13 Retro Gifts for Millennials

Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996, which means the pop culture they grew up with is officially retro. No matter what generation you belong to, consider these gifts when shopping for the Millennials in your life this holiday season.

1. The Pokémon Cookbook; $12

What do you eat after a long day of training and catching Pokémon? Any dish in The Pokémon Cookbook is a great option. This book features more than 35 recipes inspired by creatures from the Pokémon franchise, including Poké Ball sushi rolls and mashed Meowth potatoes.

Buy it: Amazon

2. Lisa Frank Activity Book; $5

Millennials will never be too old for Lisa Frank, especially when the artist’s playful designs come in a relaxing activity book. Watercolor brings the rainbow characters in this collection to life. Just gather some painting supplies and put on a podcast for a relaxing, nostalgia-fueled afternoon.

Buy it: Amazon

3. Shoebox Tape Recorder with USB; $28

The days of recording mixtapes don’t have to be over. This device looks and functions just like tape recorders from the pre-smartphone era. And with a USB port as well as a line-in jack and built-in mic, users can easily import their digital music collection onto retro cassette tapes.

Buy it: Amazon

4. D&D Graphic T-shirt; $40-$50

The perfect gift for the Dungeon Master in your life, this graphic tee is modeled after the cover of the classic Dungeons & Dragons rule book. It’s available in sizes small through 3XL.

Buy it: 80s Tees

5. The Nightmare Before Christmas Picnic Blanket Bag; $47

Fans of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas will recognize the iconic scene on the front of this messenger bag. Unfold it and the bag becomes a blanket fit for a moonlit picnic among the pumpkins. The bottom side is waterproof and the top layer is made of soft fleece.

Buy it: Disney Store

6. Toy Story Alien Socks; $15

You don’t need to be skilled at the claw machine to take home a pair of these socks. Decorated with the aliens from Toy Story, they’re made from soft-knit fabric and are big enough to fit adult feet.

Buy it: Disney Store

7. Goosebumps Board Game; $25

Fans that read every book in R.L. Stine’s series growing up can now play the Goosebumps board game. In this game, based on the Goosebumps movie, players take on the role of their favorite monster from the series and race to the typewriter at the end of the trail of manuscripts.

Buy it: Amazon

8. Tamagotchi Mini; $20

If you know someone who killed their Tamagotchi in the '90s, give them another chance to show off their digital pet-care skills. This Tamagotchi is a smaller, simplified version of the original game. It doubles as a keychain, so owners have no excuse to forget to feed their pet.

Buy it: Amazon

9. Marvel vs Capcom Arcade Machine; $550

Any gamer who grew up in the '90s and early 2000s will appreciate this home arcade machine that compiles Marvel vs Capcom: Clash of Heroes, Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems, Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes, and X-Men vs Street Fighter all in one place. The machine itself isn't quite as big as a traditional arcade, making it easier to fit in bedrooms, basements, and home offices (the perfect way to blow off some steam after a marathon of Zoom meetings). It's definitely a bit of a splurge, but it's also a can't-miss for fans of classic fighting games.

Buy it: Amazon

10. Planters Cheez Balls; $27.48

Planters revived its Cheez Balls in 2018 after pulling them from shelves nearly a decade earlier. To Millennials unaware of that fact, this gift could be their dream come true. The throwback snack even comes in the classic canister fans remember.

Buy it: Amazon

11. Clueless Puzzle; $8

Millennials who grew up wanting to be Cher Horowitz will love putting together this 500-piece puzzle. The final image shows the poster from the 1995 classic Clueless. For an added dose of nostalgia, the pieces come in a retro Blockbuster VHS cassette case.

Buy it: Amazon

12. Milky Pens; $12

Getting older is hard, but at least Millennials no longer have to worry about their teachers confiscating their milky pens. The pens in this pack come in eight glittery, pastel colors. They make scribbling notes more fun, even if the Millennial in your life is taking them to work instead of school.

Buy it: Amazon

13. Polaroid Now; $120

Many Millennials remember the days when “instant” photos still took 10 minutes to develop. The Polaroid Now camera is a throwback to the days of snapping pictures to post on the fridge instead of online. This model takes i-Type and 600 film, and it comes in the seven colors of the Polaroid spectrum. And once the snapshot develops, there’s nothing stopping your Millennial from taking a picture of the picture for their Instagram grid.

Buy it: Amazon

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