thoughtful non-electronic gifts...books, games, puzzles?

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Any recommendations?

Looking for book recommendations, board or other games, puzzles that would fun for those in their 20's.

What is on your list for yourself and for others?

I super want to be done with shopping, wrapping, and decorating early this year, and enjoy the time off!

[billisonboard]

For twenty somethings? Non-electronic games and puzzles? Books?  Thoughtful? 

Not sure it is thoughtful to give such.  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

When I get together with my friends, we like the game called Sequence.  It’s a lot of fun.....and even more so with alcohol in you!  

[plugginaway22]

My kids love the game Catan.

[plugginaway22]

We all loved the book by Dan Rather, What Unites Us.

[Tiny]

These are older games:
A card game: Exploding Kittens (a 'screw your neighbor" kinda card game)
and of course Cards Against Humanity (and the various expansion packs).

I've got a game Code Names which is easy to play/explain and has appealed to the diverse groups I've played with (old people, young people) You are breaking your party group into two teams (doesn't really matter how many are on a team - but I'd say it works best for groups between 4 and 8 (odd # of people ok).


I've done and participated in putting together 3d puzzles (I would think you could choose anything from Amazon/Google)

My geeky/nerdy creative friends and I really enjoyed an older game called Morphology (it's alittle bit like pictionary - but you use different "props" that come with the game - or if you are my friends you start adding in odds and ends of things like plastic table ware and children's blocks. We played this numerous times and it was fun and different and a generally laugh-y but competitive time. We didn't expect this game to be much fun... but it turned out to be a favorite.

You could also go old school and pick up some board game classics like "Clue", Kerplunk, trouble, The game of life, Sorry, etc...

[tskeeter]

For an elderly relative who likes puzzles, we try to find puzzles that show places they visited on their travels.  As a group activity, assembly of these puzzles creates an opportunity to talk about their travels.  As a solo activity, it brings back memories.  The same may apply to your 20 somethings, if they have had experiences that might be tied to the subject of a puzzle.  Or even have puzzles made from photos documenting their experiences.  Once assembled, the puzzle can be glued to a backer and used as a decorative item in the child’s home.

[tcu2003]

Ditto the Sequence recommendation. Ticket to Ride is also fun!

Several of the 20-somethings at work have been playing Settlers of Catan around the plan table after work recently, and all appear to be having a great time.

[giramomma]

What do your kids have?

I had a great time playing the Game of Life with my college friends.

Monopoly? You can get a board for just about every interest-we have like 4 ourselves-National Parks, Simpsons, Start Wars, and our alma mater.

What about a good book and a reading light? Presuming young adults might want to be frugal in their journey, and a reading light is cheaper than keeping the bedroom light on.

Boggle? That's a great one to play when you only have 10 minutes...You can still get a few rounds in.

Scrabble is always fun, too.

If your kids are creative: what about adult coloring books and a nice set of non-gel pens or non-crayola color pencils?

Are your kids still in your neck of the woods? Extra blankets, slippers, flannel sheets, etc would be nice, help them keep the heat down, and therefore save a little on bills and what not.

ETA:

There's also the Diamond Dot craft that's going around. Stuff takes a while to do. and then you get decorations at the end of it.

My kids don't like doing jigsaw puzzles. However, if I take the initiative to put one out on the table, they will come and work it with me of their own choosing. So, I wouldn't suggest puzzles unless they are still living with you.

[haapai]

May I ask why you are specifying non-electronic gifts, toys, and possibly puzzles?  It sounds like you are scheming to make young people, who will be with you for the holidays, interact with others instead of just screens.  Quite frankly, that's an admirable goal, and asking for help in choosing those gifts might be a great idea. 

On the other hand, if your reasons for specifying non-electronic diversions are a hatred of screens or fear that the kiddos will already have it or hate it, you might as well say so. 

