The Gift They’ll Remember: Why Experiences Outlast Every Present Under the Tree

As the holidays get closer, so many of us start doing the same thing: scrolling for ideas, trying to find something meaningful for our kids, and hoping we can land on the one gift that really matters. We want to see that spark on Christmas morning. But if you’ve seen the trend on Instagram where parents ask their kids what they got for Christmas last year, you already know how quickly that spark fades. Most kids can’t remember a single gift.

But when the same parents ask their kids to describe a family vacation or a special experience, suddenly the memories come pouring out in full detail. They remember how it felt, who they were with, what they did. Experiences sink in in a way “things” simply don’t.

It makes me think about our own childhoods—the freedom many of us had, the time we spent outside with friends, the hours that disappeared because we were busy having fun. We found woods to get lost in, creeks to splash through, and little pockets of nature where entire days unfolded without a plan. We rode bikes with friends until someone’s parents called us home. We wandered, explored, tried things, got a little lost, and figured it out along the way. We had challenges, we had scrapes, we had adventures… but also the quiet reassurance that if anything truly went wrong, there were adults nearby who would step in.

I am often reminded of the movie The Sandlot. It’s one of those movies that captures the feeling of summer—friendship, freedom, and the sense that each day could turn into something unforgettable. Those kids spent their whole summer together playing baseball and dreaming big. They had independence, but they also had one another. And of course, that iconic scene where Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez is running for his life from “The Beast” just to save a baseball signed by Babe Ruth… when we were kids, it felt so real, so dangerous. Then we learn The Beast is just Hercules, a giant dog with a big heart. That moment says everything about childhood: the thrill, the imagination, the risk, the relief, and the laughter that follows.

That kind of childhood feels harder to come by today. We worry more about physical safety, social safety, emotional safety… all the forms of safety that seem so important that we forget what kids lose when we protect them from everything. In trying to keep our kids safe, we’ve unintentionally limited the very experiences that create the kinds of memories we hold on to for the rest of our life.

That’s why I believe so deeply in summer camp—and why so many families who come to Teton Valley Ranch Camp believe in it too. For four weeks each summer, kids get a taste of that Sandlot-style freedom. They get space to grow, to try things, to take healthy risks, to make real friends, to be outside, to be part of something bigger.

And parents notice the difference. One parent recently told us, “TVRC was a life-changing experience for our daughter! She came home more confident and empowered. TVRC is really a special place and I only wish we had sent her to this camp sooner.” Another parent shared, “Teton Valley is a special place where kids can develop independence, leadership, and learn new skills—horseback riding, living outside in a campsite for days, and working as a team with fellow campers and pack leaders. Camp has become a true home away from home for our family. My son has been coming for four years, and my older sons all came before him to climb the Tetons and experience this special place. It’s truly a family tradition.” These are not small things. They are not “just camp stories.” They are the beginnings of who kids become.

Something I wish every parent could understand is that this gift has an expiration date. Childhood itself has an expiration date. If a camper attends TVRC from start to finish, they get maybe 120–150 total days at camp across their entire childhood. That’s it. A handful of summers. A handful of adventures. A handful of chances to feel that wide-open freedom we grew up with. And in those roughly 150 days, they might stand on top of a summit, walk the trails of a mountain range, climb in the Tetons, and ride across miles of backcountry on horseback. These are moments that stay with them long after the summer ends.

For so many of our alumni, those days helped shape their confidence, their character, their resilience—the very things they now carry into adulthood.

As we head into this holiday season, I hope parents remember their own favorite childhood memories—the moments of freedom, the friendships, the adventures, and the days that stretched endlessly ahead. I hope they think about the type of memories they want their kids to carry with them into their own adult lives.

The toys under the tree will make them smile. But the experiences you give them? Those are the gifts they’ll remember. This year, give them a summer they’ll talk about forever. Give them the kind of childhood you had—or the one you wish you did. Their days at camp are limited. The impact is everlasting.