Christmas Gift Ideas for Grown Children

Wondering what to get your adult son or daughter for the holidays? Check out my handy Christmas gift recommendations from an actual grown daughter.

Disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links. If you purchase a linked item, I will make a commission, at no extra charge to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Updated Aug, 2022

Need a Christmas gift for
​a grown son or daughter?

It's hard to buy Christmas gifts for adult children - or so I'm told! I've found lately that I'm *constantly* being asked for suggestions about what to buy for grown children and their spouses.

Grandkids = super easy to buy for. Their Millennial parents, apparently not so much! This post has helped so many parents buy gifts for their grown children that this is the third year I've updated it with new gift suggestions.

​As we get close to Christmas, I'll continue adding things, as I come up with new ideas and products.

My husband and I are both very fortunate to receive great gifts from both sets of our parents, so I'm sharing a few tips from them, as well as tips I've picked up while doing a bit of canvassing on both sides of the equation.

​First, I'll offer a few high-level tips on the "minefield" aspect of giving gifts to adult children: how to avoid offending grown children with Christmas gift selection. Then, I'll walk through a few options, and under each discussion is an image, with arrows either way showcasing my suggested gifts! If you click on an image, it'll take you to the company's website (and if you buy something, I'll get a little commission, at no extra charge to you!)

​Cheers and happy holidays!

Have you ordered your Christmas cards yet? Stop by Minted for the best selection of updated Christmas card designs.

Ready to cut to the chase?

Below, I separate Christmas gifts for adult children out by category (sons, daughters, work-out fanatics, pet owners, spa day, etc.) But if you're impatient, here are the top sellers:

Christmas Gifts for Adult Children:
​The Basics

Before we get started with specific Christmas gift recommendations, let's discuss a few over-arching points to keep in mind when shopping for grown sons and daughters, to avoid potential minefields and missteps. And after that, we'll get into the specific Christmas gift lists!

Things to avoid:
The minefields

 I wanted to highlight just a few high-level things to avoid, when shopping for gifts for adult children and their spouses:

• Gifts that enforce your values that your children may not share.
• Gifts that send a strong message (Think your son dresses too casually at work? Don't buy him dress shoes and a tie).
• Gifts that rope the grown children into an event they may not otherwise attend.
• Juvenile gifts that do not reflect their age.
• Clutter & trinkets.
• Clothes, unless you really know what they like. It can be very difficult, especially with sizing. 

As a generation, we have a tendency to live in smaller spaces, so we tend to eschew too many possessions, often not because we don't like them, but because we simply don't have anywhere for them to live!

Helpful: include a receipt!

Try to include gift receipts whenever possible.  No one wants their hard-earned money going to waste and if your children end up receiving an item they will truly never use, or a duplicate of something they already own, so it's better for all concerned if they are able to quietly switch it out.

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
High-end Christmas Decor

Christmas decor can get expensive, but that doesn't mean we don't want it. And, for many younger people, investing in high-end Christmas decor can seem a bit overwhelming.

​Consider some nice Christmas decor from a store that's popular with Millennials, such as Pottery Barn or Crate and Barrel.

Check out my Traditional Christmas Decor Guide!

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
​Thoughtful gift ideas for newlyweds

If you have newlyweds on your list, you're in luck! That said, they've also just had an influx of a lot of new possessions, so it might be worth asking if they have room for anything else, before you start purchasing! If they say no, head on down to the gift cards and charitable donations section!

• Items from their wedding registry that they didn't receive - it'll tell you what they like!
• Monogramed tree skirt
• Personalized coasters, blankets, & home decor
• Commemorative ornaments
• Commemorative wedding items from Minted, or design a wedding scrapbook from Shutterfly, if you're crafty!

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
Useful gadgets

Gadgets are always fun to give and get. Why not get them a gadget that they definitely want, but that might feel like an extravagance. My mom got us Airpods a few years back and we are *obsessed*. We wouldn't have bought them for ourselves, but now we're considering upgrading to the newest model! Call us converts.

If the gift recipients don't already have one, an Apple Watch is becoming a new tech staple, as well. Keep in mind that it does add a bit of money to the monthly cell phone bill, but the "start-up" cost of the Watch itself is definitely a huge gift!

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
Self-care essentials

Saying we've all been a little *stressed* lately is the understatement of the century. Why not gift some at-home self-care essentials? Everybody loves to feel pampered, especially when it's given as a gift.

​Don't forget to order your Christmas cards! I get mine every year from Minted - and they never disappoint!

Christmas gift ideas for grown sons:

I've gotten several particular requests for gift ideas for grown sons. Being married to one...I know they're hard to buy for! Here are my twenty Christmas gift options for those grown-up sons:

Christmas gift ideas for your son-in-law

Finding the right gift for a son-in-law, especially a recent addition to the family, can be challenging. I've rounded up a few Christmas gift options every son-in-law is sure to be thrilled to find under the tree.

