Okay, the fun’s officially over… put the cold chicken sandwich down, and back away from the giant box of chocolates that Aunt Minnie bought you even though she knows you’re sensitive to lactose, but which you have been eating anyway… Pack away the tree, wind up the lights, and resume your normal routine. No longer does a hot chocolate with a candy cane in it constitute breakfast, nor walking to the fridge for another bowl of cold roast potatoes constitute exercise. No longer do we flout our diets in favor of moderately-priced chocolates. It’s 2020; a new year, and with it, an entirely new decade. Time to get serious.

We’re joking, of course. All of the above activities are still very much encouraged, new decade or not. However, maybe you’re thinking about making some small, healthy changes going into 2020. How do you keep a new year’s resolution? We think our list of health-conscious experiences will help you get the self-betterment ball rolling. Whether you want to eat better, learn a new skill or be more active, browse our selection to find the perfect gift to yourself or someone you love.

Make 2020 the year to… cook healthy

Philadelphia In-Home Cooking Class – $240

If your culinary skills don’t expand beyond instant ramen, this healthy cooking class based in Philadelphia is the perfect way to diversify your meals and get healthier in the new year. The best part? You don’t even need to leave the house. It’s the perfect solution for lazy cooks… the instant ramen of cooking classes! (Wait, that doesn’t sound good, forget we said that.)
The time has come to put away childish things (like your instant ramen, your faithful Lucky Charms, and the Power Rangers bowl you eat them from each morning) and to learn how to expand your repertoire in the kitchen. This menu-expanding experience begins when your personal tutor and professional chef for the day arrives at your home to teach you and a guest the power of cooking for yourself! During your 2 ½ hour lesson, you’ll learn step-by-step instruction on how to create healthy, delicious dishes using creative culinary techniques. You’ll be amazed at the creativity you find as you create five delicious, balanced dishes. At the end of your class, you and your guest can sit down to enjoy the results of your work. That instant ramen is but a long forgotten dream… (but at least you still have the Power Rangers bowl. Don’t worry, we weren’t really going to make you throw that away.)

Farmers Market Tour and Culinary Class – $235

One sure-fire way to eat healthier is to cook for yourself. This Napa Valley culinary adventure will equip you with the tools you’ll need to not only cook better, but shop better as well. Your experience begins when you meet Chef Julie, your guide for the day, at one of three farmer’s markets. Here, you’ll browse through the stalls of fresh, colourful produce from local vendors, and receive a chef’s perspective on how to create gourmet dishes from the season’s bounty.
Once the ingredients have been hand-picked, you and the rest of the group will return to the chef’s kitchen where you will learn to prepare a mouth-watering three-course meal. Perfectly paired with Napa Wines, this gourmet lunch will then be enjoyed either on the beautiful outdoor patio or in the elegant dining room set with china, linen, silver and fresh flowers.

Make 2020 the year to… learn a new skill.

Central Park Drawing Class – $86

New year, new skills! Or maybe new year, same skills, new enthusiasm? Whether you are buying for an arty loved one, or want to get creative yourself, there’s no better place to express your artistic side than Central Park, where so many threads of New York life weave into one rich, pretzel-scented tapestry. The perfect spot for observation and art! Your outdoor drawing class is taught by a professional artist and provides you with the opportunity to learn how to draw, whether you do so regularly or have never picked up a pencil. Draw inspiration from the surrounding scenery, and learn techniques such as line-drawing, shading, composition, self-expression and more. If you have questions, don’t worry; your art teacher will be on hand at all times to answer them. You won’t be forgetting your outdoor art masterclass in a hurry… but just to make absolutely sure you won’t, you’ll have your very own masterpiece to take home with you at the end of the day.

4. Bay Area Outdoor Rock Climbing Clinic – $99

For those who find the elliptical machine to be the most boring and pointless modern convenience since the plastic banana holder, rock climbing can provide a great new way of exercising without mindlessly thudding your sneakers against the same revolving roll of simulated road. Instead of hitting the gym every time you want to get your heart-rate up, use Mother Nature as your gym instead! (Just don’t pull her hair too much; she just got it blow-dried.) This rock climbing experience takes place in the popular canyons of the Bay Area’s Castle Rock State Park, famous for its lush and mossy forest and unusual rock formations. Beginners are welcome on this experience, which begins when you meet your friendly instructor and are provided with all the gear you need to conquer the rocks! The 4 hours kicks off with a safety lesson to get you acquainted with the equipment, all of which will be provided. Once you’re ready, your expert climbing instructor will teach you basic climbing safety, how to tie the appropriate knots needed, climbing commands, top roping techniques, rope management and an overview of the climbing rating system. And of course, you’ll learn to climb.

