Christmas gifts that create joyful, lasting memories--that's what we are all looking for, right? While the right toy, game, or book can definitely be a treasure that leads to making happy memories, an increasing number of families are also finding the value in "experience" gifts. We are lucky to have a plethora of options here in Sioux City and in our neighboring communities like Omaha and Sioux Falls. From museum memberships to concert tickets, here are some of my top recommendations for experience gifts for Siouxland Families for Christmas 2022 or any gift-giving occasion, along with a few suggestions of physical items to pair with them if you'd like your kids or other loved ones to have something to physically open and enjoy on Christmas morning in anticipation of the experience gift:
Where to get it:
Preschoolers: LaunchPad membership
*2024 update in progress! please excuse my digital dust*
Arcade Gifts Cards
Consider pairing arcade gift cards or gift certificates for the gamers in your life with keychains, t-shirts or other fan gear from their favorite games.
Where to get it:
- Pizza Ranch Fun Zone
- Large arcade area adjacent to the Sioux City and Vermillion Pizza Ranch restaurants
- For more information, visit the Pizza Ranch FunZone website
- Tilt Studios
- Arcade with a variety of games and snack bar food at the Southern Hills Mall
- Play Card points work for arcade games, mini golf, mini bowling, laser tag, bumper cars, and all other attractions at Tilt Studio at the Southern Hills Mallr
- For more information, check out my guide to Tilt Studio's Sioux City location, or visit the Tilt Studio website.
Bowling
Bowling is classic fun that's perfect for Siouxland winter weather! Consider pairing bowling alley gift certificates with novelty socks or bowling shirts for extra fun.
Where to get it:
- Lazy Lanes
- in Akron, IA
- For more information, visit the Lazy Lanes Akron Facebook page
- Maple Lanes
- in Remsen, IA
- For more information, visit the Maple Lanes Remsen Facebook page
- Plaza Bowl
- For more information, visit the Plaza Bowl Sioux City Facebook page
- Sweet 16
- in Le Mars, IA
- For more information, visit the Sweet 16 Le Mars Facebook page
- Sportsmans's
- in Hawarden, IA
- For more information, visit the Sportsman's Lanes and Lounge Facebook page
- Yankton Bowl
- in Yankton, SD
- For more information, visit the Yankton Bowl website
- War Eagle Lanes
- in the basement of the Warrior Hotel
- You do not have to be staying the night in the hotel to come bowl!
- For more information, visit the Warrior Hotel Experiences page
Arts & Crafts Classes & Workshops
Gift certificates to craft or fine art classes and workshops make a great gift for creative kids and adults. Pair them with art supplies, smocks, or frames!
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| Fun in the Sioux City Art Center's Junior League Hands-On Gallery |
Where to get it:
- Blue Cat Gallery
- Art gallery in Wayne, Nebraska with drop-in classes creating home decor, jewelry, and more starting at $12 per project
- For more information, visit the Blue Cat Gallery website.
- Le Mars Art Center
- Gallery and classroom space in Le Mars, IA with workshops and classes in many different mediums
- For more information, visit the Le Mars Art center website.
- Pickled Palette
- Paint your own pottery studio with workshops on a variety of pottery painting techniques and themes, glass fusing, and more
- For more information, visit the Pickled Palette website.
- Sioux City Art Center
- Weekend workshops start under $10 per person
- Children's classes at the Sioux City Art Center cost $50-120 per session (usually 8 weeks) and teen/adult classes can cost over $200
- Gift certificates available, so your loved one can apply it towards whichever class they'd like.
- For more information, visit the Sioux City Art Center website or check out my post about the Sioux City Art Center.
Museum and Indoor Play
Getting out of the house with little kids can be tough in winter, but a few Siouxland venues make it much easier by offering indoor play options that'll keep the kids in your life busy for hours on end. Consider pairing admission or a membership to one of these venues with a t-shirt or other souvenir from the venue.
Where to get it:
- Greatest Escape
- Escape rooms and splatter room!
- For more information, visit the Greatest Escape website.
- LaunchPad Children's Museum
- Memberships and daily admission passes both available.
- For more information, visit the LaunchPad Children's Museum website or check out my post about LaunchPad Children's Museum.
- MidAmerica Museum of Aviation and Transportation
- Family memberships and daily admission passes both available
- Pairs well with: toy airplane, airplane book
- For more information, visit the MidAmerica Museum of Aviation and Transportation website.
- Sioux City Railroad Museum
- Family memberships and daily admission passes available
- Pairs well with: toy trains, engineer caps, Thomas the Train or Chuggington DVD
- For more information, visit the Sioux City Railroad Museum website.
Movie Tickets
Movie theaters are still going strong and can be such a fun option, especially in winter. Pair tickets with some microwave popcorn and theater candy boxes to munch on while browsing the showtimes at home.
Where to get it:
- AMC Theaters
- For more information on Sioux City location visit the AMC Southern Hills Mall website
- Holland Plaza
- For more information, visit the Krull Cinema website (also has info on the Sheldon Main Street 3 Theater!
- Promenade Cinema
- For more information, visit the ACX Promenade Cinema page
- Royal 3
- in Le Mars, IA
- For more information, visit the Royal 3 website
- Coyote Twin
- in Vermillion, SD
- For more information, visit the Coyote Twin Theater website.
Sports to Do
Gifting someone sporty? Here are some fun sport experiences in Siouxland they might enjoy. Pair with a hat and gloves, or some cocoa to enjoy afterwards.
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| Tubing hill at Cone Park |
Where to get it:
- Cone Park
- Gift certificates available that can be used for ice skating or the tubing hill
- Pairs well with: hats, gloves, and other cold weather gear, glow sticks for Glow Tubing!
- For more information, visit the Cone Park website.
