Looking for something a little different? Need a gift for someone age 15-25? Gift lists for teens and young adults abound and most are teeming with wonderful suggestions. Teens and young adults love electronics, they love practical items for living in smaller spaces and they love clothing and gift certificates to pick out a few things themselves.
Yet research shows that millennials value experiences over thing and parents looking for gifts for this generation should keep this in mind.
While any young person would love a new phone or tablet, there is a pretty good chance that they would get a great deal of enjoyment from some of the “experiences” we have listed here. This is a list made for making memories.
Author Becky Blades has written, “Do Your Laundry or You Will Die Alone” a little book packed with wisdom and beautiful original art. But more importantly it is packed with dozens of conversations sure to bring you closer. Blades has gathered together incisive and amusing mom wisdom and while your daughter is laughing and nodding her head the real conversation begins. She might think you have given her a lovely little book with some wonderful advice, but you will know it is a gift for both of you.
Sometime this year your child will have a birthday and you may or may not be around. Here is a list of suggestions of that birthday party for teens or young adults, when you are not there. As one of their holiday gifts, spring for that party and let them know the tab will be on you.
More for 18th birthday’s here.
Young adults live in cities. They are repopulating urban cores and one of the reasons they have done this is to take advantage of public transportation. But sometimes you just need, or want, a car. Late nights? Off the grid locations? Big shopping trips to restock the apartment. Parents can offer up at the holiday gift cards to major car rentals, Zipcars, Getaround, Uber, Lyft or other car sharing/rental services.
Young adults, still unencumbered by families, love to travel. They consistently rate travel as one of their top favorite experiences. Did you know that the airlines sell gift cards? Help buy them that trip to visit a friend or a new city, that they cannot afford. Road trip? No problem gas stations sell them as well.
Tickets to watch a sporting event, or participate in one, are always welcome. In keeping with the way millennials are driving the experience economy, parents can give them tickets to an event that is outside their price range. Alternatively, many millennials love the new high energy endurance events like Tough Mudder and The Spartan Race and tickets to these events do not come cheap. Paying for your kid to participate in such an event might be both healthy and fun and finally get him on that training schedule he has been putting off.
How about lessons to learn something new? Flying, scuba diving, glass blowing...there is no limit to the experiential learning that can be gifted at year-end. How about cooking lessons for them and their friends or with you! Sur la Table has them all over the country but make sure that there is a long time to run on the lessons (millennials are busy) so that the gift voucher is not still sitting around a year from now.
Give the Gift of Helping Others. Millennials are a compassionate generation deeply concerned with causes from the environment to education. Maybe your young adult has started supporting the causes that move her with time or money, but maybe they need just a little push to begin. Many charities have giving opportunities that are themselves gifts. As an example, take a look at Donorschoose.org. Here donors help fulfill the needs of classroom teachers for everything from calculators to art supplies. Donors get to pick their cause, get feedback from the classroom that benefits and if education is their passion, learn something about the needs of our public schools. Your gift could be even simpler in the form of a lump sum that your kid needs to give away in some meaningful way. Giving teens and young adults a chance to start their own philanthropy could be a gift for a lifetime.