FWIW, as much as I love jigsaw puzzles and have happy memories of rebuilding huge ones over a week of vacation spent with family, I don't think they provide particularly rich interaction, especially if you have only a day or two to get them done.  They also eat a ton of space, which means that they are best set up in a less central space, which kinda puts the kibosh on folks interacting.  Introverts may love you for setting up a jigsaw puzzle on a card tables (or several) in a less-used room, but I don't remember talking much while enjoying putting those things together. 

[oped]

Pandemic, Exploding Kittens, Cards Against Humanity, I Dissent, I still love Dixit... Honestly Words on the Street is also still one of our favorite, and I hate spelling.   Did someone say codenames, my kids like that one. 

[TheOtherMe]

The Woman Cards

[dannylion]

Dec 1, 2019 14:05:25 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

Ditto the Sequence recommendation. Ticket to Ride is also fun!

Several of the 20-somethings at work have been playing Settlers of Catan around the plan table after work recently, and all appear to be having a great time.

Love Ticket to Ride!  My neighbors enjoy board games and introduced me to this last Christmas.  Their teenage boys really seemed to enjoy it, so I bought it for my teenage cousin this Christmas.  

Not long ago, I was watching a re-run of a Big Bang Theory episode from, I think, about the middle of the series run and noticed a Ticket to Ride box on the coffee table.  

[Cookies Galore]

Monikers, Code Names, and Super Fight are my favorites.

[tcu2003]

Dec 1, 2019 18:15:07 GMT -5 dannylion said:

Dec 1, 2019 14:05:25 GMT -5 tcu2003 said:

Ditto the Sequence recommendation. Ticket to Ride is also fun!

Several of the 20-somethings at work have been playing Settlers of Catan around the plan table after work recently, and all appear to be having a great time.

Love Ticket to Ride!  My neighbors enjoy board games and introduced me to this last Christmas.  Their teenage boys really seemed to enjoy it, so I bought it for my teenage cousin this Christmas.  

Not long ago, I was watching a re-run of a Big Bang Theory episode from, I think, about the middle of the series run and noticed a Ticket to Ride box on the coffee table.  

DH’s uncle introduced us to the game 10+ years ago when we visited them and it’s been on of our favorites since. We love introducing it to new people.

[weltschmerz]

Dec 1, 2019 11:44:23 GMT -5 Rukh O'Rorke said:

Any recommendations?

Looking for book recommendations, board or other games, puzzles that would fun for those in their 20's.

What is on your list for yourself and for others?

I super want to be done with shopping, wrapping, and decorating early this year, and enjoy the time off!

A nice chess set.

[weltschmerz]

They could also probably have fun with a deck of Tarot Cards.

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks so much for all the suggestions. I ended up going with the deluxe scrabble set, settlers of catan, and the women cards.

All were a success!

I'll check out the info here again for future gifts!

[TheOtherMe]

A young man here in Iowa who became well known for his speech on the floor at the Iowa State House about his two moms and his sister did the Woman Cards.  His sister is the talented artist and he is in to the marketing.

I have all three versions. 

Glad they were a hit.

[Artemis Windsong]

Memes.

Cards against humanity

My friends play Catch Phrase after eating dinner.

Chess.  I found out my son regularly plays online with people all over the world.

[debthaven]

Rukh O'Rorke too late for this year but Codenames was a huge success here! I gave it to DDIL for Christmas (she and DS1 love board games). We played it so much that I ordered one for us, and DS2 gave one to his GF's parents.

[Rukh O'Rorke]

Dec 27, 2019 6:08:22 GMT -5 debthaven said:

Rukh O'Rorke too late for this year but Codenames was a huge success here! I gave it to DDIL for Christmas (she and DS1 love board games). We played it so much that I ordered one for us, and DS2 gave one to his GF's parents.

watched a youtube video on playing that one....seems fun!

Will put on the list!

[chiver78]

Carcasonne is another good one. that's a tile game, with expansion packs. so you can go as big or small as you want when you play. four of us filled my 84" (with leaf) long dining room table one game. 

[Deleted]

I've been learning to play Go now for a long while. I really like it. Not sure I will ever be good at it, however.