Graduation gift ideas?

Parent Cafe
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<p>DS graduates H in a few weeks and we don’t know what to get him as a graduation gift. Any great ideas that he would cherish until he is old and grey like his parents? Thanks. proudmama</p>

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<p>My son is not a jewlery wearer, but LOVES his watch! It was so cute when he moved into his dorm freshman year and had to check out where he would put his watch so that it wouldn’t get scratched or stolen. Last summer he showed me where he had a scratch on the crystal and wanted to know if we could get it fixed. We did buy a TAG, but it has been worth it to see him care about it so much.</p>

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<p>one of the things my parents did for my HS graduation was make me a big display case with newspaper clippings from our football season sr. year, with game pictures of me and my receiver gloves in it etc. It was one of those things I’ll always have and be able to look at and remember the fun times of high school. A present doesn’t always have to be jewellery… and the thing about jewellery is that it wont last forever. Not that a graduation gift has to, but if it does even better ya know.</p>

<p>For college graduation my uncle gave me a very nice watch which I love, but in 20 years I wont have it, unlike the display case.</p>

4

<p>I bought my son a digital camera. We have some travelling coming up, and I thought it would be fun for him to also take photos at college. It was very hard to pick out. There are not only a million of them, but what I would buy for myself is not (I suspect) what he would choose. So, instead of getting a camera with great photo capability, I got him the newest, smallest, most high-tech one. The new really small cameras are very good - but not GREAT in photo quality. There are trade offs.</p>

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<p>Money is always good…</p>

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<p>Gift cards from the bookstore of their new school is hugely popular with our D and S. They like to pick out apparel, or items for their room–or use it for books/supplies and sundries. You can order them through the bookstores’ web sites–most colleges offer the bookstore gift cards.</p>

<p>We are getting our S a tent and a sleeping bag since he is going to Duke and can’t wait to “tent” for the basketball games!</p>

7

<p>A laptop for college.</p>

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<p>How about gifts for the college graduation of family friends’ kids? My son is taken care of, but I’m at a total loss as to what to get for others. Gift certificates to Ikea or Target, to help set up new apartments?</p>

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<p>A friend got my kids something called the Leatherman for their h.s. graduations and the boys have both used it and loved it. It costs between $50-$100 and contains a screwdriver, small knife, etc. all rolled into one. It was great for use in the dorms…just could not be transported on planes. Personally, I started this thread because I need something for son’s Harvard graduation and I want something that is permanent and meaningful to reflect the years of hard work, etc. Was thinking about a wooden chair with Harvard’s name on it, they have it on the web site but maybe that’s pretentious? What do you think?</p>

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<p>That’s a hard one, because it depends so much upon your son and what he likes and would cherish. My son is the practical type, so he would give us a really strange look and try to mumble “Thanks” if we gave him something like a chair, but to other kids it might be a cherished item. (My son asked for a photo iPod for his graduation.)</p>

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<p>I got a set of luggage for my graduation from my parents… other than that i got all money… and one baseball card.</p>

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<p>Last night D got two big beach towels with her name stiched on them in her college colors. It may be one of her favorite gifts!</p>

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<p>My parents sent off a lot of my old baseball t-shirts/jerseys and had a quilt made (5x6 shirts). It’s awesome, I really appreciate it.</p>

<p>Of course, the major gift is NYU!</p>

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<p>Could you find out where they had that quilt made? We have tons of these shirts around the house.</p>

15

<p>Look in the back of Runners World magazine.</p>

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<p>For the daughter of a friend, my mother is making up a certificate to put in the card: something like, “In lieu of a graduation gift, this certificate entitles the bearer to one care package next year.”</p>

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<p>I was going to have a t-shirt quilt made for my daughter but she kept wearing the shirts! I think she’s finally done wearing them now - two years after High School. I just did a google search for “t-shirt quilts” and found several web sites. Here’s a link for one that benefits a non-profit group in Ohio called Deaf initiatives. <a href=“http://www.t-shirtquilts.com/[/url]”>http://www.t-shirtquilts.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;