44 Ways to Give your Loved One the Gift of Time this Valentine’s Day

I’m always looking for ways to give gifts that don’t involve a huge amount of “stuff.” It isn’t easy though, because gifts of stuff are often easy–especially when things are always being advertised and wish lists are often being updated. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I’ve been thinking of ways to give the give of time instead of the gift of stuff–or at least maybe a bit of both.

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What is the “gift of time”?

There is a basic idea out there that everyone receives love a different way, more specifically in one of five ways: acts of service, words of affirmation, physical touch, gifts, and quality time. I’ve mentioned the Five Love Languages before in my Gifts of Affirmation post. If you’ve never heard of the Love Languages, it is a concept expressed in a book called The 5 Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman.

The gift of time means intentionally showing up for someone how they need it. It means being present, giving your full attention, and putting in the effort to help your loved one feel seen, heard, and valued. It means sharing time without distractions in a way that is meaningful to the recipient.

If you are curious to see what love languages are more prominent for you, you can take a quiz to find out here: Love Languages Quiz.

Gift of time ideas

The great thing about many of these gift of time ideas for your loved one is that they are super budget-friendly! Many ideas, like the ones to get outdoors, can even be free. It can feel like you’re not truly giving a gift sometimes when there isn’t a physical object or if the gift is free, but what makes a gift special is how meaningful it is to the other person.

If your loved one feels special when they are given focused, quality time, these gift ideas can be more meaningful than any object money could by.

Gift of time ideas that get you outdoors

1. Go on a scavenger hunt. You can create your own using free templates online like those found on Canva or you can borrow some ideas from others like on this Pinterest list of ideas.

2. Plan a hike or walk and pack a picnic. Scope out some favourite places or explore somewhere new together.

3. Revisit the place where you first met. This can be fun as a couple or as a best friend date. Relive some of the memories that brought you together.

4. Go on a sunset walk through a park, waterfront, or quiet neighbourhood. Depending on the time of year, stop and grab your favourite drink to enjoy along the way.

5. Go stargazing with blankets and a thermos. Take a star map with you and learn some constellations together.

6. Take your loved one on a coffee and stroll date. Grab your drinks to go and wander without a destination in mind. Relax and see where the day takes you.

7. Bike ride on a scenic trail together. Pack some favourite or unexpected snacks or plan for some casual stops along the way.

8. Play some outdoor games together. Frisbee, badminton, bocce, tennis or even cornhole are all fun options.

9. Plan a beach or lakeside day. Walk along the shore, skip stones in the water, or relax side by side.

10. Go forest bathing. Take a slow, intentional walk with no phones or other distractions.

11. Have a backyard brunch. Get out some blankets and set up with thermoses of coffee and tea, pastries, and other easy to eat food.

12. Not a fan of breakfast, then maybe have an outdoor cookout in the park or backyard. Break out the camp stove or fire pit and cook up some s’mores or other camp favourites.

13. Get out on the water together. Go kayaking, canoeing, or paddleboarding–bonus points for sharing a vessel and working on those teamwork skills.

14. Get active in the mountains. Rent some snowshoes, skis, or snowboards and enjoy some snow time.

15. Go for a scenic drive. Plan a route or see what roads inspire you.

Gift of time ideas that involve experiences

16. Go out for supper. Keep it casual or fancy, try something new or visit an old favourite. This is also a great opportunity to support a local restaurant.

17. Create one or more date night boxes and share the experience. You can get creative and make up your own, or steal one of my ideas from this post: Date Night Boxes.

18. Learn a new recipe together and cook a meal with each other. Get the recipe and do the grocery shopping to plan all the ingredients, then share the experience of cooking together. Or, if your loved one needs a break, cook a delicious meal for them.

19. Plan a board game night. Depending on your competitive level, Monopoly might need to stay off the table, but browse some thrift stores and pick up some fun new games to share or dust off some old favourites.

