If giving an Arkansas Experience as an alternative to more “things” is on your Christmas shopping list, then you will love this Alternative Christmas Gift Ideas list to give the gift of new skills this Christmas.
How long are your “things you wish you knew” wish list? This could be the year! Many local businesses and artists offer opportunities to learn a skill or craft in their stores.
While going somewhere or being together might be your jam, your loved ones may instead want the opportunity to learn a new skill. So, whether it’s a mom who has put aside her passion or a brother who needs a hobby, check out these fun ideas for giving the gift of a new skill for Christmas.
- Sewing, Crafts and Quilting – Make Do. in Searcy offers makers classes for adults and children in the crafting space. Check with a local hobby shop, fabric store, or creative center to see what’s available in your area.
- Become a Master Gardener – The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Extension services offer Master Gardner and Junior Gardner classes and certifications with a research-based curriculum for all things green.
- Learn Photography – The University of Arkansas at Little Rock offers a minor in photography and a certificate program for amateurs. Time to dust off your camera and try the manual mode!
- Chocolate making – Markham and Fitz or Cocoa Belle Chocolates offer chocolate-making courses. Learn the properties of bean to bar and how the region of origin can shift the flavors.
- Improve your golf game and take the Arkansas Golf Trail Challenge. With the Arkansas Golf Passport, you can receive exclusive perks among the 12 participating courses. In addition, golfing the state with high-rated pros may just up your game!
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Learn horse racing – Take the Lead Academy in Conway offers equestrian classes and exposure to the Western lifestyle. Prepare for the regular racing season at Arkansas’s premier race track since 1904.
- Discover Beekeeping – moving to a healthier lifestyle is at the top of many lists when January rolls around. So why not switch from sugar to your own backyard honey? Beekeeping courses move the novice to the expert level with basic understanding and skilled challenges.
- Trace their History – finding ancestral stories is an art form and takes much concentration and curiosity. Offer an online membership, then the gift of time to work on it together. Make plans to include a trip to visit some of the places you discover in your research and connect to your past.
- Cooking class – maybe it’s time to perfect a family recipe. Arkansas kitchen stores offer courses in everything from handmade pasta, charcuterie, weeknight dinners, gumbo or bread. Goodness, it is the gift that keeps on giving!
- Zipline and Adventure Climbing – you may need to offer a spring or summer “I owe you” coupon, but imagine flying over the Ozark Mountains or team building on a ropes course in the St. Francis National Forest.
- Guided Fishing Experience – with some of the top-rated fishing waters in the country, Arkansas Guided Fishing Experiences are a perfect gift for the undecided outdoorsman in your life. Or, standing in the middle of the water might be more her speed.
- Practice Stargazing – with a 2024 eclipse on the horizon and a national Dark Sky ranking for the Buffalo River, the wide-open skies of Arkansas are perfect for studying the stars.
- Train for the Circus – Find a new fitness routine in the new year with Arkansas Circus Arts and their aerial ropes, acrobatics, pole fitness, circus yoga, or contortion and flexibility course.
- Take up Scuba Diving – prepare for a spring break or summer trip by learning and practicing scuba diving in the Natural State.
- Take to the skies – Northwest Arkansas Flight School might be a fun option. Gift a discovery flight and a few air hours for someone curious about a new pastime.
- Rock Climbing – let the King of the Crag teach you primary climbing rhythms along the diverse route built into Atoka sandstone at the Jamestown Crag in Cave City.
- Go Nerdy – the children can’t be the only ones with all the STEM fun; gift a coding class at the Arkansas Coding Academy, where you can be coding in full-mode development by summer vacation.
- Brew Your Own Mix – Wilson, AR offers monthly mixologist classes to help you develop the perfect cocktail. Or Brightwater’s Beverage Arts courses can train you as a sommelier, recipe developer or brew master.
- Recenter Yourself – if RELAX is your loved one’s word of the year, yoga may be exactly what they need. Many places around Arkansas offer in-studio experiences, but you might want to mix it up with goat yoga on the farm, a yoga therapy session, hot yoga, spa yoga, a historic namaste experience, or digital yoga in your own living room.
- Wine tasting – with deep roots by European settlers, the Arkansas River Valley is a perfect setting for grape growing and winemaking. Taste, Test and share the cultural experiences of Arkansas Wine Country.
Other Gift Guides that offer more ideas for your Christmas List
- Gift Experiences in Arkansas
- 2021 Arkansas Gift Guide
- Arkansas Outdoor Gift Guide
- Holiday Makers Gift Guide
- Arkansas-Made Food Gifts
- Arkansas-Made Stocking Stuffers
- Arkansas White Elephant Gift List
- Made in Arkansas Gift Guide
- Shopping Local in Arkansas
- Made in Arkansas Summer Essentials
- 10 Arkansas Food Gifts for Christmas
- Cookbooks by Arkansas Authors
- Give the Gift of College Education
Unless otherwise noted, images are used with permission from Arkansas Parks, Heritage and Tourism.
Via Only In Arkansas.