11-06-2024 HGG - Flipbook - Page 6
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Wednesday, November 6, 2024
There are always people on your gift list who are
hard to buy for because they already have everything
they could want or need. So instead of another “thing”
that will probably be put in the back of a closet, give
them the gift of an experience. It could be something
they already love doing or something they have
always wanted to do but just haven’t gotten around
to yet.
By taking this route in your gift giving you will
be doing what recent studies have proven to be
beneficial for us. Experiences are more memorable
than most “things” because they are usually shared
with others. They become a part of a person’s identity
and can help us learn about ourselves and others,
which makes us more social, giving and generous.
Experiences can improve a person’s physical and
mental health and their relationships. By being “present” during an activity, they tend to be more mindful
and spend less time comparing themselves to others.
So, think about their interests. Here are a few
ideas to get your started:
For music lovers in Baltimore, there are many
choices of venues for tickets including the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra (bsomusic.org), the Peabody
Institute of Johns Hopkins University (peabody.jhu.
edu) for classical music and the Young Victorian
Theatre Company (yvtc.org) for Gilbert and Sullivan. If
you know their favorites in contemporary music, it is
easy to do a search to see if there will be an upcoming performance in the area.
If they would like to do more than just listen to
music, how about a gift for lessons to learn how to
play a favorite instrument or for voice lessons? For
the seniors on your list, lessons will help keep their
mind sharp and add to their social circle. For children,
Experiences vs. Things
Gifts for those who have everything
By E. Rose Scarff, Contributing Writer
music lessons can build confidence and bring joy.
Besides the beginner offerings at Peabody
Institute, most community colleges also offer music
lessons. There are many private schools as well,
including Baltimore School of Music (baltimoreschoolofmusic.org), the Music Workshop (musicworkshopschool.com, photo above) or Paterson Park Academy
of Music (pattersonparkmusic.com).
Maybe they love music but have no desire to play
an instrument or to sing, but they love to dance. Treat
them to a beginning series of lessons. Beginning
Ballroom (beginningballroom.com/), Atlantic Ballroom
(atlanticballroom.com) or Arthur Murray (baltimoredanceclasses.com) are a few of the places in the
area that give dancing lessons for all age groups in
ballroom dance or swing.
The artists among us would probably love art
lessons in their favorite format or the chance to try
another medium. Social Studio Baltimore (socialstudioart.com) and Creative Alliance (creativealliance.
org) are just two places to start. Community colleges
and other local schools also offer lessons.
For art appreciation, a trip to The Walters Art
Gallery, The Baltimore Museum of Art or the Visionary
Art Museum would be a welcome gift. Or offer to take
them to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia or New York
to visit other museums if they are already familiar with
those in Baltimore.
Do they love sports? Then tickets to a game of
their favorite team would be a hit. For golfers, a tee
time gift card at their favorite golf course would be
appreciated. Or for horse crazy kids of any age, how
about riding lessons or summer horse camp? Full
Moon Farm (fullmoonfarm.com) or Graham Equestrian
Center (grahameq.org) are just two of the many lesson barns in Maryland where horse lovers can start
or continue gaining expertise.
How about water lovers? Try swimming lessons
at The Y in Central Maryland (ymaryland.org) or the
Jewish Community Center of Great Baltimore (jcc.org)
or other local venues. Sailing lessons at Downtown
Sailing Center (downtownsailing.org) would be a good
place to start for that sport. Kayak lessons might fit
the bill at either the Canton Kayak Club (cantonkayakclub.com, photo above) or Eastern Water Sports
(easternwatersports.com).
If these activities are too active, how about a
sailboat cruise on the bay? Chesapeake Bay Charters
(cbcsailing.com) or Virgin Experience Gifts (virginexperiencegifts.com) are places to start looking for a
sailing cruise on the Chesapeake Bay. The trips range
in various lengths of time and are offered during the
day or in the evening.
For the person who loves to cook or for someone
who has expressed an interest in learning, classes in
cooking abound in the Baltimore area. Two examples
are Baltimore Chef Shop (baltimorechefshop.com)
and Cozy Meal (cozymeal.com). Whether you choose
a one-time class or a series of classes, this is a great
way for someone to hone cooking skills, meet new
people and enjoy good food.
Is there an interest or experience in the fiber arts,
whether knitting, crocheting, weaving or spinning?
Then a class for either the beginner or experienced
practitioner would be useful. Although there are many
places to learn these skills in the area, either Black
Sheep Yarn Shop (blacksheepyarnshop.com) or Lovely
Yarns (lovelyarns.com) would be good places to start.
If learning to throw a clay pot on the wheel has
always been their desire or if they have done it in
the past, taking up pottery can be a useful, artistic
and meditative skill. Two places among the many in
the area where they offer lessons are ANG Pottery
(angpottery.com, photo above) or the Baltimore Clay
Works (baltimoreclayworks.org).
Although all these experiences range in cost from
modest to expensive, there are still many low-cost or
free ways to give your loved ones experiences they
will remember. Look for free concerts, art gallery
shows or local sporting events. Plan a drive in the
countryside and/or a picnic in a park.
Take your skills and share with others. Teach
them a sport you love or how to knit. Take the whole
family for a day at the beach or for a hike in the
mountains. The memories you make together will last
longer for a very special gift.
