy ($25–$50/person): Dig a bit and find a good stand-up comedy show in your city. It is an excellent gift for couples or close friends.
• Tattoo gift certificate ($50-$100): A tattoo session can be a fun and unconventional experience gift for your people who like body art as a form of self-expression.
• A haircut ($20-$80): A practical experience experience, ideal for your busy friends, or parents.
• Consumables ($10-$50): There are so many cool consumable gifts, like DIY cookie mix in a jar, homemade brownies or cookies, DIY lotion bar, DIY coffee scrub, chocolate bars, tasty plastic-free snacks, veg/fruit box subscriptions like Imperfect Foods and Misfits Market, etc. For more ideas, check my list of 41 of the best consumable gifts.