Gifts for College Kids and Adult Children

While this age group might not be looking for toys, your college-aged and adult children are still your kids, and you want to give them an awesome holiday. Here are gifts for college kids and adult children. 

This is one of my most requested categories for gift guides – gifts for college kids and adult children. I’ve asked around and have made an awesome list for you to shop from.

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Gifts for College Kids

• iPad
  • This is a big ticket item, but one they’ll use all of the time. From taking notes for classes to using it for travel, it will be the most used gift they have!
• Laptop Bag: Women,  Men /Cover
  • College kids are taking their laptops from class to their dorms to the library – everywhere! A good cover will keep their laptop in tip-top shape.
• Restaurant Gift Card
  • College kids don’t like spending money and don’t enjoy cooking –  that’s why a restaurant gift card is perfect! Guarantee this will get used quickly.
• Stanley Cup
  • The cup of the moment – they’ll use this a ton!
• Kindle
  • Kindles are great for helping any avid reader get their favorite books in without using up storage space in their small college dorms and apartments.
• Noise Cancelling Headphones:
  • College campuses are LOUD, so get them a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. These BOSE and SONY ones are super popular. Here Is a  less expensive option with great ratings.
• Grocery Gift Card
  • I can’t think of a single college kid who would say no to free groceries!
• Cozy Blanket
  • A good cozy blanket will get a ton of use in their dorm room! Here is a less expensive one and the popular Barefoot Dreams Blanket.
• Blue light glasses
  • College kids spend a lot of time looking at screens, and a good pair of blue light glasses are super necessary to avoid eye strain!
• Winter boots/shoes
  • If your college kid is in school in a cold and snowy climate, a good pair of boots is a necessity for walking too and from class.
• Spotify subscription
  • An easy expense for a parent that would make a huge difference in the day to day for your college kid!
• Streaming service subscription (Netflix, HBO, Hulu, etc.)
  • Make their room the most popular spot in the dorm by gifting your college kid a good streaming subscription.
• Amazon gift card
  • Endless possibilities with an Amazon gift card for more practical gifts like textbooks, or fun things like clothes, accessories, and dorm decorations.
• Twinkle lights/LED lights 
  • These are so popular with younger kids, teens, and college-aged kids. It’s a very fun way to spruce up an apartment or dorm room.
• Letterboard
  • This would be so fun for them to leave messages for their roommates, and is a super cute piece of decor!
• Board games
  • Make their place the party apartment with lots of fun game options.
• Ski/snow gear
  • If they live near mountains and snow, guarantee there will be chances to ski or snowboard with some friends so get them some good gear.
• Ski pass
  • This is a super useful gift that will get a ton of use during ski season!
• Small appliances ( Keurig, Air Fryer, Instapot)
  • College kids don’t often have access to a full kitchen, so gifting them a small appliance to help with cooking will make a huge difference!
• Portable charger
  • College kids are on their devices all of the time, so having a portable charge handy would get them out of a few pickles.
• Nice bathroom products (olaplex, facewash, etc. – something they wouldn’t spend $$ on)
  • Maybe more specifically for college girls, but it’s hard to invest money in nice products when you’re young!
• Apple AirTags
  • Avoid the panicked texts to Mom and Dad about missing keys, bags, etc. These AirTags can be used on anything valuable!
• Clear bag for college sports games
  • Most stadiums require clear bags, and your college kid will definitely be adding some games – so this is a super practical gift!

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Adult Children

• iPad
  • A great investment piece for a young professional. iPads are great for travel, work, everything a young adult is doing!
• Nice housewares
  • Whether they just bought their first home or are living in an apartment alone for the first time, some nice house items will go a long way! I like these mixing bowls, and cups. This Anthropologie cooking dish and pasta bowl setsare gorgeous too.
• Nice leather work bag
  • A must-have for any young professional. Here’s a great one for women and men!
• Laptop Bag
  • I guarantee your child’s laptop goes everywhere with them – get them a good cover to keep it safe and scratch-free. Here’s a good one for women and men, plus a good laptop cover.
• Stanley Cup
  • Get them the cup of the moment! Comes in a ton of colors and sizes.
• Kindle
  • A necessity for any adult who loves to read.
• Noise Canceling Headphones
  • If they live in a big city or with roommates, these are a necessity. I love my BOSE ones but also hear great things about the SONY version. There’s a Less Expensive option with great ratings!
• Record player
  • A great addition to a “grown-up” apartment or home!
• Cozy blanket
  • Help make their new apartment or house a home with a cozy essential. Here’s a less expensive version of the Barefoot Dreams Blanket.
• Oil diffuser
  • A home essential that they can put in their kitchen or living area, or even in their bedroom to diffuse lavender or cold-busting scents!
• Blue light glasses
  • If they spend a lot of time working at their computer, this is a great gift. It also makes a good stocking stuffer!
• Winter boots/shoes
  • Grab them some “grown-up” nice snow boots that they can wear to and from work.
• NBA/MLB/NFL league pass to watch all games
  • If you have a sports fanatic, get them access to watch all of their favorite sports games!
• COOP pillow
  • You know you’re officially an adult when you start caring about pillows. This one is life-changing – 1,000’s of my readers agree!
• Luggage
  • Say good-bye to beat up duffles and get them a grown-up, professional and sleek luggage set!
• Nice glass kettle
  • This is a great addition to any adult kitchen, plus it’s pretty enough to leave out 24/7!
• Ski pass
  • An expense that not a lot of young professionals want to spend money on, but is a great gift that provides an awesome experience!
• Small Appliances (Keurig, Air Fryer, Instapot)
  • If they’re on their own for the first time, get them an easy to use kitchen appliance with some recipe ideas!
• portable charger
  • A great stocking stuffer that they’ll use for travel, work, and so much more.
• Apple AirTags
  • Help them keep track of their new valuables with Apple AirTags!

SEE THE REST OF MY KIDS GIFT GUIDES HERE