27 Gift Ideas for Parents

This Cuisinart machine belongs on the counter of a parent whose whole family wants a hot mug before leaving the house.

Each adult there grabs a refill on the way out, and a single-serve brewer would leave someone waiting.

Apple EarPods give a parent a wired pair for podcasts and playlists.

The built-in remote lets them pause a song or answer a call without touching the phone. They can keep the cord in a coat pocket for the school run.

During a middle-of-the-night feed, a new parent can keep a novel going by a lamp resting on their shoulders.

The ceiling light stays off, and they turn pages with whichever hand is not holding the bottle. Between chapters, they can glance down and see how much milk is left.

Back from the school drop-off, a parent who logs every finch at the fence can check which visitors came while nobody was home.

Their notebook of sightings no longer depends on who happened to be standing at the glass. The feeder's camera fills the gaps between their own glances outside.

Family trips don't have to put the Scrabble rivalry on hold, since Scrabble to Go shrinks the word game to travel size.

Dad can draw tiles on a hotel desk or a cabin porch and challenge whoever is up for one more round.

Word clues pass across this board game while a parent and partner guess together as a team.

Once the kids are asleep, the couple can sit down for a round without calling friends over. Every guess turns on whether a hint lands with the partner across the table.

Dittle is a wooden dice game made for exactly two adults, who roll against each other in a straight duel.

The set can stay out on the coffee table between matches, so a parent and partner can start one whenever both are free.

This cribbage set gives a parent a classic card-and-peg game for an evening at the table.

The board folds shut for storage, so it slips into a drawer or travel bag. Pull it out after the kids are in bed and play a round.

TAPPLE works for a mom or dad who hosts family game night and loves a noisy round of word play.

That host decides what comes out of the cupboard, and this one gets everyone calling answers; pack two AA batteries with it.

After dinner, a parent who runs family game night can pull out Connect 4 Spin for the table.

Rounding up the household is their job, and a strategy match puts kids and adults at the same board. The box stays out on the sideboard afterward, ready for whoever calls for a rematch.

With the kids in bed, a parent and partner can settle at the kitchen table for a quiet round of mancala.

This classic needs only a pair, so the couple can plot against each other without rounding up a group. The board then stays set up beside the couch until the next rematch.

Head-to-head strategy belongs with a parent who enjoys outguessing a partner at the end of the day.

Rounding up a group is hard with kids at home, and this contest needs only the couple. Its board becomes a quiet duel where each placed piece answers the partner's last move.

For a household where one person drinks most of the coffee, this five-cup Amazon Basics machine brews a pot that gets finished, not poured out at noon.

Auto pause lets a cup be poured before brewing ends, and auto shut-off covers the mornings someone forgets to turn it off.

On the drive to work, a mom or dad who brews at home gets to take that morning pour along.

Busy mornings of shoes and lunch boxes strand their drink on the counter; this tumbler carries it out the door. The Owala SmoothSip Slider then rides in the cup holder until the parking lot at work.

A dried bouquet suits a parent whose fresh flowers always wilt before anyone changes the vase water.

Busy weeks leave little time for that chore. On the entryway table, this bouquet stays as arranged.

The candle's small flame gives a mom or dad a corner of the house that is theirs alone for a while.

School runs and grocery lists fill their days, so a flame lit just for themselves is rare. The jar glows beside their mug of tea while they read a few messages from friends.

This Lodge cast iron set suits a parent still cooking the family's favorite dishes from scratch.

Sunday dinner at their place still brings everyone to one table, so the pans get used every week.

Salt & Stone's Saffron & Cedar candle gives a parent's reading chair a warm, woodsy scent once the house goes quiet.

Parents tend to receive gifts meant for the whole household, while this one is for whoever strikes the match. Its flame keeps burning beside the armrest until the chapter ends.

This hot cocoa gift set hands a busy mom or dad a sweet mug just for them.

Most of their days go to dishes and lunch packing, so a treat for themselves rarely happens. Once the house goes quiet, they can stir up a mug and settle onto the couch.

Guided questions take care of where to start, so the stories Mom keeps meaning to tell, like where her grandparents grew up, finally get written down.

Her kids end up with a keepsake in her own handwriting.

Gentle ribbing and playful praise fill this gift book, so it suits a father with a sense of humor about himself.

You get to tease him about his burnt pancakes and still tell him he measures up. He can flip through a few pages at a time on the garage workbench between projects.

Mystery reading fits a parent who likes naming the culprit before the detective does and wants a new puzzle to chase.

Their reading time often shrinks to the commute, and a new series installment gives each ride a case to crack. Their scribbled list of suspects ends up tucked inside the back cover with the guilty name circled.