27 High School Graduation Gifts That Are Fun and Practical (but Mostly Fun)

Stuff gets lost. And stuff seems to get lost quite a lot for those newly out on their own. Help your recent high school graduate keep track of their possessions with these small trackers, which stick easily to keys, backpacks, and more and link to Apple's Find My network for easy finding.

Make the weekly run to the laundromat a lot more stylish with a chic laundry bag hamper, made of eco-friendly (and washable) paper linen, to make lugging their dirty clothes simpler. 

Help them keep their tech close at hand (and fully charged) with this multitasking charger, which works with Samsung, Apple, Google and Qi-enabled products. 

Help fuel their late-night study prep or their early morning wake-ups with this tiny single-cup brewer that'll fit into even the teeniest dorm room or studio apartment. 

Help them handle every at-home task with this handy tool kit equipped with all of the right gadgets for the job—from hammers and tape measures to pliers and screwdrivers.

Whether they're moving on to a new apartment or a dorm, this stylish calendar helps them keep their new schedule organized—and won't mar the walls behind it with nail holes.  

Help them snap their way through graduation and into their new life beyond with this camera, which lets them easily create and print snaps—and comes with a built-in selfie mode, too. 

This sleek ecofriendly bag, crafted from recycled nylon, can be reconfigured to be used as a backpack, crossbody bag, or tote, depending on their mood—and has plenty of pockets to help them keep their phone, laptop, and other gear handy.

Help your budding gourmet deal with any culinary issue with this all-in-one clever tool, which includes cutlery, graters, openers, and more.

Take the sentimental route with this high school graduation gift. Encourage them to write letters for the future all at once or throughout their first year at college or in the real world; when they read them in a few years, the letters will serve as a time capsule for this exciting new stage in their life.

Remind them of home with one of these sweet pillows, which feature your state’s natural flora and fauna on one side and an acrostic poem about it on the other.

To buy: $90; uncommongoods.com.

Shared floor bathrooms, communal laundry rooms: There’s a good change their post-grad life will entail more than a little schlepping from the privacy of their room through a semi-public space to fulfill some basic needs. Keep them comfortable—and covered—with this cozy waffle robe, which has all the comfort of being wrapped in a thick towel but is cut short for a little cuteness.

If their new, post-grad digs lack a nightstand—or they just have too many literary interests for one nightstand to hold—this sleek pocket makes a great high school graduation gift. They can slip the pouch into their bedframe to keep everything handy, whether that’s notebooks or video game controllers.

To buy: $20; uncommongoods.com.

Storage is in short supply in any dorm room or first apartment. Help them out a bit—and offer a small suggestion that they get organized right off the bat—with these sleek baskets, which can be used for everything from storing clothes to decorating to holding kitchen essentials.

Encourage their sustainable leanings with this colorful, reusable silicone straw set, which includes 10 straws, four travel cases, and even some cleaning squeegees—plenty of extras in case they lose a few straws along the way.

Give them appropriate, comfy (and still cute) footwear for shuffling across campus and to the dining hall: These super cushioned slippers have a no-slip sole, so they can take it outside, and chic uppers they’ll be proud to show off at the next study hall.

Is anything more perfectly suited for a dorm room or first apartment than a bean bag chair? This one is extra plush, with a machine washable cover: the perfect spot for studying, gaming, and more.

College is both a time of messy buns and sloppy ponytails and polished, groomed locks, depending on the occasion (and the day of the week). Help them out a bit with this clever blow-drying brush, which dries and smooths hair at the same time, helping them save time in the morning or before an evening out with friends.

Baggy T-shirts and leggings are always a solid fallback, but give them permission to dress up their jammies a bit with this sleek set, which is made of a sustainable bamboo-based fabric. (And if they end up wearing the shirt to class because they overslept, they can just pass it off as fashion.)

For the grad who fully embraces the snooze button, this innovative bedside lamp from the sleep experts at Casper is a serious game-changer. Glow is a gradually dimming light that helps you wind down before bed, plus it syncs up to the Casper Glow app, a handy program that schedules morning wake-ups.

When it comes to being a proper adult, Real Simple has you covered, thanks to our tell-all guide that tackles tricky obstacles like apartment hunting and negotiating one's salary. Gift any grad with the guide and rest easy knowing they'll reach for it during tough-to-navigate times.

Help her keep track of her goods on the go with this handy leather clutch. Available in nine versatile colors, each accessory boasts enough space for a phone, keys, cards, cash, and chargers, making morning commutes a breeze.

A new grad can use this foolproof guide to know what to keep on hand around the house—from helpful toolbox supplies to wardrobe staples. 

Do your part to kick any feelings of homesickness before they ever set in. This pendant, available in sterling silver or gold and multiple lengths, keeps her home state (quite literally) close to her heart. For an extra-special gift, add a diamond to pinpoint her hometown.

To buy: from $98; mayabrenner.com.

Even when your wall sockets aren’t in use, they’re still using energy. But this socket shuts off after a pre-selected time (30 minutes, three hours, or six hours) so that you conserve energy, save money, and eliminate potential fire hazards when using things like space heaters, toasters, and irons.

Graduation was fun and the four years that preceded it were even more fun… but once the commencement ceremony is over, graduating can feel like a really scary leap into the unknown. This book, told from the perspective of 30 highly successful notables, answers the tough questions: What to do in an unstable job market, balancing work and friends, choosing a lucrative career versus one you're passionate about, and more.

Stylish enough for her studio apartment, sturdy enough for years’ worth of books and magazines (maybe even Real Simple), these bins are made from handwoven palm fronds. Inset handles with a stitched contrast trim make moving day a breeze. (As much as it can be, anyway.) With five additional patterns to choose from, there’s a bin to suit any style or decor.