5. New York Guitar Lessons – $225

It can be daunting starting a new instrument, especially when the world of music is dominated by goatee-stroking dudes in prog rock tees with blazers over the top who enjoy making others feel bad about their music tastes. (Look, Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen is a good song, okay?!)

No such attitude will be found at these NYC guitar lessons, which are designed to make the students feel comfortable and at ease! This 5 session package is perfect for complete beginners, or long-time musicians who want to re-ignite their inner maestro. Lessons are available for acoustic, electric, lead, rhythm, bass and slide guitar, as well as in song writing, song learning and music theory. All musical genres are welcome, including classical, modern, pop, jazz, rock, R&B, metal, country and blues – so what are you waiting for? Pick up a new hobby in 2020; it’s what Hendrix would have wanted! (Or at least Carly Rae.)

Make 2020 the year to… face your fears!

6. Hang Gliding Austin – $149

Go into the new year with a sense of adventure, why don’t you? Yes, our legs are jello looking at this picture as well, but stepping out of your comfort zone is just as important as a snuggly night in on your couch watching Netflix. Sure, The Good Place is a fantastic show, but wouldn’t you rather soar like a bird than watch T.V.? (Don’t answer that.)
Your adventure begins when you meet your certified instructor and watch a short film on the basics of safety of hang gliding. Next, head outside with the rest of the participants and prepare to take flight… That’s right, leave your TV behind, because today you learn to fly!
Working with your Instructor, you will learn how to launch a hang glider safely, running down a shallow hill into a soft breeze to float 3 – 5 feet above the grassy landscape for hundreds of feet.
Once airborne, your instructor will guide you as you soar through the air. You will have the opportunity to take four foot-launch flights during this three hour Austin Hang Gliding Lesson, learning first-hand the basics of this incredible sport and how to fly a hang glider. Can Netflix teach ya that?

7. Orlando Indoor Skydiving – $75

From one thrilling airborne adventure to another…

Consider this Indoor Skydiving Experience your training wheels until you move onto, you know… jumping out of an actual plane. (Ick, let’s not think about that too much.)
Indoor skydiving is an exhilarating, adrenaline-inducing experience in its own right, and this 1 hour experience will sweep you off your feet – literally! Located in Orlando, this experience begins when you participate in a brief training class to prepare you for this amazing wind tunnel flight. Your instructor will teach you ideal body position for optimal flying, hand signals, and other tips for your Indoor Skydiving experience. Once suited up, you and your group will be escorted into the vertical flight chamber, where each participant will take turns flying one-on-one with help from your instructor. The flight chamber is a vertical wind tunnel that simulates the freefall of real skydiving, as it produces airspeeds of up to 160 mph! During your session, participants will take turns leaning into the wind and flying indoors! Plus, you will enjoy the equivalent freefall of almost 6 skydives!

8. Bridge To Nowhere Bungee Jump – $114

Not for the faint-hearted, this Bridge to Nowhere Bungee Jump adventure will give you the thrill of a life time. Meet your guide and set out on a five-mile, two-hour hike to the Bridge to Nowhere. Located in the Angeles National Forest, this magnificent bridge over the San Gabriel River is the setting for the perfect bungee jump! Once the group has arrived, you will take turns strapping into the harness and jumping off of the bridge. When it is your turn to take the plunge, you can choose to jump backwards or superman-dive face forwards. This thrilling adventure ends with a five-mile hike back to the trailhead, during which you will have the chance to re-live the moment with all of the new friends you’ve met on the journey.

… Happy new year, happy end of article!

And that concludes our top experiences to kick off the new year in style. We hope you’ve found the perfect gift for your loved ones (or yourself!) on this list, but if you’re still looking, you can browse hundreds of unique experiences here. Whether you’re searching for gifts for foodies,  want to learn a new skill, or experience the thrill of a lifetime, you’ll find an experience to suit. And if you have questions about any of our experiences, please feel free to leave comments under this post – we’d love to hear from you!