These experiences might not fit underneath the Christmas tree, but they are gifts that will last a lifetime in the memories of those who receive them.

BALLET BEAUTY
If they’ve been good: Sometimes Santa needs to drop off a few presents early, which is why your child will love an elegant, magical holiday celebration at Kansas City Ballet’s Sugar Plum Fairy Luncheon, Saturday, December 3, at the Westin Crown Center Hotel (1 E. Pershing Road). Your little ballerina can have his or her picture taken with the Sugar Plum Fairy, shop at The Nutcracker market, savor a delicious lunch and enjoy a special seasonal program. After lunch, a shuttle will whisk them away to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts (1601 Broadway) for the matinee performance of “The Nutcracker.” Visit kcballet.org for tickets ($110 for kids; $125 for adults).

If they’ve been really good: If visions of sugar plums still dance in your children’s heads, you can find everything they’ll need at Dancewear Express (13151 State Line Road). From ballet shoes ($16.50) to leotards ($18) to tights ($11.50), your child will be looking like Clara or the Prince in no time. Don’t forget the tutu ($11).

Editor’s Pick: Having been inspired by Kansas City’s finest performers, your budding prima ballerina will want dance lessons. The spring sessions for the KC Ballet School at the new Todd Bolender Center (500 W. Pershing Road) will begin January 4. Costs of classes depend upon on the age and skill level of the child (kcballet.org/school).

LIGHT THE NIGHT
If they’ve been good: The Plaza bedazzles Kansas City every Christmas with its spectacular lights. Shiny bulbs entering retirement are transformed into ornaments with a portion of their sales going to Children’s Mercy Hospital. Give a piece of Kansas City tradition while showing somelove to those who may not be home for Christmas ($7.99 plus shipping, plazalightornaments.com).

If they’ve been really good: There’s nothing quite like being a tourist in your own town. May we suggest a night at The Raphael with a Plaza view (325 Ward Parkway)? A romantic suite and a classy dinner at Chaz against the holiday backdrop is sure to give them a new appreciation for living in Kansas City (rooms start at $189 per night).

Editor’s Pick: Get a reindeer’s view of the Plaza, and relish the lights from high above the city. Planes take off from the Wheeler Downtown Airport (300 N.W. Richards Road) for a 30-minute, breathtaking view of Kansas City ($75 per person).

SWING FOR IT
If he’s been good: Brrr, golf lessons in the winter? Yes, if they are indoors at Robin Nigro Golf Academy (1 E. 135th St.).
The pros at the Academy will give your golfer instructions on everything from his stance to his swing. Give him the gift of a better game with a one-hour lesson including video analysis ($95).

If he’s been really good: Help him take his bogie to a birdie with new clubs from Golf MD (11231 Strang Line Road, Lenexa),
a complete, custom golf club maker and testing facility. Owner Mike Dickerson uses technology and video systems to find
the club or shaft that will enhance his game (starting at $250 per club). From putters to drivers, irons to wedges, Golf MD
will shave his score in no time.

Editor’s Pick: When the winter winds make local courses too chilly for a round, the California sun calls. According to Tim Burke at
TMB Travel Concierge (2029 Wyandotte St., Ste. 102), it doesn’t get any better than a three-night stay at the Lodge at Pebble Beach with a sunny view of the 18th hole on its namesake golf course ($3,360). Get the full golfing experience at Pebble Beach Golf Links ($495) and Spyglass Hill Golf Course ($360).

HIBERNATE WITH NIKITA
If they’ve been good: When teddy bears need a break, Nikita the polar bear is ready to step in for a night of fun.
At the Kansas City Zoo, Nikita’s overnight guests engage in a number of activities designed to teach them about his natural habitat. Kids will also take a night hike, learn about the stars and visit other exotic zoo animals. In the morning, a light breakfast
is served ($35 per person; $30 for Friends of the Zoo members).

If they’ve been really good: Give your aspiring zoologist access to the experts at the Zoo’s Safari Day Camps. Children
(grades K–6) experience hands-on animal exploration by discovering lions, tigers and bears, and all the other exotic animals
at the Zoo. Best of all, kids can take a one-day safari whenever school is out, even on blustering snow days
($40 for FOTZ members; $45 for non-members).

Editor’s Pick: Keep Nikita and the other zoo animals company all year long with a 2012 FOTZ family membership ($79). Members will also have free or discounted access to more than 150 zoos and aquariums across the country and in Canada.

KISS THE COOK
If she’s been good: Shower your chef with the ultimate kitchen set-up to make baking a breeze. A visit with Louise Meyer at Pryde’s Old Westport (115 Westport Road) will guarantee you gift the perfect pieces, such as the Fiestaware mixing bowl in Christmas red ($47) or a pizelle iron ($39.99). We also hear crêpes are all the rage these days, so don’t forget a pan for the fluffy concoctions ($24.99), a smoother ($4.50) and some seasonal hand towels for good measure.

If she’s been really good: A good cook is only as good as the knives in her holster. For knives that make the cut, the experts at Ambrosi Brothers Cutlery (3023 Main St.) suggest Wusthof knives. Buy a wood block and fill it with a chef’s knife, a bread knife, a carving knife and one more for boning ($300). Your cook will also want a paring knife and a good pair of kitchen shears. For a stellar steak knife, consider a Santoku, a Japanese style chef knife made for cutting vegetables ($90).

