114 Great Gifts That Keep Giving – Ideas For Kids, Teens & Adults

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Every year there’s someone on the list who doesn’t need anything. They’ve got everything they want, they’d rather not have more clutter, or they’re impossible to shop for.

A gift that keeps giving solves that. Something that arrives again next month, teaches them something they’ll use for years, or does some good on their behalf.

Quick Answer: Best Recurring Gifts

A subscription box is the easiest version, because it arrives monthly and you don’t have to guess right the first time. A membership is the best value if they already visit somewhere regularly. And a class is the one they’ll still be talking about in five years.

What Counts As A Gift That Keeps Giving?

There are five main types of gifts that keep on giving:

• Recurring gifts that arrive again, like a subscription box or a magazine.
• Memberships and passes that get used over and over through the year.
• Skills and experiences that stay with them long after the day.
• Gifts that give back, where the giving continues for someone else.

There’s a fifth category too, which is simply things that last. A good bag, a camera, a bike. Not as clever as the others, but often the one they’ll actually use most.

Recurring Gift Ideas

Recurring gifts are the purest version of this, because the surprise happens again every month.

One thing worth knowing: most subscriptions auto-renew. Check whether you’re buying a gift term that ends, or signing them up to something they’ll have to cancel. A fixed 3, 6 or 12 month gift subscription is the polite version.

More in my best family subscription boxes and best kids’ subscription boxes.

Membership Gifts

A membership gets used over and over through the year, and it works out far cheaper than individual visits if they go regularly.

These also work well as a family gift, since one membership usually covers everyone.

Gifts That Teach A Skill

A skill stays with someone long after the wrapping is in the bin, which makes this the category with the longest tail.

It’s also the one people won’t spend money on themselves. A class feels indulgent when you’re paying, and completely reasonable when someone gives it to you.

Pair the class with the gear. A sewing course plus a beginner sewing machine, or a photography lesson plus a camera bag, makes a much better gift than the class alone.

Creative:

• Learn to draw, paint or scrapbook
• Pottery or ceramics class, plus a beginner clay kit
• Photography lesson, and a tripod to go with it
• Photo or video editing course
• Cake decorating, with a decorating tool set
• Sewing lessons, plus a beginner sewing machine
• Knitting or crochet class, with a yarn and hook starter kit
• Calligraphy or hand lettering
• Graphic design course
• Singing lessons
• Piano or guitar lessons, plus a beginner instrument
• Drama class

Active:

• Surfing lessons
• Stand up paddleboarding
• Kayaking
• Horse riding lessons
• Dance class
• Yoga classes, with a good mat
• Martial arts
• Personal trainer sessions
• Rock climbing
• Skydiving, for the one who’s been talking about it for years
• Swimming lessons
• Kids’ sport lessons

Practical:

• Cooking class, plus a decent chef’s knife
• Mixology class, with a cocktail set
• Gardening class, and a seed starter kit
• Defensive driving course
• Driving lessons
• Self-defence class
• First aid certificate
• Learn a language
• Meal planning or meal prep course
• Home organisation course
• Personal shopping session with a local stylist

For parents and carers:

• Prenatal classes
• Parenting classes
• Doula training program
• Baby first aid course
• Tutoring or community education vouchers

More ideas in my experience gifts for kids and hobby ideas for women.

Charity Navigator is useful for checking how much of a donation actually reaches the cause, if you want to be thorough about it.

This also works as a clutter-free gift for minimalists.

Gifts To Use Again And Again

Sometimes a straightforward gift is the right answer, as long as it’s something that gets used for years rather than months.

Things that last:

• A camera such as a digital camera or an Instax instant camera
• GoPro action video camera
• A good quality backpack or schoolbag
• An insulated lunch box
• A reusable water bottle they’ll actually carry
• A bike and a helmet
• A musical instrument
• A family board game that gets played every Christmas
• Travel guides for a trip they’ve booked
• A good quality appliance they’ll use weekly
• A coffee shop gift card loaded with enough for several visits
• A quality umbrella, which sounds boring right up until it rains

The test for this category: will they still have it in three years? If the answer is no, it belongs on a different list.

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Whether it’s a box that arrives every month, a skill they’ll use for the rest of their life, or a donation that helps someone else entirely, these are the gifts people remember long after the day.