With the Well+Good SHOP, our editors put their years of know-how to work in order to pick products (from skin care to self care and beyond) they’re betting you’ll love. While our editors independently select these products, making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission. Happy shopping! Explore the SHOP
What do jewelry, flowers, and fuzzy house slippers all have in common? They’re all quintessential Mother’s Day gifts. Not that there’s anything wrong with them (I mean, can you really ever have enough slippers?) but if you’re looking to give the mother figure in your life something more creative this holiday, consider an experience gift.
This isn’t something she can unwrap, per se, but it is something she’ll be able to enjoy on her own, or with the company of family and friends. Whether she’s an adventurer who’s craving a road trip somewhere far away, or needs to kick back with some R&R in her own home, check out these experience gifts for moms, designed to give her memories that’ll last way longer than a floral bouquet or fuzzy slippers.
9 experience gifts for mom to give this Mother’s Day
1. Take a Sur La Table cooking class
No matter if she’s a seasoned home chef or leaves the cooking to someone else, Sur La Table’s cooking classes are a fun experience she’ll enjoy. For $79 per seat, treat her and a friend to in-store cooking classes where she’ll get hands-on experience learning professional culinary techniques, like how to whisk a French white wine sauce, or how to make a traditional South American salsa from scratch. Or, buy the ingredients before hand and surprise her to a night in with an online class.
Buy your gift here.
2. Unplug at a Getaway
Mom in desperate need of an escape? Getaway has got you covered with its cozy cabins nestled in nature just two hours outside of select major cities. Each cabin is equipped with a snuggly bed, kitchen, bathroom, outdoor amenities, and—the best part—a lock box for electronics, allowing visitors to truly unplug and, well, get away. Customize your gift card amount and Mom can book her trip whenever she wants.
Buy your gift here.
Related Stories
3. Book an Airbnb Experience
Whale watching in Boston, a guided tour of LA in a vintage Cadillac, salsa dancing lessons in Miami—whatever you can think of in whatever city you are, and Airbnb has an experience for you. Treat mom to a “staycation” in her town with an activity or tour guided by a local. Or, plan ahead for your next family vacation and search thousands of adventures to book in advance.
Buy your gift here.
4. Sweat it out with Class Pass
For the moms who never stop moving, get a Class Pass. It allows them to find fitness classes in their area, where they can sign up and bounce from class to class, trying everything from water aerobics to hot yoga. Plans start at $15 a month, but you can also buy gift cards for whatever amount you choose.
Buy your gift here.
5. Adventure out with a National Parks Pass
As a cartoon Boy Scout once famously said, “adventure awaits.” Get out and see America’s natural splendor with a National Parks Pass, Mom’s ticket to more than 2,000 federal parks, forests, and grasslands across the country. An $80 pass gives her access to all these seriously cool places, plus standard amenity fees and day use fees for all passengers in one vehicle, so you can go along for the ride.
Buy your gift here.
6. Cultivate her green thumb in a plant care workshop
DTC houseplant delivery service The Sill offers in-person and online plant care workshops where Mom and a friend can get their hands dirty and care for their plant BBs. Choose from basic care classes, like Plant Care 101 ($50 per person), or focus on learning a select skill, like propagation or terrarium building. Online classes are free—all you need is Wifi to join.
Buy your gift here.
7. Get crafty with an Uncommon Experience
Unleash Mom’s inner artist with an experience from Uncommon Goods, the online marketplace known for its unique artisan gifts. These aren’t your typical virtual paint-and-sip art classes—Uncommon Experiences are, “unexpected opportunities to have fun and connect in new ways.” Think: flower arranging, astrology chart mapping, bath bomb workshops, all hosted right in your living room, giving you and mom and new way to spend movie night.
Buy your gift here.
8. Do at-home manicures with a FabFitFun Spa box
You know FabFitFun for its adorable quarterly subscription boxes loaded with goodies. Rather than getting her more stuff, buy a box that doubles as an experience, like the new Spa Box or Haircare Box. Don’t worry—she’ll still get a ton of good stuff from top beauty brands like Kosas, Living Proof, and more. But bring the day spa home and spend an evening *actually* doing the at-home mani pedis or hair masks together.
Buy your gift here.
9. Let them choose
Can’t decide on an experience gift for Mom? Have her choose herself. Virgin Experience Gifts offers eGift cards she can apply to more than 2,300 adventures across the world. There’s no expiration dates either, so if she really can’t choose between, say, a trapeze lesson in New York or a kayaking around the Hudson River, she’ll have time to ponder.
Buy your gift here.
Want to be the first to hear about the latest (and greatest) SHOP product drops, custom collections, discounts, and more? Sign up to have the intel delivered straight to your inbox.
Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.