Today we’re having a little fun with gifts for grown-ups who maybe … don’t want to grow up. Plus: trees we love to give, a very cheeky ceramic, and a great deal on our all-time favorite bath towel.
A few months ago, my boyfriend’s niece made a confession to me about her upcoming birthday. “I don’t want to turn 11,” she said softly. She was anxious, her grandmom later told me, that getting older might mean she could no longer play with dolls. Her grandmom, however, had a living rejoinder. “Well, look at your uncle, he always wanted to stay being a kid, and he still has toys.” To be fair, her uncle (that would be my boyfriend) is a fully functioning adult. He owns a house, pays taxes, wears pants when it’s cold, and makes sure his daughter gets to school on time. But that house, tidy as it is, is also adorned with many toy figurines—on the fireplace mantle, credenzas, and almost any other flat surface. My boyfriend is what I call an “adult kid.” I’m sure you know a few, too—the folks who haven’t let the dreary grind of grown-up jobs and responsibilities suppress their unbridled joie de vivre. For his last birthday, I got him the ultimate adult-kid gift: custom Funko Pop figurines in the likeness of him, his daughter, and me. I was cracking up the whole time I designed those bobbleheads on their website, choosing hair styles and accessories for each of us. There’s just something inherently funny about creating a toy version of you and your loved ones, which is perhaps why it’s one of Wirecutter’s most popular gifts. After they unwrapped them, I’m not sure who was more thrilled: the 47-year-old man or his 9-year-old daughter. When it comes to gifting for grown-ups, we often forget that silly can be more exhilarating than serious. A really nice sweater or handsome housewares are, of course, unassailable, but it’s pretty hard to beat connecting with the pure joy of someone’s inner kid. Here are some of my favorite gifts that do just that:
Your loved one need not be a goof to enjoy any of these gifts. Those custom Funko Pop figurines are a reader favorite across our site. As for my boyfriend’s niece, her 11th birthday came and went, and she discovered that she doesn’t have to give up her toys—just like her uncle. All the best gifts for grown-ups that don’t want to grow up→
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My BFF for nearly 60 years has an upcoming 71st birthday. Due to distance, we only see each other in person about once a year—so I don’t have much insight into her daily life. She loves time with her family and grandsons and Detroit Tigers baseball. She always selects such thoughtful birthday gifts for me, and I struggle to do the same. Help! — L.M.D. From gifting expert Samantha Schoech: What a gift it is to have such a lifelong friendship! Without knowing too much about your BFF aside from her love for her grandsons and the Tigers, I might suggest a throwback to wherever it was that you first met—a shared hometown, perhaps? If she likes a tipple, these elegant Reidel glasses can be etched with any location in the US, no matter how obscure. Are puzzles her thing? If so, take an old photo of the two of you looking smashing, and have it made into a jigsaw puzzle. If my math is correct, she was born in 1954, so what about a bespoke Detroit jersey with her birth year and name on the back? Then there are some gifts that I think any 71-year-old woman (or anyone, really) would love, like this sweet-smelling herbal wreath, a classic but lovely white cotton nightgown, or a cozy Tartan throw made of recycled wool perfect for those nippy Michigan nights.
Have someone who’s impossible to shop for? Submit your question here. One last gift (for you): Our top-pick bath towel, which feels like it came straight out of a luxury hotel, is on sale right now. Was this email kindly forwarded to you? Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
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