These 11 First Communion Gifts Are The Kind They'll Keep Forever

Usually, kids are among the easiest groups of people to shop for when it comes to buying gifts... at least when it comes to occasions like birthdays and holidays. Every now and then, however, a more meaningful event will call for a more thoughtful present — and that's when things can get tricky. Like when you're looking for a First Communion gift, either for your kid or somebody else's child. The usual toys and games and other secular items might seem a bit too off-topic, but at the same time, you want to get something that appeals to the recipient on at least some level.

Once upon a time, money was the traditional gift given when a child made his or her First Communion. (Or, if not straight up cash, bonds were another popular choice. As someone who was born in the '70s and raised Catholic, I say this with a certain degree of authority.) In fact, I'm pretty sure all of the gifts I got at my First Communion were of the monetary variety... none of which registered as gifts to me at the time. (The exciting thing about First Communion back in those days was the miniature bridal dress you got to wear.) Now, however, it seems as though actual gifts — the kind you wrap up in a box — are more commonly given to children making the sacrament. Even better, it also seems as though there are more First Communion-appropriate gifts out there to choose from than ever.

Personally, I would have been much happier with any of the below options than I was with those boring old envelopes.