14 Great Gifts for 2021 High School Grads
What a year it's been for the Class of 2021! Whether your teen is heading to college in the fall, taking a gap year, or job-hunting, treat them to something that will help celebrate their accomplishments and get them ready for the next stage in life with one of these thoughtful high school graduation gift ideas.
Prep: The Essential College Cookbook
A mom of teens, Katie Sullivan Morford, a registered dietitian, serves up a helpful and engaging guide to kitchen basics (from chopping an onion to a pantry supply list) plus simple recipes like Loaded Nachos and Sheet-Pan Chicken and Potatoes. If the grad will be cooking at least some of their meals (many colleges have dorm kitchens), pair this book with a great all-purpose pan or supermarket gift card.
MunchPak Snack Box Subscription
Treat a grad to a box of snacks from around the world (like chips from Britain and candy from Japan) that will surprise and delight. You choose the number of snacks per box—five to 20—and how often you’d like a box delivered.
Cricut Joy Machine
Crafty grads will be thrilled with a Cricut device that will allow them to DIY cards, create labels for their dorm storage bins, and make personalized gifts. It’s small enough to take to college!
Sephora Favorites Treat Yourself Coffret Perfume Sampler
Perfume is a lovely gift, but how will you know what scent the grad prefers? This set includes five sample size fragrances and a voucher to redeem in Sephora stores for a full-size featured scent of their choice. Genius!
InCase Slip Sleeve with PerforaKnit for MacBooks
Teens are hard on laptops. Help protect their pricey device from scratches and dings with this elastic-like sleeve.
Vera Bradley x Lana Condor Recycled Cotton Campus Backpacks
The perfect size and style for college students, this recycled cotton backpack comes in fun solid colors ranging from summer rain (blue) to citronella glow (yellow). It contains a padded laptop compartment and a variety of pockets and pouches for all their stuff.
Mesh Shower Caddy Tote
College students who must walk down the hall to shower need a bag to carry their towel, shampoo, and other products. Order this nylon, quick-drying mesh tote with lots of pouches and fill it with towels and their favorite hair and bath products.
Alleyoop Must-Haves Set
For grads with early morning wake-up calls and limited space, this kit will be a lifesaver, and you’ll forever be the hero for gifting it. It includes a razor for showerless shaving, all-natural deodorant, plus a makeup pen that’s a highlighter, lipliner, and eyeliner all in one!
Cool Coffee Clique Meet Your Maker Stylish Coffee Maker
We raise our mugs to this cutie K-Cup coffee maker! It automatically turns off after the last brew in case the teen doesn’t remember. Add a coffee subscription to keep them caffeinated all year!
Ready Jet Set Beauty Baton Trio
Teens won’t have room for their whole makeup stash in their dorms. This set of three tubes majored in multi-tasking. Case in point: The Sculpt and Shine baton works as a blush, lipcolor, eyeshadow, and highlighter.
Fujifilm Instax Mini 40
With retro vibes, this camera has a selfie mode and selfie mirror! The instant pictures are fun for students to hang on the bulletin board in their dorm rooms.
Levoit Air Purifier Core 300
This small air purifying unit is ideal to take to college or a first apartment. It removes more than 99 percent of allergens and other airborne containments. It’s so quiet that they won’t know it’s even there.
Scuddles Extra Large Picnic and Outdoor Blanket
Grads can spread this five-foot square blanket out on the college quad and hang with friends! It’s easy to carry, store, and clean and comes in a variety of patterns.
M.C. Squares
Make sure they never forget about a meet-up with you. These reusable sticky notes, planners, and personal-size whiteboards are a great way for teens to keep all their homework, work schedule, and other commitments organized.
