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3 Reasons to Give Experiences—Not Things—This Christmas

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3 Reasons to Give Experiences—Not Things—This Christmas

Do your kids have too much stuff? As we approach the Christmas season, and parents and grandparents start thinking about the gifts they want to get their children, many will realize it’s hard to choose a meaningful, lasting gift that won’t just get lost amongst all the other “stuff” in the house.

Well, here’s 3 reasons to give experiences, not things, this year:

1. Research from San Francisco State University found that people who spend money on experiences, rather than things, “were happier and felt the money was better spent.” Memories last longer than things!

2. Dr. Thomas Gilovich of Cornell University conducted a 20 year study and discovered, among other things, that “anticipation of an experience causes excitement and enjoyment, while anticipation of obtaining a possession causes impatience. Experiences are enjoyable from the very first moments of planning, all the way through to the memories you cherish forever.” The anticipation is half the fun of the experience!

3. Research has revealed some surprising things about how much stuff we own:

• The average American home has 300,000 items in it.

• 1 in 10 Americans rent a storage unit to store more stuff.

• The average 10-year-old owns 238 toys, but plays with just 12 each day.

• The typical American throws away 65 pounds of clothing each year.

We own a lot of stuff! Do our kids really need more stuff?

This idea of giving experiences, rather than things, is becoming increasingly popular with both kids and their parents. It builds anticipation and makes lasting memories without cluttering up the house. And we’ve got the perfect experience to give your academically-curious young person—a summer STEM camp experience like no other at Camp Infinity. Time spent at Ci is a memory your young person will cherish, and they will grow academically and spiritually while making these great memories. What a gift to find under the tree!

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Camp Infinity

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Jason Goff

Jason is the social media manager for Camp Infinity. He loves helping us tell the stories of Ci through the digital mediums of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Camp Infinity

Where Science & Technology Meet Truth

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Camp Infinity

Where Science & Technology Meet Truth

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Bryan Malik

Bryan Malik is the President of the Board of Advisors for Camp Infinity

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Jeremy Ervin

Dr. Jeremy Ervin is the Inaugural Dean of the School of Education at Cedarville University. With his experience in providing professional learning for K-12 teachers and his time teaching pedagogy in higher education, he recognizes how the 21st Century classroom needs to center on the engagement of the learner with enduring understandings.

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Camp Infinity

Where Science & Technology Meet Truth

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Max Lorentz

Max Lorentz has loved science (and astronomy in particular) since childhood. He enjoys sharing it with others, especially with young people. He studied mathematics as an undergraduate and is currently completing a Ph.D. in astronomy.

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Robert Ring

RJ is a blog writer for Camp Infinity and a student at Bob Jones University majoring in engineering. He loves considering the science and technology claims of science fiction stories. He also loves reading. Throughout his life he has been a dreamer, imagining a never ending series of what ifs and maybes. From a young age, God gave him a passion for learning all he could about the world around him.

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