By Vicki
We’re rapidly approaching the most wonderful time of the year! Soon you’ll be decorating, heading to parties, and enjoying your favorite sweets and treats with family and friends.
You’ll also be doing plenty of holiday shopping.
I never had a hard time finding gifts for my kids when they were little. But I really struggle to find great holiday gifts for them now that they’re grown up.
Some parents ask for “wish lists” and others listen for clues when they’re talking with their kids. But if you’re like me, you’ll always be looking for great gift ideas.
While I know that cash is usually appreciated, it doesn’t seem like the holidays if I don’t wrap a few presents for my kids each year.
That led me to do some research about gifts adult children love to get from their parents. Then I thought I’d share it with you. Feel free to share some great gifts you like to give your grown-up kids in the comments below too. Or if you are an adult child, what are some awesome gifts you get from your parents?
Gift Ideas For Your Adult Children
Gift Cards. While they’re a lot like money, your adult child might love a gas station, restaurant, or clothing store gift card. Gift cards to a local grocery store or to Amazon are also favorites of adult kids. They can use gift cards to make regular purchases or they can splurge and purchase something they normally wouldn’t buy.
Do they use ride-sharing services? Get them an Uber or Lyft gift card. If they’ve talked about doing some work in the yard, painting their bedroom, or replacing some old patio furniture, consider getting your adult kids a gift card to the nearest home improvement store.
Keep in mind that your kids may end up spending more of their own money when they have a gift card to get something they want. And you might be surprised to learn that close to one-third of people who get gift cards never redeem them.
Services or Memberships. I like to purchase services or memberships for my adult kids because these are usually something my kids won’t spend money on. Or something they may feel stressed about spending money on.
I’ve bought my grown-up children professional photography sessions, meal delivery services, spa days, AAA (auto) and YMCA (fitness club) memberships.
When I ran a Twitter poll on this topic, I got a lot of great responses too. They included house cleaning services, massages, car washes, and oil changes. Check out Groupon for great deals on these items.
You could also consider subscription gifts that show up throughout the following year. You can find subscriptions for desserts, flowers, wine, coffee, cheese, candy, books, socks, jewelry, spices, craft beer, beauty or shaving supplies, and more.
Just make sure you don’t add a credit card number that becomes an on-going expense for you beyond what you planned for the gift!
Entertainment and Experiences. This is another category that feels more like you’re “gifting” and not just being practical.
You can get your grown-up kids tickets to the movies, a concert, a musical or play, or to their favorite sporting events. If they enjoy skiing, pick up some passes so they can enjoy a day or two of fun on the slopes.
Maybe your adult kids would enjoy taking cooking, piano, photography, or tennis lessons. Depending on how much you want to spend, you might buy them a trip out on a local waterway in kayaks or on paddleboards. Or rent them a boat for a weekend on the lake.
Indoor skydiving or a hot air balloon ride might be a big surprise your adult kids would enjoy.
Practical But Purposeful. Going back to the more practical gifts (but also ones your adult kids may not want to spend their own money on), think about buying them new luggage, tools, bake or cookware, an electric toothbrush or a robotic vacuum cleaner.
You might consider buying your adult child a piece of artwork, other home decor, or nice frames for a few pictures. A beautiful coffee table, a living room lamp, patio furniture, or a gas grill might be appreciated too!
Whether your kids have green thumbs or not, they might enjoy something from a local nursery for their yard or garden.
Take Them Shopping. If you get to see your adult kids over the holidays, you might opt for an afternoon or evening of shopping together for their gift. This option is also a gift for you because you get to spend some extra time with your kids.
When they need things like work clothes, electronics, boots, jewelry, make-up, or things like hobby supplies – it might make sense to let them pick out what they really want. This saves you the stress of trying to figure out what they’d like or returning items that don’t fit. And your kids will appreciate not having to pretend they like something you bought them too.
Out of the Ordinary. There are some gifts you may not have thought of that might be a nice surprise for your grown-up children. You could open an IRA (individual retirement account) for them. Or make a donation to a charity in your child’s name.
While it may be a gift you don’t give until after the holiday festivities are over, creating an “In Case of Emergency” (ICE) binder provides your adult children with everything they need in case something bad happens to you.
Hopefully, this list gave you some great ideas to gift your adult children! Happy Holidays!