Most of the time, the gifts we like to give to others are out of their needs and wants in the present. But what about when they were younger? You can try a new style of gift-giving by handing out gifts that remind them of their memories. Nostalgia, according to research, encourages psychological growth, boosts self-esteem, and provides coping mechanisms for adverse situations. It also develops social interaction. Here are a few options you can pick.
Old Songs
Nothing brings back the feeling of old memories like a song. As children, we have listened to the songs our parents or family members would play. Songs our parents would sing to help us sleep, songs they would turn up when cleaning the house or doing chores, and songs that they usually play in the car as you head to school.
Every time it plays, we experience a different kind of emotion. Most of the time, these songs are then forever stuck in our heads. Whenever they are played, it opens up a treasure chest of feelings and emotions.
How do you wrap a song, you ask? Because of technological advancement, you can burn a CD or fill a hard drive with the songs they used to love from years back.
Old Photos
You might be decluttering your room one day, and you unexpectedly find a couple of old cameras with unprocessed films. Go to a local camera shop and have them processed. These kinds of shops may be hard to find these days, but choose a photo that you know your friend will treasure once you do. They can make nostalgic gifts to friends, and you’ll end up spending the night reminiscing all your fun memories. You can have the picture framed or have it printed on a mug for more practical use.
You can also have baby pictures edited. Looking back at old funny baby photos will inevitably bring up a story or two, leading to more comic stories. One upside of having the picture printed on a mug is that it instantly starts a conversation whenever it’s noticed.
Brick Game
Brick games were once the video games of the century, way before Sony created PlayStation. You might not find a store anymore that sells these, but plenty of people still sell these online for the kicks. These will spark up a friend’s face when they recall how much they loved playing with this old favorite toy.
Video Tapes
If you have any of the videotapes you kept in the attic, it’s time to take them out. There’s nothing more magical than seeing videos sharing their own stories and feeling mesmerized by how much has changed. You should know that videotapes, if not stored correctly, will inevitably decay over time. You’ll run the risk of losing the precious tapes forever if you are not careful about the appropriate way to store them.
Check your old videotapes if they work just fine. Nowadays, some businesses with state-of-the-art equipment can recover the quality or even improve it if they do.
Taking your friends or family into consideration by helping them preserve old memories holds a special feeling, especially if there has been an unfortunate loss. Videos of going to the beach or a ceremony like graduation can sometimes be very pleasing. Those that show jokes and fun times can re-live happy memories.
Bobbleheads
Bobbleheads can be great gifts when you plan to give them to someone during a special event, such as a graduation party. Not only does giving one reminisce the days when they were still in school, but they can also use it to remember the glorious moment when they walked their way up the stage. The feeling of success as they hold that diploma up high that says, “I made it.”
However, this is only a short memory. What sticks to their mind are the memories they made inside the classroom. So, instead of a bobblehead wearing a toga, you can have one customized to look like them when they were still students.
Unlike other presents, personalized 3D bobbleheads are very meaningful because they show the effort you put into buying the perfect gift for that special occasion.
Snow Globes
Snow globes are perfect for bringing old memories back. If they have visited a site that they dearly loved, giving them a snow globe representing that place will surely warm their hearts of their memories. Although fragile, they are great souvenirs and are a constant reminder that they have visited a fantastic and spectacular place like that.
Giving your loved ones a taste of the past is always an excellent way to remind them of how far they’ve reached in life. A youthful gift is enough to momentarily make them forget the struggles they are facing and put a smile on their faces.