Christmas gift ideas for grown daughters:

Well we've finally reached what is perhaps my area of expertise! Here's what this grown daughter wants to see under my Christmas tree...

Christmas gift ideas for your daughter-in-law

As with son-in-law gifts, daughters-in-law are particularly tricky! I've stolen a few gift ideas from my own mother-in-law in this collection:

Christmas gift ideas for pregnant women:

If you have a pregnant daughter or daughter-in-law on the Christmas list this year? Check out my round-up of Christmas Gift Ideas for Pregnant Women for specific tips and tricks for shopping for soon-to-be moms.

Christmas gift ideas for grown children: Gifts for new parents

I've been getting asked a lot for Christmas gift ideas for new parents. I had enough thoughts on the topic this year, as we welcomed our first daughter this summer, that I thought it warranted its own blog post.

While what we want most is free babysitting services and more sleep, if you want to put something under the tree, I'd recommend restaurant or staycation hotel gift cards, subscriptions to streaming services, or high-end baby gear (I'd recommend asking specifically what they need/want).

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
Give the gift of cozy!

We're still going out less and staying in more, especially as winter is upon us- why not make it enjoyable? Give the gift of coziness this Christmas:

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
​Upgrade their at-home coffee game

As one who works from home, I can confirm that upping the coffee-making game has revolutionized my mornings. From basic Nespresso makers and Keurig machines, to authentic espresso makers and the combination machine, there are tons of hardware options to upgrade the at-home coffee making options! 

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
High-end kitchen supplies

Many people put off buying high-end kitchen supplies until they get married or, even then, until they move into larger home, buy some other items, etc. So, a gift of a nice crockpot, Instapot, or mixer can really improve the at-home cooking set-up!

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
​Pandemic Essentials

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
​Fancy home decor

We Millennials are growing up, starting families, and upgrading our home and entertaining decor - there's something we can all get behind:

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
Harry Potter gifts
​for adults

Just because we've grown up, doesn't mean we've moved on! There's some seriously classy Harry Potter stuff for adults these days!

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
​at-home fitness

From portable treadmills, perfect for apartments, to at-home yoga gear, there are plenty of ways to support a new fitness habit!

​Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
Unique gift cards & memberships

Many of us live in small spaces, so sometimes additional clutter is exactly the opposite of what we're looking for. While cash is fun, it does sometimes feel a bit cold or perfunctory. So why not give it in the form of a thoughtful gift card?

How about a favorite restaurant or delivery service for take-out? Or a Ticketmaster gift card so they can buy tickets to an event, hopefully someday soon? Or a high-end store where they might not otherwise shop without a gift card? Or even a Hilton or Delta gift card for us travelers, thinking hopefully of getting back into a normal travel schedule this coming year?

Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
Treats for the pampered pooch

Everyone loves making their dog happy! If your kids have a pooch, why not treat fido to a special gift?

Is there a blogger in your life? Check out my Blogger Christmas Gift Guide!

​Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
​Thoughtful charitable donations

For the person who has everything, giving to others can be a thoughtful gift, particularly if it is accompanied by a few small gifts for the recipient. Be sure to chose a cause that's important to the recipient. Local food banks, homeless shelters, & wildlife causes are all very popular this time of year.

Christmas gift ideas for grown children: Subscriptions

It's always fun to have something coming to your house, even after Christmas is over! How about a monthly subscription? For physical gifts, there's everything from beer to hot sauce of the month subscriptions!

And, we're all watching far more TV than ever this year, so why not consider BritBox or Acorn TV subscriptions, for the period piece or mystery lover, or an Audible subscription, for someone looking for something a bit more intellectual?

• $25 off your first StitchFix order
• ​Get 20% off your first Trendsend from Evereve
• $35 off your first meal subscription order from Home Chef
• Get a free box of fresh dog food from The Farmer's Dog

And what about a booze-related subscription? SomMailier offers three or six bottle shipments, straight from France to your favorite wine lover!

Christmas gift ideas for grown children: The Best Books of the year

 You don't have to be a book worm to enjoy these fabulous new releases!

Contemporary Cozy British Mystery novels

​Christmas gift ideas for grown children:
​Anything alcohol-related

Let's be real... what we really want to Christmas is probably alcohol. A bar cart, cocktail set, fancy glasses, and, of course, the booze itself would make for an excellent (and useful) surprise! 

Thanks for stopping by!

I so appreciate you taking time to read through my suggestions on what to buy adult children for the holidays. If you have suggestions, feel free to drop them in the comment section below! Happy Holidays!

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