20. Book a cooking class or an art class to try together. It doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or a pro–learning and experiencing something together is what truly matters.

21. Plan a weekend day trip. Search out some new sights to see in your local area and then go exploring together. If you want to get crafty, you could create a map and agenda for the day you have planned.

22. Start a puzzle together or do some crosswords with each other. Puzzles are a great way to challenge our brains and to start conversations.

23. Visit a botanical garden or arboretum. In Vancouver, we are lucky to have many beautiful places to explore like the Bloedel Conservatory. There are always new and exciting things to see and share and talk about in these lovely spaces.

24. Plan a food-truck crawl if your city has a cluster of them. Sample the fare from a variety of trucks. Challenge each other to try something new and hopefully good, but it’s a fun memory even if the food is not to your liking.

25. Go ice skating at a pond or rink. Even if you haven’t put on skates in years, this is a fun way to lean on each other and lift each other up if needed!

26. If the cold isn’t your thing, then head out roller skating at an indoor rink.

27. Go bowling. This is an underrated activity and always so much fun!

28. Go mini golfing. Choose a fun course with over the top decorated holes for a fun, lighthearted activity.

29. Take a dance class together, then head out to try out your moves. Dance classes are a great way to get moving and are also a great way to get vulnerable with each other as you learn a new skill.

30. Find a trivia night at a bar or restaurant. Share your knowledge of random fact with each other as you debate the answers and try to win prizes.

31. Visit an escape room. Go out and get immersed in a big puzzle together and work to escape. This is a great change to work together and support each other through the challenges.

32. Get fancy and go out for a wine tasting or chocolate tasting.

33. Go out to the theatre or a dance performance, then out for drinks afterwards to talk about what you watched. It’s always a good thing to support the arts, in my opinion, and it is a great experience to share something new together.

Gift of time ideas that result in a present

34. Attend a flower workshop instead simply buying flowers. There are a number of companies out there, like our friends at 8b Flower Co that put on wreath making or flower arrangement classes. This way you not only get to share an experience together, but you get to give flowers as a result.

35. Head out to the local Farmers’ market. Enjoy local food and snacks as you wander through and look at the various artisans. You could include a “gift voucher” at the beginning of your date for any item your loved one fancies at the market or you could plan to pick ingredients together that you will cook later.

36. Book a paint and wine class. Share the relaxed evening of a guided painting experience and then have a painting to gift or exchange with each other at the end of it.

37. Take a jewelry making class together. Craft a piece for your loved one during the class and present it at the end.

38. Take a pottery class together. A fun and relaxed way to create a one of a kind gift for your loved one while spending time together.

39. Attend a soap making or candle making workshop together. Learn a new skill and have a beautiful hand made and practical gift at the end of it.

Gift of time ideas that give your loved one a break

Sometime our loved ones just need a break, so gifting our time to give them rest can be a beautiful thing.

40. Do a chore or task you don’t normally do—do dishes for a week, fold the laundry, offer to do the grocery shopping for the week, handle school drop-offs, clean the kitchen after dinner for a month, or take over bill payments or appointment scheduling. The options for this one are endless!

41. Provide some babysitting so your loved one can head out and do something meaningful for themselves. They may need a spa day, a chance to attend some needed appointments, or just a chance to get out with some friends.

42. Plan a breakfast in bed for a relaxing start to their day. Take order requests or make it a surprise start to the day.

43. Create a handwritten coupon or small booklet with promises they can redeem later. Some ideas you can use are “One uninterrupted afternoon to yourself,” “I plan a full date night,” “A sleep-in Saturday while I handle the morning,” or “An evening of your favorite show without complaints.”

44. Give a the gift of a “No-Expectations” day, evening, or weekend. This is time without any social obligations or chores. It is time with no pressure to be productive.

Giving the gift of time

There are so many ways to share meaningful time and experiences together with our loved ones. I hope you were inspired by this list and now have some creative ways to give the gift of time.

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