Connecticut Holiday Experience Gift Guide
Gift ideas perfect for the whole family this holiday season!
Find local entertainment experiences plus uniquely made items- please note, this page contains affiliate links.
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Our Favorite Featured Gifts
Gift of Swim Lessons
Treat the kids to a great time- AND help them learn a life saving skill. Goldfish has swim lessons available all over CT.
Tickets to a Very Special Show!
Frozen The Musical visits The Bushnell Hartford for 2 weeks in February.
Holiday Cirque Spectacular!
Celebrate the magic of the season on December 16 with incredible HSO music and astonishing acrobatic feats.
Gift Live Entertainment
The gift of entertainment is appreciated now, more than ever. Surprise someone with a Jorgensen Gift Certificate and they get to choose the event.
Museum Membership
An annual membership gives you the opportunity to visit as much as you want during the year as well as the flexibility to bring different guests with you.
Video Chat with Santa
The ultimate Christmas present for 2023 – Santa Claus! Get your family (and friends) together to talk to Santa LIVE at the North Pole.
Cool Winter Calendar
Get the whole family involved in planning this year’s adventures with this calendar from byAvanly.
Glow Hartford!
See Santa, Ride the Train, and Immerse yourself in a Million Holiday Lights. Food, drink, and tons of fun.
Memory Bears
Made from clothing that you just can’t part with- perfect sentimental holiday gift.
Snow Much Fun at Powder Ridge
Head over for holiday spirit, learn to ski, tube, or just have a blast in the snow- no matter what temperature!
Veterans Skate Rink Pass
More winter fun can be had at Veterans Memorial Ice Rink in West Hartford! Skating lessons, DJ Skate Nights, Hockey, and SO MUCH MORE!
Round up of Craft Fairs
Looking to shop local at even more events? Visit our Round up of Holiday Craft Fairs here!
Check These Out For Even More Fun!
For Animal Lovers:
- Get Up Close and Personal with your favorite stars at Mystic Aquarium with an Animal Encounter Package.
- Grab passes to Norwalk Aquarium and feed the rays.
- Head to Beardsley Zoo – and consider buying a week of Zoo Patrol for some summer fun!
- Check out the Stamford Museum and Nature Center
- Animal Experiences don’t have to cost a fortune- Meigs Point Nature Center, Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue, and Northwest Park offer free family animal encounters in addition to doing some incredible work. If you are able, consider supporting them during Giving Tuesday!
Museum Memberships:
Not gonna lie- this is one of the BEST THINGS that someone can give us. We can use it all year long, and often they get us into other attractions as well. Gift that keeps on giving!
- The Connecticut Science Center is always a hit with my kids- and they have AMAZING reciprocals (Mystic & Norwalk Aquarium, Beardsley Zoo, and the Pequot Museum are options throughout the year!) We got thousands of dollars worth of entertainment on ours this year.
- Annual or Day Passes to one of Connecticut’s Children’s Museums are always a HUGE hit in our household:
- Kidcity Museum, Middletown- They do not offer an annual pass, but they do offer a day pass! It’s through the Downtown Middletown Gift Cards- get them here
- KidsPlay, Torrington
- Stepping Stones, Norwalk
- The Children’s Museum, West Hartford
- Everwonder Museum, Newtown
- Niantic Children’s Museum
- Lutz Museum, Manchester
- Have an adventure- pick up a pass to one of these unexpectedly kid friendly children’s museums:
The Gift of Holiday Magic:
Our grandparents love to do an annual holiday experience gift for us to give the season extra magic. Here are our top picks:
Family Friendly Shows:
- Visit the Bushnell for all their upcoming offerings – Spring 2024 includes Frozen and Raffi and is going to be EPIC!
- The Hartford Symphony Orchestra has some epic features coming- like HARRY POTTER IN CONCERT!
- Over in Eastern CT, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts is offering TONS of family friendly shows- like their Spring 2024 offerings which we got a sneak peak at and LOOK INCREDIBLE!!!
- The Palace Theater in Waterbury has some great family friendly offerings too!
- Torrington’s Warner Theater is a great spot for family fun as well!
For Active Kids:
- Winter Fun- Head to Powder Ridge Park, which has this really epic snow machine that can make snow in ANY temperature. Ski Sundown, Mt. Southington, and Mohawk Mountain all offer great options too!
- Trampoline Park Pass- Fun In, Middletown , Fun City, New Britain,
- Ropes Courses- to use right away, grab passes to IT ADVENTURE PARK at Jordan’s Furniture. For outdoor lovers, The Adventure Park at Storrs, Tree Trails Mystic, or Discovery in Bridgeport are all great options.
- Want to give the gift of summer fun? Brownstone Park, Lake Compounce, and Quassy all have great options.
- Axe Throwing at Montana Nights
- Smash Room at Smash Room CT in Watertown
Class Passes:
These are amazing because kids get to learn a new skill – it becomes such a lasting experiences. Check them out:
- Goldfish Swim School has tons of Swim Lesson fun!
- Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers will love Romp N Roll Wethersfield– check out their black Friday Specials too!
- Learn Computer Science Skills over at the Coder School.
- Talcott Mountain Science Center offers fun experiences.
- Pottery at Glazed in Glastonbury.
- Learn to cook at Mary’s Culinary Classes LLC or a Stew Leonards Workshop.
- Sign up for a FREE workshop at Lowe’s, Home Depot, or your local library (bonus- these make great gifts!)
Unique CT Experiences:
Connecticut has some great experiences that don’t exist many other places. Some of our favorites:
- Dinosaur Place at Nature’s Art Village– Tons of fun in winter and summer- especially with the giant splash pad!
- Pez Visitor Center– a truly unique CT experience.