37 Gifts for Boomers They'll Cherish in 2024
Looking for the best gift for a Baby Boomer in your life? The Boomer generation spans the birth years of 1945 to 1965, meaning it encompasses a historically large swathe of living Americans. The “Boomer” moniker reflects the large birth rate in the US that skyrocketed after WWII. This 20-year span means that its oldest are enjoying their retirement, while the youngest may still be in the workforce and watching kids leave home for the first time.
These new freedoms and changes in life offer many opportunities for choosing the perfect gifts for new living situations, new hobbies and changing interests as they reach later in life.
What do baby Boomers want for Christmas? What do Boomers like to do for fun? What do Boomers spend the most money on? We’ve rounded up some great gift ideas for Boomers, whether it's for anniversaries, the holidays, birthdays, retirement parties, thank-you gifts or just an everyday gesture that shows you care. We’ve covered a variety of price points, making whatever your budget and occasion you can find something perfect in these more general ideas. There are also some excellent personalized and customized gifts for Boomers in the mix as well.
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Unique Gifts for Boomers
1. Art Classes
Art classes are a great way to learn new skills, foster creativity and brush up on mediums you may not have touched in years. A unique gift for Boomers is enrollment in a long or short course. They cover everything from drawing and painting to 3-D objects like pottery and glassblowing.
You can find art classes in Boston, art classes in Miami, art classes in Seattle, as well as online art classes they can take wherever they are.
2. Pottery Classes
For a cool learning experience with a take-home project that they can use every day, enroll them in a pottery class, where you can make mugs, vases and decorative bowls. Try pottery classes in Chicago, pottery classes in Columbus or pottery classes in San Diego
3. Cooking Classes
A great way to up your kitchen game, whether you have been cooking for decades or are a newly minted chef, can be to take a cooking class, which covers kitchen basics, international cuisines and other types of food making.
Classes are also great to help you mix up your recipes and favorites if you're cooking for fewer people during midlife and retirement years or if you're making dietary adjustments to your eating plans. Try cooking classes in Barcelona, cooking classes in Napa, cooking classes in Sacramento or cooking classes near you. You can also take online cooking classes from home
4. Museum Memberships
A fun way to both give a thoughtful gift for Boomers and support local cultural institutions is to give a museum membership or visitor passes. Whether it’s art, natural history or science and tech, museums help us understand and enjoy the world more thoroughly. Gift yearly memberships for return visits and special events or day passes for single visits.
5. Journaling Classes or Tools
Creative and unique gifts for Boomers, whether you have a history of writing or art making or are new to it, are objects and courses related to personal journaling. These can vary from old-school diary-like entries in your favorite notebook or collages and mixed media journaling in a sketchbook. Gift your favorite Boomer a pretty paper journal or a set of cool art journal supplies like paper, stickers and die cuts. Or enroll them in a journaling or memoir writing class.
6. Give to Charity
Many Boomers are trying to downsize their possessions as they move into smaller spaces. This makes non-physical gifts a great idea. A perfect gift for Boomers is a donation in his or her name to the charity of their choice. Animal shelters, food banks and domestic violence initiatives all need support.
7. Improv Class
Improv is a great way to learn fast thinking, master on-the-fly creativity and build your public speaking and communication skills. Enroll your Boomer in a class at an acting studio, college or comedy club, where they can learn these fun and useful skills that are valuable even if they're not professional performers.
8. Custom Playlist
For a fun way to evoke nostalgia and an inexpensive gift for Boomers, make a recorded mix or Spotify list of their favorite songs from important periods in their life. Great ideas include a wedding-era playlist for an anniversary gift, a treasury of fave Christmas songs and song highlights from each decade.
9. Dance Classes
Dance classes not only teach you new skills on the dance floor but can also be a great workout for Boomers that mixes music and motion. Give the gift of ballroom, ballet, jazz dance or salsa dancing. Check out dance classes in Colorado Springs, dance classes in Nashville, dance classes in Orange County or even online dance classes. This makes the perfect gift for married couples.
10. Custom Pet Portrait
Get a custom portrait created by a professional artist. This gift for Boomers can be chosen to suit their taste including from the photos you provide. It's also great for memorializing a lost pet.
11. Wedding Anniversary Framed Photo
A great Boomer anniversary gift is a beautifully framed photo of their wedding day printed on archival paper and matted professionally. With many old photos deteriorating over the years, this is a perfect chance to get them remastered by a professional to improve the quality and color.
Best Gifts for Boomers
12. Booze
For a great gift for celebrations, try giving your Boomer membership in a wine or beer club. Or give them a bottle of their favorite spirits for holidays, birthdays, retirement parties or anniversaries. For a fun boozy basket, collect favorite spirits and mixers and present them together.
13. Candle Workshop
Even better than the standard candle gifting, try gifting enrollment in a candle workshop, where participants get to create their own candles, choose containers and mix scent blends that are perfectly customized. They also get to learn the history of candle making and new techniques to continue making them on their own at home.
14. Trivia Games
When you’ve had decades under your belt, you learn quite a bit about the world. Test this knowledge by giving a fun trivia game as a gift for Boomers. Try the fun Boomers vs. Millennials game, old-school Trivial Pursuit or trivia games devoted to interests like film, art or music.
15. Nespresso Machine
A great machine for a single cup of coffee, a Nespresso machine is a great way to get a coffeehouse-quality brew at home. It also makes other things like chai and hot cocoa quickly and easily.
16. Bluetooth Speaker
A great way to turn their phone or tablet into a mobile stereo system is a Bluetooth speaker that makes it easy to play music with serious volume and sound. Options like Marshall speakers look like throwbacks and retro sound pieces with all the quality and tech of the modern age.