Editor’s Pick: Sure, there are cooking classes––or there’s learning from a Kansas City chef in the comfort of your own home. Ask your favorite chef or consider a call to Le Fou Frog (400 E. Fifth St.). Can you imagine anything more delightful than a cooking class from Carter Holton, the extraordinary pastry chef from the French eatery? Your culinista will learn to make classic French dishes such as tartine, pâte à choux and crêpes. If you’re lucky, Carter will sing (prices vary based on duration of class).

GAME ON
If they’ve been good: Do you have a teenager with a need for speed? We suggest Sadler’s Indoor Racing in Olathe (325 N. Mur-Len Road). Your Jeff Gordon-in-training can race around a quarter-mile track. At speeds of 45 mph, they’ll be putting the pedal to the metal. If your children’s driving skills were acquired playing Mario Kart, they’ll love it. After a 10-minute race ($18.99), you might be ready to hand them the keys.

If they’ve been really good: Experience the border war at the 120th football matchup of the Missouri Tigers and the
Kansas Jayhawks. Don your team colors and head out to Arrowhead Stadium, November 26 to watch one of the hottest rivalries in
college football (club level seats start at $120; ticketmaster.com).

Editor’s Pick: For all the little Michael Jordans, we like the College Basketball Experience at the Sprint Center (1401 Grand Blvd). Better yet, make it a private party. Kids can shoot hoops, learn a lay-up and get behind the mic as a sportscaster. Bring 25 of your child’s friends and receive a group rate of $6 per child (purchase tickets online at collegebasketballexperience.com).

WHEELIN' AND DEALIN'
If he’s been good: He will have the best poker face in town with a new, high-rolling poker table from Amini’s (10306 Troup, Kansas City, Kansas; 10595 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park). Choose a table made from maple, cherry or oak; then select your favorite fabric, finish, leather and felt ($10,000 plus eight chairs). The good folks at Amini’s will throw in the chips to complete the set, and he’ll be winning extra hands in no time.

If he’s been really good: If James Bond gave up baccarat for Texas Hold ‘Em, then we’ll bet your man wants to follow suit. Help him brush up his skills at Harrah’s (1 Riverboat Drive, North Kansas City) with a game buy-in. The casino holds a tournament every Sunday, and twice a month they host qualifying rounds for the World Series of Poker (entry fee is $200).

Editor’s Pick: There’s nothing like a great cigar to set the mood for guys’ poker night. Give him a set of Baccarat Havana Sel Luchadores (25 for $111.63) or El Rico Habano Gran Habenero Deluxe (25 for $145) from Diebel’s Sportsmens Gallery (426 Ward Parkway; 4829 W. 119th St., Overland Park). Don’t forget a masculine-looking humidor (starting at $24.99) for safekeeping.

IT'S A MASTERPIECE
If they’ve been good: Snag tickets to the 30th anniversary performance of “A Christmas Carol.” With a Tiny Tim ticket, they will be privy to reserved parking, a special edition of Dickens’ classic signed by Scrooge, a gingerbread cookie for each ticket holder and an onstage photo op with Tiny Tim. (ticket prices vary; visit kcrep.org.)

If they’ve been really good: Visit local artist Irma Starr in her studio, and see how she creates her 17th century English slipware pottery ornaments (816-753-0316; by appointment only). Irma’s work is carried at the Nelson-Atkins and Smithsonian gift shops.  

Editor’s Pick: For anyone with an eye for art, joining the Society for Fellows is a must. Society members are treated to one of the best holiday parties of the year at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (4525 Oak St.). Partygoers are serenaded by the Dickens Carolers while enjoying delicious food and carriage rides around the reflecting pool (memberships start at $1,000).

PRIMP THE POOCH
You be good: Adopt a dog from Heartland SPCA (9800 W. 67th St., Merriam), the metro’s largest no-kill shelter. Stop by the facility and find a forever friend in need of TLC. The attentive staff will help you find the pooch that best matches your lifestyle (adoption fees start at $25).

When they’ve been really good: Nothing could be cuter than a pomeranian in a poncho, a beagle wearing booties or a saluki in a rain slicker (starting at $30). If your dog is too cool to wear cute clothes, then a stylish collar with a matching leash is a must ($62). You’ll find it all in every price range at Doggie Style Bowtique (1503 Westport Road).

Editor’s Pick: Pets seamlessly blend into the fabric of your family, so feature Fido front and center in the next family portrait. Photographer extraordinaire Gary Rohman (816-221-4334) will capture a one-of-a-kind memory of your furry friend. Go online (mojopets.com) to see examples of pet portraits worth hanging over the mantel (starting at $49).

BLACK TIE AFFAIR
If she’s been good: Would a rose by any other name smell as sweet? Maybe if Jill McKeever mixed it with a few more scents
and called it yours. This holiday season, create your leading lady her very own perfume. Stop by McKeever’s For Strange Women studio (3739 Genessee St., Ste. 100) for a personal consultation to design a well-balanced perfume perfectly suited
 for your lovely lady (starting at $300).

If she’s been really good: Many Kansas City women have fawned over the beautiful dresses designed by Laura McGrew,
owner of Tomboy Design Studio (1817 McGee St.). Let your lady feel like a queen in one of McGrew’s custom designs made
just for her. Whether she wants a unique cocktail dress or a show-stopping ball gown, she’ll be giving Cinderella a run for her money (starting at $1,100).

Editor’s Pick: She has the perfect dress and sweet-smelling perfume; now she needs a place to show them off.
The Heart and Stroke Ball benefits the American Heart Association and its mission of building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Purchase a patrons’ table ($2,500) and invite friends to join you at the
Kansas City Convention Center’s Grand Ballroom (301 W. 13th St.), February 18, 2012, for a memorable evening with entertainment by Lynne Jordan and the Shivers.