If you’re like us, your kids have far too many toys laying around the house already. Change things up this year and gift an experience! These Kentucky experience gifts are great things to gift to others or put on your kids Christmas lists if you’re hoping to eliminate clutter around the house.

Passes to The Louisville Zoo

The Louisville Zoo is one of the region’s most popular zoos and there’s a good reason. The zoo is home to more than 1,500 animals that live in beautiful, naturalistic habitats. There’s many features geared toward younger visitors such as playgrounds, rides and attractions such as the zoo trains, the Papa John’s Splash Park and a variety of animal shows. You can purchase general admission tickets on the website which makes for a nice, affordable gift for the whole family. Alternatively, gift an entire year of zoo visits by purchasing a zoo membership for one of your favorite families with little kids.

Explorium of Lexington

The Explorium of Lexington is a fun and dynamic hands-on museum and one of the top-rated things to do in Lexington with kids. A number of exciting, educational and interactive exhibits will keep your children entertained for hours. In the Kentucky Gallery, you’ll take a journey down the Kentucky River and learn about hydroelectricity, nocturnal animals, caves, horses and more. Other exhibits include the Healthy Me Gallery which teaches kids all about the human body, Explorium Way where kids can role-play various professions, a Physics and Space exhibit, the popular Bubble Zone where you can get inside a bubble, and many more. There is also a dedicated play space for ages 3 and under. You can purchase annual passes to the museum for $99 for a family of four, or if you are a grandparent, check out the Grandparent pass which is priced at $75 and allows you to have unlimited free admission for 2 seniors and up to six grandchildren at a time – an awesome deal!

Annual Passes to the Newport Aquarium

The Newport Aquarium is one of the nicest aquariums we’ve been to and we just keep going back. There’s thousands of animals from all over the world on display as well as fun interactive activities such as touching a shark and meeting a penguin. Buy an annual pass to the aquarium and give the gift of unlimited aquarium visits for a whole year. Around the holidays, the aquarium often offers deals on annual passes, making it an even better deal than it already is.

Waterpark Passes

Kentucky has lots of great waterparks and we think waterpark tickets are the perfect gift for both water-loving kiddos and their parents who might otherwise struggle to entertain them all summer long. Our local water park usually offers a great deal on a season pass. Check out this round up of Water Parks in Kentucky to find one near you and contact them to see if they offer passes that you can give as gifts.

Nascar Ride Along @ Kentucky Speedway

Have a young person in your life who loves all things racing? Or, maybe they’d just enjoy the thrill of speeding around the track in a real 600 horsepower NASCAR stock car? In this experience gift, they’ll get to climb into the passenger seat of a real NASCAR car at the Kentucky Speedway. The car will hit real racing speeds up to 160 miles per hour as it travels 3 or 6 laps. Participants in this experience gift must be at least 5 feet tall, and weigh at least 100 lbs, so this one is best for the older kids on your list. It’s also worthwhile to note that participants under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who must give written consent. For more info and to purchase this experience gift for the Kentucky kid in your life, visit Virgin Experience Gifts and filter by “Kentucky.”

Kentucky Kingdom Season Passes

Have a thrill-seeker in your family? Give them the gift of a whole year of thrills by gifting them a season pass to Kentucky Kingdom and Hurricane Bay. You get both parks with one admission, and by purchasing the passes at Christmas you can take advantage of some great Early Bird deals.

Swim Lessons at Bear Paddle Swim School

With locations in Florence and Louisviille, Bear Paddle Swim School specializes in swim lessons for children of all ages and abilities at their year-round, indoor facility. They offer gift cards that can be used towards lessons or gear from their shop. Choose any value from $50 – $1,000 and they’ll even mail it to an address of your choosing with a special custom gift card message inside to make giving the gift of swimming even easier.

Take a Ride on the Big South Fork Scenic Railroad

For years the Big South Fork Scenic Railroad has ran their popular Polar Express train during the winter months. What better way to share the joy of Christmas with the kids in your life than to take a scenic train ride through the beautiful Stearns area. Plus, Santa will join in! A trip on the Polar Express is sure to be a magical Christmas Experience and tickets would make a great gift for your kids.

National Parks Annual Pass

Why not give an experience gift for the whole family that will last all year long? U.S. National Parks Passes cost $80 and gain you admission to tons of parks around the country. For an entire year, the pass will grant entry to the pass holder and everyone in their car or the pass owner and three adults at parks where entrance fees are charged by the person. We love to visit the national parks and surrounding states like Mammoth Cave, Cumberland Gap and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Purchasing a pass will help you give the gift of America’s best outdoor spaces, for a whole year!

Subscriptions to ABCmouse or Adventure Academy

Want to give the children in your life a gift that will keep their little brains engaged and active all year long? ABCmouse and Adventure Academy both offer online learning subscriptions where kids will learn age-appropriate skills and concepts while having fun. ABCmouse is perfect for ages 2-8 and Adventure Academy is geared towards older children ages 8-13. Both sites often have free trials or special deals available. You can gift a subscription for ABCmouse here or Adventure Academy here.

Ski Lift Tickets

There are a number of fantastic ski resorts within a days drive of central Kentucky. For the past couple of years we have taken our daughter who has a birthday right after Christmas on a ski trip for her birthday. Two years ago we went to Beech Mountain Resort in North Carolina, and last year we went to Snowshoe in West Virginia. This year we might try one of the closer options like Perfect North!

A Hot Air Balloon Ride in Louisville

Give the gift of flight with a hot air balloon ride over Louisville! Balloon Odyssey in Louisville offers hot air balloon rides. This is not one for the toddlers in your family, as the kids need to be able to see over the side of the basket and sit still for the duration of the rise (about an hour). But, for preteens or teens in your family, this is an experience gift that they won’t soon forget!