- DropZone
- GiftCards, 10 Session passes, and Tykes Passes available
- Pairs well with: DropZone socks (they're required for jumping in the trampoline area and are a fun thing to wrap up with a gift card!), sweatbands, athletic apparel
- For more information, visit the DropZone website.
- IBP Ice Center
- For more information visit the IBP Ice Center page.
- NFAA Easton Archery Center
- in Yankton, SD
- For more information visit the NEYAC website.
- Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA
- in South Sioux City, NE
- For more information, visit the Norm Waitt Sr YMCA website.
- North 40 Mini Golf
- For more information, visit the North 40 website.
- Siouxland Tennis Center
- in South Sioux City, NE
- For more information, visit the Siouxland Tennis Center website.
- Siouxnami Water Park
- In Sioux Center, IA
- For more information, visit the Siouxnami Water Park website
Sports to Watch
Sometimes watching sports is way more relaxing (and warmer) than doing sports. Here are some Siouxland sports you can buy tickets or passes to watch. Pair with fan apparel.
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| Photo used with permission from the Tyson Events Center |
Where to get it:
- Auto racing at Jefferson Speedway
- Sioux City Bandits Football
- Sioux City Explorers Baseball
- Sioux City Musketeers Hockey
- Individual game tickets and season passes available
- Pairs well with: Sioux City Musketeers hockey fan apparel, mini air hockey game, ice skates
- For more information, visit the Sioux City Musketeers website
Unique Fun
Sometimes gift experiences defy categorization. Here's where to go for something truly unique:
Where to get it:
Little Princess Makeover at the Iowa School of Beauty
- For kids 10 & Under
- $13 per child
- Includes updo, nail polish, and makeup
- GiftCards also available for various services for all ages
- Pairs well with: dress up play clothes, a tea set, kids makeup
- For more info, visit the Iowa School of Beauty's Sioux City guest services page
Experience Gifts Outside Sioux City:
Great Bear Ski Valley
Sioux Falls, SD
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| Photo by Kyle Vanderberg and used with permission from Great Bear Ski Valley |
- Season Passes, daily tickets, or gift cards
- Passes can be used for sledding, tubing, skiing snowboarding, ice skating, and more.
- Read more about Great Bear Ski Valley in my Winter Sports in Siouxland post.
- Pairs well with: Great Bear apparel
Great Plains Zoo
Sioux Falls, SD
- Membership or Passes
- Pairs well with: plush animals or Great Plains Zoo apparel
Butterfly House & Aquarium
Sioux Falls, SD
Sioux Falls Skyforce Basketball
Sioux Falls, SD
Arnold's Park
Sioux Falls, SD
- One day admission passes and annual memberships available *Note: the Butterfly House & Aquarium is merging with the Great Plains Zoo! I'm not sure how/if memberships will be affected, so be sure to read on their website what the terms of that might be.
- Pairs well with: Butterfly wings, plush butterflies or sea creatures, books about butterflies or sea creatures.
- For more information, visit the Butterfly House & Aquarium website.
Sioux Falls Skyforce Basketball
Sioux Falls, SD
- Individual game tickets, ticket bundles, or season passes available online.
- Part of the NBA G-League
- Pairs well with: A new basketball, Skyforce jersey or fan apparel
Arnold's Park
Okoboji, IA
- 2020 season membership or day passes available for either the amusement park or the Queen II ship!
- Pairs well with: Arnold's Park or Okoboji fan gear
Children's Museum of South Dakota
Brookings, SD
- Memberships starting at $120
- Pairs well with: Children's Museum of South Dakota apparel, dinosaur toys from the museum gift shop
Henry Doorly Zoo
Omaha, NE
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| Giraffes at the Henry Doorly Zoo |
- Membership or Passes for daily admission both available
- Tickets to a special event like a "Penguins & Pajamas" overnight enrichment safari in the aquarium on New Years Eve, or cold weather camping near the Snow Leopard exhibit also available!
- Pairs well with: plush animals, books about zoo animals, or Henry Doorly Zoo apparel
Durham Museum
Omaha, NE
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| Statues pay tribute to the Durham's past as Omaha's Union Station |
- Membership or Passes available
- Find out more about the Durham in my post about visiting Omaha's Durham Museum with kids.
- Pairs well with: toy train or Durham Museum apparel
Omaha Children's Museum
Omaha, NE
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| Photo courtesy of the Omaha Children's Museum |
- Memberships, passes, and tickets to special events like the OCM Bubbly New Year's Eve Party available
- Pairs well with: OCM apparel
Top picks:
Under $10/kid: Day passes to LaunchPad Children's Museum, or Children's Museum of South Dakota
Splurge (over $100 for family): Family membership to LaunchPad or the Henry Doorly Zoo, ski experience at Great Bear
Animal lovers: Henry Doorly Zoo or Great Plains Zoo passes or membership
Sports fans: Sioux City Musketeers hockey tickets or Sioux Falls Skyforce Basketball tickets
Creative kids: Sioux City Art Center gift certificate, Iowa School of Beauty Princess Makeover
Creative kids: Sioux City Art Center gift certificate, Iowa School of Beauty Princess Makeover
Preschoolers: LaunchPad membership
Elementary age: Zoo passes, Drop Zone gift certificate, or a Princess Makeover
Tweens: Drop Zone or Cone Park passes, Sioux City Art Center gift certificate
Tweens: Drop Zone or Cone Park passes, Sioux City Art Center gift certificate
Teens: Great Bear Passes, Hockey tickets
For any budget and any age, there are fun options for experience in Siouxland. I hope this helps you find some that are right for your family!
For any budget and any age, there are fun options for experience in Siouxland. I hope this helps you find some that are right for your family!
Merry Christmas!
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