If you find yourself standing in the toy aisle or staring at your digital shopping cart wondering if you should buy an expense toy for your child this Christmas you might want to consider investing that money in a family getaway instead.
Experts say that the return on investment is so much higher when we spend our money on experiences instead of toys. And you don't have to blow thousands of dollars at a theme park or a tropical resort in order for your kids to benefit from this—you could even just take that toy money and book a spot in a campground a couple of states over.
Science suggests we should consider getaways with the family—and their benefits—as priceless gifts that are way more valuable than any toy.
Here are 5 reasons to consider spending your toy budget on a trip, instead.
1. Holidays with our kids strengthen our bonds.
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The gift of an experience, like a family vacation, is proven to be a more prosocial, connecting present than any material possession, according to a study out of the University of Toronto.
"An experiential gift elicits a strong emotional response when a recipient consumes it—like the fear and awe of a safari adventure, the excitement of a rock concert or the calmness of a spa—and is more intensely emotional than a material possession," says lead researcher Cindy Chan. "If you want to give [someone] something that will make them feel closer to you, give an experience."
2. The happiness from a trip lasts so much longer than the joy of a toy.
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Experiencing a vacation together doesn't just bring us closer to our kids, it also makes the whole family happier long after the trip is over.
One British survey found almost half of respondents stated their most favorite childhood memory is one of a family vacation, and more than half (55%) of respondents said "that these holidays have given them happy memories that will stay with them for the rest of their lives."
That survey was funded by the Family Holiday Association, an organization dedicated to helping lower-income families fund low-cost getaways. According to John McDonald, Chief Executive of the Family Holiday Association, a family vacation can act as a "happiness anchor." When families are faced with challenging times, reflecting on memories of happy times can be very powerful. "By using these memories as an anchor to take us back to more cheerful moments, we're often able to approach problems with a fresh sense of perspective," he says.
3. Trips with the family boost kids' brain development.
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Getting out of the house and heading to a different location isn't just fun for kids, it actually might make them smarter. Family vacays can also be a brain booster for kids by providing an enriched environment.
"An 'enriched' environment offers new experiences that are strong in combined social, physical, cognitive and sensory interaction," Dr. Margot Sunderland, a child psychotherapist and Director of Education and Training at The Centre for Child Mental Health, wrote for the Telegraph.
Vacations provide kids with all kind of enriching experiences (like making sandcastles with mom and dad) that aid in cognitive development and helps with frontal lobe growth. "If you are choosing between buying your child a tablet or taking them on a family holiday, consider the profound effects on bonding and brain development; there is no competition," Sunderland writes.
4. Vacations reduce stress for the whole family.
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Plus, playing on the beach or running off with the family on a hiking adventure activate systems in a child's brain (and our own) that trigger neurochemicals including oxytocin and dopamine. "They reduce stress and activate warm, generous feelings towards each other and a lovely sense that all is well in the world. With all the anti-stress aspects of these systems firing, family members get to emotionally refuel," Sunderland writes.
You don't have to fly to the tropics to enjoy the benefits of a family vacation. Whether you're planning a quick trip to the lake or flying the fam to a resort, the results are the same: A happier, more connected family. And that's pretty priceless.
5. Unlike toys, Vacations don't clutter up the house.
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The toy you're considering spending big bucks on this year may be the object that doesn't spark joy for anyone in the house next year. While expensive playthings can often turn into expensive clutter as kids grow, time spent away from the daily stressors (like physical and digital clutter) invites creative play opportunities for parents and kids.
Christmas morning can still be magical with smaller, less expensive gifts and toys...but when we save some money on toys we can save to make other mornings magical and special, too.
[This post was originally published Mach 7, 2018.]
