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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!
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.
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 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.
Photo used with permission from Jamestown Crag Climbers.
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.
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
Keisha (Pittman) McKinney lives in South Arkansas with her husband and sweet Boxer, Bailey and one-year-old son! Keisha is passionate about connecting people and building community, seeking solutions to the everyday big and small things, and encouraging others through the mundane, hard, and typical that life often brings. She put her communications background to work as a former Non-profit Executive Director, college recruiter and fundraiser, and Digital Media Director at a large church in Northwest Arkansas. Now she is using all of those experiences through McKinney Media Solutions and her blog @bigpittstop which includes daily adventures, cooking escapades, #bigsisterchats, the social justice cases on her heart, and all that she is learning as a #boymom!
[…] If you enjoy quilts, other Arkansas Quilt shows, or the Arkansas Quilt Trail may be something to check out! Remember, it’s never too late to learn a new skill. […]
[…] If you enjoy quilts, other Arkansas Quilt shows, or the Arkansas Quilt Trail may be something to check out! Remember, it’s never too late to learn a new skill. […]