25 Cincinnati Experiences to Gift this Year {2021 Edition}

If your house is anything like ours, the last thing you need this holiday season is more stuff. More toys, more gadgets, more anything! If we had to guess, our friends and family would most likely say the same thing.

This Holiday Season, give the gift of our city.

Living in a diverse city is amazing because it offers so many fun options, and we bet something on this list is the perfect gift for someone special in your life.

Happy Hangout Westside

This one-of-a-kind play place features a comfortable parent seating area with plenty of outlets for charging devices, the ability to bring in your own food and coffee of your choice, an unobstructed sightline to the play area, and a single-entry point for peace of mind to let your kids explore on their own. For the kids, it includes a toddler play area, a larger-than-life indoor playground, a miniature city for pretend play, and party rooms to celebrate all your important milestones. Conveniently located at the intersection of Anderson Ferry and Crookshank, it is easy to get to from all neighborhoods in just a few minutes. This makes it ideal for those small windows of time between school drop offs, pick ups, and other appointments.

Presenting the CMC TOP 25 Cincinnati gift experience recommendations below:

1. Monthly passes or Membership to Happy Hangout Westside 
2. Cincinnati Nature Center Family Membership; Returning this year is Light in the Forest- an illuminated walk! Tickets are available from December 1- January 2, Wednesdays through Sundays. Nature Center trails will sparkle with gentle lights reflecting a theme of peace, tranquility, and inspiration featuring the forest as a canvas for an artistic display of light. The softly illuminated trees and paths will include three installations by OBLSK, a participant in Cincinnati’s popular BLINK event. Throughout the walking tour, you will enjoy music, bonfires, holiday shopping, and the historic Krippendorf Lodge and Abner Hollow Cabin adorned in period decorations! Discounted tickets for Members!
3. Family membership to Gorman Heritage Farm
   (CMC Mom Tip: Design your own “gift certificate” that can be redeemed for a week of summer camp!)
4. Family Pass to Highfield Discovery Garden at Glenwood Gardens (CMC Mom Tip: Don’t miss the Bill Schott’s holiday trains display in December!)
5. Tickets to Coney Island Christmas Nights of Lights through January 2, 2022. (CMC Mom Tip: For shorter lines, try going after 9 PM or on weeknights!)
6. Tickets to any show at The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati
   Virtual and in-person show options!! (CMC Mom Tip: Check out some of our reviews HERE)
7. Day or Season passes to discover and learn at Cincinnati Museum Center. Be sure to catch Holiday Junction, the Duke Energy Holiday Trains, and the lego display through January 2, 2022. Also, explore The Science Behind Pixar through April 24, 2022.
8. Gift the Cincinnati Zoo with tickets to the PNC Festival of Lights OR splurge and give the gift of membership! Discover and learn with a Zoo Troop Class (CMC Mom Tip: Another zoo option of giving back is adopting a zoo animal, pair with a stuffed animal and adoption certificate!)
9. Great Wolf Lodge
10. Take a family dinner or kid’s cruise on the B&B Riverboats! Holiday Family Dinner Cruise December 12 and New Year’s Eve Kid Cruise on New Year’s Eve morning!
    (CMC Mom Tip: A family membership makes for lots of cruising fun!) 
11. Annual Passes to Newport Aquarium (CMC Mom Tip: Visit in December to catch Scuba Santa’s Winter Wonderland!)
12. Give the gift of water safety with swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School.
    (CMC Mom Tip: Goldfish offers a holiday gift package for lessons purchased around the holiday that makes the shopping super simple)
13. Discover at the Cincinnati Observatory
14. EnterTRAINment Junction 1st Class Boarding Pass – Check out the Main Street Holiday Trains and the Christmas Journey!
15. Cincinnati Pops Orchestra Tickets to a concert this year!! Holiday Pops is December 3-5 and December 10-12 (with a free livestream concert on December 11 @ 7:30 pm!)
    (CMC Mom Tip: The Lollipops Family Series is an amazing way to introduce children to the orchestra.)
16. Tickets to a show at the Aronoff Center for the Arts (Hint: Frozen The Musical is coming in 2022!!)
17. Tickets to Cincinnati Ballet–See the Nutcracker (featuring Fiona!) through December 26, 2021 and don’t miss the premiere of their Family Series Production of Snow White!
18. Tickets for a train ride on the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad The North Pole Express runs through December 26!
19. Krohn Conservatory Membership or tickets to Trains and Traditions A Cincinnati Holiday through January 9, 2022.
20. Lumaze Cincinnati- Experience this indoor light festival through December 30!
21. iFly gift cards
22. Play passes to Wonderland Playground
23. Kings Island Gold Pass- Winterfest runs through December 31!
24. Tickets to a play at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park- A Christmas Carol runs through December 30!
25. Tickets to a Cincinnati Reds Game- for children 0-3 years old, consider a Reds Rookies membership, and children 3-12 years old, gift a Reds Heads Kids Club membership!

You truly can’t go wrong giving the gift of Cincinnati; exploring our beautiful city while creating meaningful, lasting memories with your loved ones.

Don’t forget, if you visit any of these local spots, tag us on Instagram @cincymomcollective with your #momsaroundcincy photos!