When kids grow out of toys and birthday parties, I started to think about what would make them feel grown up and special, while teaching them independence and confidence. Think- things they love that are out of their price range 🙂

When each of my daughters turned 16, I took them on special one-on-one trips that were absolutely unforgettable for both of us (I’ll be doing some posts on those itineraries). This started to open up their eyes to travel, different foods and having the courage to just go places! After 16, you want to continue to expose them to the new and different, but you need to be a bit creative!

1. Weekend get-aways. From like 18-20 is a great age range for this idea. I made this present into a gift card that outlined all the specifics. The girls could decide where they wanted to go for a max of three days, and they could invite a max of three people (this would usually include their sisters). We live fairly close to the Poconos, Jersey shore, New York, Delaware- so there are options. When they decided, I would give them a choice of hotels (that I was ok with), and I’d book it. I’d give them a credit card with a low limit (this is a great idea), and let them know how much they could spend. I also took them to Target and let them get the essentials- sunscreens, snacks, etc. That’s it. I monitored their spending (and locations) when they were gone-and they didn’t do anything crazy or sneaky- but had a BLAST!
2. Fancy restaurants (ones that they would never afford or think to go). This is a great gift card for them to share with boyfriends, but bringing a girlfriend along is fun too. My girls love to dress up, so giving them an occasion to do this without spending money? Perfect!
3. Include yourself in the gift! My oldest daughter loves Asian food, and there is a very expensive restaurant in the city that I also wanted to experience! So the gift card for Christmas was a home-made gift card, letting her know that it was for a dinner for 4! She chose the date, and the four of us had a really special (and delicious) night together. I’m a big fan of always including yourself as the parent whenever you have the opportunity. The times with them are priceless!
4. Spas. Either with or without you, a spa day is an amazing treat for your daughters. Getting them a card for a certain dollar amount lets them choose. I did specific things like manicures when they were little, but as women I noticed they’re more into facials and massages (me too!) now. If you’re going together, follow your sessions with a nice lunch.
5. Concerts. This is an age when they really start loving certain artists and bands. I first took the girls to a One Direction concert, but they’ve moved on from there. Ariana Grande was one of the more recent ones I got for a birthday gift. 
6. DNA Test. These are really gaining in popularity, and are a lot of fun for children of this age, who are frankly a bit self-centered! Anything that uncovers something unique to them is sure to be a hit (my daughters LOVE looking at their scrapbooks e.g.). It’s actually interesting for adults of any age- who would have thought I have any Scandanavian blood? They even have these for pets now (we have a cat and really aren’t interested in his breed), so if your child is really close to your pet, you may want to think about finding out his or her heritage too! 
7. Classes. I’ve mentioned that my daughter and I are big into cooking shows. I got her (and me with her) a series of Italian cooking classes at the local community college! This was great, because we spent a lot of meaningful time together, but also were able to recreate some great dishes at home like gnocchi! Just think of what your child is into (or WANTS to know more about) and there are likely classes for it. Others we’ve tried are kickboxing, glass blowing, and painting.
8. Experiences. Not just things to LEARN, but things to DO are great for kids this age who are always on the go. We’ve done some of these things as a family, so if you’re game to try them- definitely do! Just do a little research for what’s available in your area. We’ve tried white water rafting, a raceway drive-along, hot air balloon, wine tastings, wild game night, and indoor skydiving. 
9. Gift baskets. Because I LOVE my themes, I have a lot of fun with these, that are perfect for my daughter and her live-in boyfriend. I’ve done an Asian food theme (she loves it), with sauces, ramen, a steamer basket and gift card to a restaurant. A great one is a movie night basket, complete with popcorn, and those really cute popcorn cups! Add some boxes of movie style candy, and a gift card to a local theater and/or a Netflix subscriptions- see that next!
10. Subscriptions. Again to things they love (who doesn’t like movies?), a music channel (ie Spotify), a satellite music service for their car, or tanning salon. There are really cool gift box subscriptions for things like beauty/make up, like FabFitFun, that you can order for as long a timespan as you’d like. For children living on their own, meal subscriptions like Hello Fresh are perfect- you can specify the number of deliveries and even the types of menus, such as vegetarian. 

Be sure to let me know if any of these gift ideas go over well with your kids! 🙂