13 Great Grad Gifts

Graduation time is upon us and I always seem to find myself caught off guard with last minute graduation gifts to purchase and no ideas.  Here is a list of thirteen (plus a few bonuses) graduation gift ideas:

1. Money – the ever-popular, one size fits all, never goes out of style gift. If you want your grad to spend it on something for the near future, consider an American Express gift card or an Amazon gift card.  If you are trying to encourage financial responsibility, how about a few stocks in a company they like.

2. Electronics – many of this year’s grads already have an iPod or a cell phone, but if not, either one would make a great gift. Other popular electronics include digital cameras, PDAs, laptops, or a Handheld Color TV for their dorm room.

3. Accessories for their electronics. How about a Dock for Apple iPod, a case for all their electronics, extra stylus or two, or a Flash Drive?

4.  Luggage – treat your grad to a new overnight bag for those weekend trips back and forth to school. Or how about a nice messenger bag or backpack (complete with some school essentials) for classes in the fall.

5. A well-chosen book - there are so many great titles and possibilities. Dr. Seuss has a graduation classic called Oh, the Places You’ll Go!. How about The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College or How to Survive Your Freshman Year: By Hundreds of College Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors Who Did (Hundreds of Heads Survival Guides) to prepare your grad for dorm life?

6. Moleskine Journals  – inspire your grad to be creative, keep important notes, and create a journal. Add a few funky pens, post it notes and other accessories to round it out.

7. Create a scrapbook – put together a memory book of your grad’s childhood and family. This will be a keepsake that will be cherished for years. Too many pictures? Make one just of their high school years or of their favorite activities.

8. If your grad is going off to college, get them in the spirit with t-shirts, sweatshirts, flags, hats, etc. from the school they will be attending.

9. Make a household emergency kit. Get a fun or funky metal lunchbox (many dollar stores or 5 Below carry them) and fill it with bandaids, tylenol, neosporin, little scissors, and other items you might find in a mother’s well stocked cabinet.

10. If your grad is going to be taking a car to campus and doing a lot of traveling back and forth, get an Emergency Roadside Kit and give your grad an hour or so of your time to make sure they know how to use everything in the kit.

11. Travel – reward your grad with a weekend away or a month away. Take a trip to somewhere they have never been or somewhere they have been wanting to visit. Travel is the ultimate education.

12. Subscriptions let your grad know you are thinking of them all year long. Send a subscription to a favorite magazine or two. Better yet, give them a gift of monthly snacks! The Popcorn Factory even has college tins that can be filled with your grads favorites snacks.

13. Feeling sentimental? How about a Class of 2007 Charm Bracelet or  Graduation Picture Frame With Tassel?

I’m sure I have missed some great ideas! What can you add to this list? 

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