Is your family’s social calendar filling up this summer? Sunshine and warm weather provides plenty of reasons to celebrate! Graduations, picnics, barbecues, and birthday parties all can fill up weekends at this time of year, and some of these occasions call for gifts. Avoid the last minute pre-party rush by planning ahead with these fun gift ideas.
Traditional Gifts
For housewarming or garden parties, you’ll want to bring along a basic hostess gift. You can’t go wrong with a cheerful bouquet of flowers or a chilled bottle of bubbly. For something that will last a bit longer, think about giving a potted plant, blown glass vase, or engraved cheese board loaded up with tempting nibbles. The summer’s also a prime time for weddings, hen dos, and bridal showers. Gifts for the home or garden are ideal for these types of events, including everything from delicate stemware to useful appliances.
Children’s Gifts
Children’s birthday parties take place throughout the year, but if your child has been invited to a summer party you can look for gifts to use outdoors. First find out if there is a theme. If it’s something like a superhero theme, you could give a costume or game that’s related. Butterfly nets, croquet sets, and backyard binoculars are all fun outdoorsy ideas for summer birthday parties. Are you on a tight budget? You don’t have to break the bank with gift ideas. Art supplies are always appreciated for all ages, and are available at all price points. A colourful set of sidewalk chalk or chunky crayons can often be found at the local pound shop. You can also make crafts of your own with your children, such as handmade soaps or jewellery, and gift these.
Quirky Ideas
Do you really want to make your gift stand out from the crowd? You may wish to look for some more unusual gift ideas that veer off the usual path. Little things like a novelty mug, desktop terrarium, or funny printed socks can be light-hearted conversation pieces at the office soiree. There’s a wealth of 3D printed graphic tee-shirts in fun, fanciful prints – try giving a hilarious pug top to the dog-lover in your life, or opt for a custom-printed shirt to make it more personal.
No matter what your budget or occasion, there’s a wide range of gift options out there. Think about your recipient’s personal tastes to narrow down the field, and opt for something that fits the spirit of the season!