Is there someone in your life who was born between 1946 and 1964? If you plan to get them a holiday present, any old gift won’t do, especially if you want them to feel understood, loved, and appreciated.
Any gift you give to a Boomer friend or relative should be a thoughtful blend of practicality and nostalgia. Here’s our list of gift ideas they’ll love, which blend their interests and nostalgia with practicality and function.
Spark the imagination of your Boomer loved one with a painting class, a pottery class, or any class that lets them express their creativity. Since it’s the 21st century, many options are available for people who want to take courses online, such as through The Art Studio NY. It’s a lovely gift, but some may want to take classes in person, so find out if the real-world option is available near your giftee’s home.
There’s a very strong possibility that the Boomer you want to buy a present for has a bunch of vinyl records and a turntable to play them on. There’s an even stronger possibility that those records and equipment are pretty ragged and could use an upgrade.
Contrary to popular belief, the choices out there are not all astronomically expensive, as demonstrated by Victrola selling portable players for under $100. As for the records, you can pick up a Boomer favorite from Amazon for around $20, such as the self-titled debut album by Crosby, Stills & Nash.
Some Boomers may be annoyed by the rapid pace of technology, but what annoys them even more is the current ticket price at movie theaters. Help them avoid feeling like victims of highway robbery by buying them a gift card for a streaming service such as Hulu, Max, or Netflix. These let them binge their favorite shows any time of day, and in many cases, the monthly subscription fee is the same price as one theatrical movie ticket.
Devices like Amazon Echo simplify daily tasks by allowing the user to give it voice commands. The Boomer in your life may be suspicious of technology and the need to automate everything, but trust us on this – the first time they realize they can yell their grocery list at Alexa instead of writing it down, they will become lifers for this technology.
Some gifts never go out of style, and it’s probably safe to say that anyone of any age would love a plush recliner chair. Perfect for movie nights, reading, or just playing Candy Crush, these chairs are easy to get into and a tragedy to vacate. They can be somewhat expensive, with more luxuriously appointed models sometimes exceeding a $1,000 purchase price. However, if you do your due diligence, you can find perfectly good ones at less outrageous prices from companies like Wayfair.
News flash! Some Americans aged 60 and up love to put on an apron, grab a trowel, and garden. In fact, if you try to stop them, they may get mad and hiss at you. Show them you support their beloved hobby by giving them a garden kneeler, which will alleviate stress on the neck and back. They may take offense at the implication that their necks and backs require gentle treatment, but when they use it for the first time and experience comfort, they will ask, “Where have you been all my life?”
If the person you’re giving a gift to is a Boomer, chances are they know how to cook plenty of things already. But if you buy them a specialty cookbook that helps broaden their horizons, you’re opening up a whole new world of cuisine. Get them out of their comfort zone by giving them an old-world Italian cookbook, a Taco Tuesday cookbook, or even a vegan cookbook. If they balk at the idea, make some dishes with them. They’re much more likely to warm up to these new cooking ideas that way.
If the Boomer you want to buy a gift for is a lover of fine wines who is able to moderate their intake, help keep their beloved vino cool with this six-bottle cooler from Williams Sonoma. At approximately $150, it won’t break the bank, and its six-bottle capacity sends your recipient the message that you trust them to drink responsibly.
People of a certain age love to travel, but often, they do so with the same battered suitcases they’ve owned since the Reagan administration. Support their desire to travel by getting them a new luggage collection that’s up-to-date, spiffy, and practical. If you have ridiculous amounts of money, we recommend buying something from Globe-Trotter’s James Bond-themed 007 Collection, such as this four-wheeled carry-on bag that sells for $2,795.
Some Boomers may not want any kind of fancy gift this holiday season, preferring to receive gifts that will come in handy when the kids or grandchildren visit. Classic board games of old, such as Scrabble or Monopoly, are ideal for young visitors. Both can be found at dirt-cheap prices, so when your recipient says, “You shouldn’t have,” you can tell them not to worry because you bought the Monopoly set for the same price as a large cheese pizza.
Boomers were lucky to grow up during a time that some consider Hollywood’s golden age, so they got to see Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen while we younger folk had to be happy with stuff like the Police Academy franchise. Show them you know they got a better deal by giving them a framed poster of a beloved classic film.
Whether the poster is from a masterpiece like Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window or a classic shot of Marilyn Monroe from How to Marry a Millionaire, your gift recipient will surely give one of these framed beauties a place of honor on their living room wall.
Boomers frolicked in the mud at Woodstock and still like to see live music. Why not buy them seasonal concert tickets that will keep them entertained over and over again under the stars? Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, located on the same hallowed ground where Woodstock took place, sells a 2025 Season Lawn Pass for $649, which entitles your gift recipient to 34 different events, making each event cost approximately $19. It even comes with free lawn chair rental.
