Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Goldfish Swim School. All opinions and gift giving tendencies are my own, as always!<\/em><\/p>\n Ever feel like you’re drowning in stuff? More specifically, your kids’ stuff? Their toys, games, sports equipment, clothes slowly start to take over.\u00a0Christmas giving can compound that problem. But I have a solution: giving experiences, not things. Here are a few of my very favorite experiences to give.\u00a0Also, when giving these gifts, parents receive, too.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For all kids: Swim Lessons<\/strong><\/p>\n If you could give your children a gift that they would have their whole lives, that would bring them joy and that could help keep them both safe and healthy, it would feel like the best present ever, right? Swim lessons do all that.<\/p>\n If you’re worried that your children are too young or too old, they’re not. If you think your kid can swim “well enough,” know that the stronger swimmer they are and the better they know all four strokes, the more likely they are to enjoy it and stick with it.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Near me there are two Goldfish Swim Schools<\/a>, in Naperville<\/a> and Plainfield<\/a>. They have five other locations across Chicagoland and locations in other states, including my home state of Ohio. They<\/span>\u00a0feature year-round swim lessons for children ages 4 months to 12 years old and promote a love of swimming and water safety. I’m a fan of the Goldfish Swim School’s holiday package, which includes 2 months of swim lessons, an annual membership fee, and a gift basket (because it’s always nice to have something to open and you can never have enough goggles, am I right?) for $185 (a $205 value!). Find the Naperville form here<\/a> and Plainfield form here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Benefit for parents:<\/em>\u00a0In addition to peace of mind knowing your kids are gaining a life skill, Goldfish is\u00a0extending its offerings of family swims during winter break.\u00a0It’s the perfect way to fight boredom and cabin fever. Non-members can attend for $5, so you can take friends and relatives, too. Get everyone out of the house, moving, and having fun together. (Don’t tell the kids, but their pool toys are awesome!) The pool is 90 degrees, so there’s lots of giggles for everyone and no shivers. Also, they’ll sleep better.<\/p>\n For your favorite drama queen or king: Tickets to a\u00a0theater performance<\/strong><\/p>\n Tickets to a children’s theater performance are great, and\u00a0many offer affordable subscription packages. Here in Chicago, we have many great opportunities to catch amazing shows, be it from Hamilton to Chicago Children’s Theater.<\/p>\n