5 Functional Gag Gifts for College Students

When giving a gag gift the first instinct is to give something funny. Gag gifts are great because they get a rise out of the gifted as well as the gift giver. College-centric gag gifts may be very funny and border inappropriate in mixed company, but functional gag gifts work just as well in spurring laughter, are crowd appropriate, and also serve a purpose.

These 5 functional gag gifts for college students will bring some chuckles and cheer to any party, but will also bring smiles and joy when they are useful during the semester. From a paperback college survival guide, to some DIY items and even a clever alarm clock, these gifts are sure to bring the punch of a gag gift as well as practical wisdom and function.

1: College Dorm Survival Guide

Many incoming freshmen haven’t had to share a bedroom in their lives. Entering freshmen year and dorm life, they will get the opportunity to share a room with at least one complete stranger, if living in a suite there will be two or three new people. This is where the College Dorm Survival Guide comes in handy. This guide details everything those new to dorm life will need to know. From getting along with roommates to laundry essentials and even the stress and depression that may come with life on campus, this text covers it all. There can be a steep learning curve to campus life, and gifting this gag gift actually provides some useful knowledge and information in addition to laughs.

2: DIY Emergency Supplies Kit

Another funny yet useful gift is creating an emergency supplies kit for your college student. To creating this gift, gather everything and anything travel sized and store it in a tackle box, caboodle kit, gift box, or gift bag. Make sure you cover every area including the bathroom with items like soap and shampoo, to other travel necessities like hand sanitizer, laundry soap, dryer sheets, and a lint roller. Those wanting to be even more creative could include things like packets of sugar, jelly, non-dairy creamer, coffee, tea, and other edible items that stay fresh for a long period. This gift is guaranteed to be funny, especially when it seems like a never-ending box of tiny items, but it will also be very useful when students run out of things or forget something essential.

3: Instructional Laundry Bag

If there is one specific chore parents’ worry about most in college, it’s their student doing laundry successfully. Many students know how to do laundry, but it can be a challenge in a new environment where students have to bring all the supplies to the laundry room. This gag gift, an instructional laundry bag, works to remind the student how to tackle laundry and come out on top, while also being a place they can store their dirty clothing. The canvas bag stores easily and is a great choice for students to lug laundry to the facility, Laundromat, or even home for a long weekend. The bag could also double as a gift bag and be a great way to gift necessary laundry items. To add more humor, gift large qualities ensuring the student has enough for the whole year. Students may laugh when they open this gift but once they’re on campus it will definitely be useful.

4: DIY Study Kit

Another great useful gag gift is creating a study kit for your student. A long running joke about college is that many students will be pulling all-nighters and staying up late to finish their assignments for the next day. The reality is that while many students can avoid an all-nighter, most students do find themselves up late, some sooner in the semester than they’d like. You can gift them a DIY study kit by taking either a hot or cold beverage cup and filling it with useful items like instant coffee packets, pencils, pens, highlighters, and even a mini stapler. Funnier items to include would be an eye mask for sleeping during the day after class to recover from the all-nighter, ear plugs for both tuning out noise at night and sleeping during the day, and mouthwash for that quick rinse before they hustle to class. These items will make up a gift that may get a few smirks and nods, but will definitely be useful around exams or finals time.

5: Hide and Seek Alarm Clock

Many college students struggle with being on time and waking up early for class. Most alarm clocks provide opportunities to hit snooze and sleep longer, or shut it off and go back to bed, but a hide and seek alarm clock is a unique and funny gift to get those over-sleepers out of bed. When the alarm goes off, the clock rolls around the room until it’s shut off, working to get the student out of bed and moving. A moving alarm clock eliminates the ability to hit snooze and is a great gag gift for those that are on time, as well as a practical one for those who aren’t. This is also a fun gift for new college students and will give them something to talk to their new roommate about and get some laughs in too.