This post is part 3 of our 3 part gift guide series.
I can hardly believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow. We’re hosting Thanksgiving at our house, and I’m in the thick of preparation. As we get ready to spend time with family and friends, I’m also thinking about activities that we can enjoy together. For caregivers and care recipients, finding ways to enjoy time together that’s not just about care is so important.
Which is why I’m excited to share these gift ideas. Gifts don’t have to be expensive or extravagant to be impactful.
As a reminder, this month, I’ll be sharing three sets of gift guides:
- Gifts for the Caregiver
- Gifts for the Care Recipient
- Gifts for caregivers & Care Recipients to enjoy together
(note: gift guides contain affiliate links. When you shop through the links, we earn a small commission, but there’s no extra charge for you. Thanks for supporting Caregiver Collaborative and helping us continue to bring you great content all year long!)
When choosing gifts to include in this guide, I tried to think of activities that can be enjoyed together for people with varying interests and ability levels. I hope you find something you love, but if you need some help thinking of additional ideas, shoot us a message! We’d love to help you choose the perfect gift!
10 Gifts for Caregivers & Those They Care for to Enjoy Together
For the Bakers
For caregivers and care recipients, learning a new skill can be a great (and delicious) way to spend time together! This cookbook walks you through all of the steps and teaches you how to make all kinds of breads. Pick up a proofing basket to go with it and this makes the perfect gift that will just keep on giving.
For the Game Lovers
Caregivers and care recipients spend a lot of time together, and it’s easy for that time to be dominated by discussing the details of day-to-day life – health, care tasks, errands, etc. Finding other ways to connect that are both fun and help you learn new things about each other can be tough. Why not grab some games to help? Table Topics is full of awesome conversation starters you can use while eating dinner together, in the car together, on walks, or anywhere else that you spend time with one another.
I also just picked up Hygge Games & I Should Have Known That for Thanksgiving with my family. I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m excited for some trivia and conversation as a way to do something new and fun together while we eat dessert and lounge after dinner.
For the Gardener
For a lot of care recipients, gardening can be a great way to get outside and use their hands. But with winter right around the corner (depending where you live, maybe it’s already here in full force!) the gardening season may be coming to an end. Why not try something new this year, like this hydroponic garden, so you can grow fresh herbs year round?
And while you’re waiting for the herbs to grow and for spring to roll back around, adding a fun puzzle to the mix can be a fun way to pass the time, and a great opportunity to put your problem solving skills to work in a new, fun way.
For the Family Historians
Let’s talk about something tough for a second. For many caregivers, the reality is that you might be thinking about end-of-life planning. Depending on the type of care you provide and for whom, this might be an imminent thought, or it could be something you know will come in the future. Something about caring for someone struggling with a mental or physical health issue often makes us acutely aware of just how precious life is. If you’re like me, this also brings up a lot of thoughts about family history. You might worry that when your loved ones pass, you’ll miss hearing the stories, or learning your family’s history. Gifts like this Oral History Journal or Family Tree can be a great way to spend some time together while you still have it recording these memories so you have them for years to come.
Caregiver, we know that finding the perfect gift for the ones you care for can be tough. Balancing their needs with the things that bring them joy isn’t always easy – but we’re here to help. If you’re having a hard time or looking for a specific link, don’t be afraid to reach out!
And be sure to check out our other gift guides:
Caring for you,