17. Cookware
What do Baby Boomers buy most? A great gift for Boomers is something for the kitchen. Fun options include things like new pots, stir-fry pans, omelet pans, knife sets and Dutch ovens. If you are often taking home leftovers from family dinners and hoarding containers, get them a new set of storage ware.
18. Mini Projector
Whether they’re showing slideshows of their latest world journey or enjoying a movie outside on the garage door, a mini project can project things easily and larger than life. They are also great for decorating outdoor spaces for Halloween and the holiday season.
19. Historical Tour
Many people have lived in their city for decades without knowing all that much about its rich history. Gift your favorite Boomer passes to a historical tour for a fun experience gift they will enjoy. For those who like more gothic or horror-filled history, opt for a fun local ghost tour on foot or by bus.
20. Books
Books are always one of the best gifts for Boomers, especially favorite volumes or books about your recipient's favorite hobby, be that bird watching, gardening, cooking or crafting. You can also give them a gift certificate to their favorite indie or bookstore chain.
Gifts for Boomer Women
21. Performing Arts Tickets
The performing arts are another great experience gift for Boomers who have everything to take full advantage of with extra time. For a large gift, give a theater subscription to their favorite Broadway musicals, music venues or dance troupes. For a smaller gift, give some gift cards or passes to individual performances.
22. Luxurious Bathrobe
Everyone loves a cozy bathrobe for curling up at night or in the morning over coffee. Opt for a luxe terry or fleece model that keeps you warm and bundled up or a pretty silk robe.
23. Coffee or Tea
A classic option for most people, whether they’re family, friends, coworkers or the party host.
Gift a bag of coffee with a cute mug or a pretty tin of tea with a floral cup. You can also give coffee sets, subscriptions and accessories like flavored syrups, sugars and other tasty additions.
24. Spa Day
For another way to relax and relish self-care, give a Boomer a gift card to a local spa, where they can partake in activities like massages, yoga sessions, facials and manicures while getting a nice reprieve from the stresses of daily life.
25. Slippers
Like a robe, slippers are also great gifts for anyone of any age, particularly in the colder months around the holidays. Gift a cute set of novelty slippers shaped like their favorite animal for a whimsical gift for Boomers or some lovely luxe slippers made of fur, suede or other soft materials. Slippers make a perfect gift for Boomer moms.
26. Retro Phone
Even though everyone has cell phones, many in the Boomer generation still have an additional landline, so why not embrace the retro energy and replace that boring cordless model with a fun throwback culled from decades past. Princess phones, retro seventies models and classic black office phones can be a cute way to make a landline a piece of stylish decor for the Boomer home.
27. Car Organizer
A well-organized car will help them stay attentive and organized behind the wheel. Storage caddies have spots for stashing important papers, tissues, lotion, reading glasses and other things they may want to take with them.
28. Customized Jewelry
A perfect gift for Boomer females is a personalized and heartfelt piece of jewelry, This can be an initial or name necklace or a custom piece with birthstones of family members. A great gift for Boomers is a customized charm bracelet created from charms of all their favorite things.
29. Throw Blanket
Like other methods of comfort, a luxurious throw blanket has so many uses, from covering a bed while you're reading or cozying up in your favorite chair to watching a movie. For winter gifts for Boomers, look for thick fabric like wool, flannel and fur or opt for woven and loose knits in warmer weather.
30. Jewelry Holder
Boomers will need a place for all that jewelry, so why not give them a jewelry organizer? Options range from wall hanging organizers that have a place for everything or shallow dishes and boxes meant for smaller collections. Many offer a chance to display your collection as part of your decor in a bedroom or bathroom.
31 Perfumery Workshop
A great gift for Boomers females who have everything is a session in a perfume workshop, where they can mix a custom blend of their favorite elements like florals, citrus, herbs and oils. They usually also get to take home a whole bottle afterward for a unique gift.
32. Flower Delivery Service
Get gorgeous flowers delivered regularly for a month-to-month subscription plan that is delivered right to your recipient's door. Options include general bouquets and arrangements or specific breeds of flowers delivered regularly like roses, lilies or seasonal blooms.
Gifts for Boomer Men
33. Luggage
With retirement giving more time for travel than most Boomers may have had before, luggage and travel totes are more important than ever. Whether its ergonomic wheeled suitcases, a weekend leather bag or a simple tote for daily essentials, luggage makes a great gift available at many price points for Boomers.
34. Streaming Service
Give a gift subscription to your Boomer's favorite streaming service or one they've been meaning to try out. Many offers bundle together various channels and networks leading to endless opportunities and options for entertainment..
35. Tabletop Pinball Game
A classic pastime of the 1950s through the 1970s, gathering around pinball machines was a regular occurrence on a Friday night. Bring Boomer nostalgia back with a cute tabletop pinball game that makes a great gift for Boomer men. These machines also make a great gift for Dad.
36. Vintage Movie Poster
A great nostalgic gift for a Baby Boomer is a large vintage poster of their favorite movie framed or printed on canvas. Not only is it a unique piece of décor related to their interests, but it's perfect for a home theater or man cave.
37. Barware
Barware is a great gift for Boomer males, especially if they entertain a lot or are stocking a man cave, rec room bar or bar cart. Accessories like stirrers, pitchers and shakers make great gift options as well in addition to stemware, beer steins and other glassware.
These gifts for Boomers suit all tastes and temperaments no matter the occasion. They include perfect gifts for single moms, unique father’s day gifts and 60th birthday gift ideas.
For even more fun gift ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
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