27 Sweet & Sincere Sympathy Gifts for 2025
Finding sympathy gifts can feel like walking a tightrope. When someone you care about experiences a loss, it’s only natural to want to do something to cheer them up. Do you feel most comfortable sending sympathy gifts that express your sincere condolences? Or are gestures that try to lighten the load more your style?
There’s nothing wrong with sending a simple bouquet, but when thinking of unique gifts for friends and family, remember that an act of service can be even more meaningful. PLOS has found that practical actions are consistently found to offer more comfort than symbolic gestures. Offering to babysit the kids or walk the dog can go much further than flowers. Here you'll find thoughtful gift ideas that come from the heart, whether you want to lighten their load or simply bring a smile to their face.
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- Food Sympathy Gifts
- Art Sympathy Gifts
- Unique Sympathy Gifts
- Useful Sympathy Gifts
- Pet Sympathy Gifts
Food Sympathy Gifts
1. Cooking Classes
While flowers or a card are most appropriate immediately following the news of someone’s passing, sometimes the best sympathy gifts come a few weeks later when the initial shock has passed. Cooking classes are a great way to get someone out of the house if they’ve been cooped up.
Most cities have professional chefs who offer small-group or individual cooking classes. Check out cooking classes in Baltimore or Salt Lake City for ideas. You can also find cooking classes in Asheville and other smaller cities, where the chef will come to their home if they don’t feel like going out. If you don’t see any cooking classes near you, check out online cooking classes.
2. Meal Delivery Service
If you don’t cook but want to send food for a sympathy gift, try using a meal delivery service like Dinnerly or Hello Fresh instead of buying restaurant food. You can get more balanced meals, and many meal delivery services provide fully-prepared, ready-to-heat or ready-to-freeze options.
This kind of support works especially well as one of the quieter sympathy gifts for men, who may not know how to ask for help but will happily heat a ready-to-cook dinner after a long, emotionally draining day.
3. Homemade Meals
Another one of the best sympathy gifts you can give is a homemade meal. Make something fresh that will feed a crowd or something that freezes well for later. A homemade dish is one of the classic gifts for sympathy because it takes a mundane daily task off their plate in a very tangible way. Dive into our list of comfort food ideas for something that will help put them at ease.
4. Dinner and a Movie
Dinner dates are always great gifts for foodies, and movies are a great way to escape and get your mind off your troubles. Try treating someone who needs a little of each. This works well when they’re past the first shock but not quite ready for large gatherings. It's a low-pressure sympathy gift idea that acts like a soft landing rather than something to cheer them up.
5. Foodie Gift Baskets
Food is always an appropriate gift and sympathy gift baskets are a great way to gift food without having to cook it yourself. There are a million gift basket ideas available online, but a good idea for a sympathy gift basket is to fill it with their favorite guilty pleasures. Don't pinch pennies here; make sure to buy them the good stuff. Throw in a few foods that relieve stress naturally, such as some high-cocoa chocolate, to help them on their way.
Art Sympathy Gifts
6. Paint and Sip
Spending time with a brush and a blank canvas can be extremely soothing, which is why online painting classes are an ideal gift. If the person you are buying for needs a little human interaction, try in-person paint and sip Atlanta, Orange County or Indianapolis.
These classes offer a neutral space that's all about exploring new creative possibilities without pressure or expectation. Paint and sips provide just enough socialization to break the sadness spell. For more locations, check out paint and sip near you.
7. Pottery Classes
Pottery classes also make good sympathy gifts for a friend. Joining pottery classes in Austin or in the Bay Area reminds us that it doesn’t take much effort to find beauty in life again. Local potters will introduce them to all of the essential pottery tools, exploring the subtle arts of wheel throwing and hand-building pottery, too.
You could arrange for pottery classes in NYC that help someone make a keepsake that reminds them of their loved one. Or, try researching pottery classes near you to arrange for a private lesson instead of a group event. There's a deep fulfillment that comes in creating something with your own hands. Sympathy gifts for loss that introduce them to this feeling can go a long way to helping them on their grief journey.
8. Art Classes
Looking for pet sympathy gifts? Book them in for art classes in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles or closer to home, so that they can find a form of self-expression that works for them. They may want to take on the loss directly, creating artworks about their pet, or their grief might be processed through more abstract painting ideas. Art classes are taught by professional instructors, so they'll be able to learn to paint in whatever way they please.
9. Personalized Jewelry
Giving a piece of jewelry with the birthstone of the person lost is a classic sympathy gift. It's a portable and poignant way to keep someone close. For similar reasons, charm bracelets with trinkets that will remind them of the person's favorite things are also a thoughtful gift for sympathy.
10. Photo Book
With so many services now available, it's easy to put together a photo book online. Use their social media to pick out a selection of photos from vacations, important family milestones or even just the ones that are silly. Online software like Shutterfly can auto-arrange them into an attractive keepsake album with just a few clicks. Choose a nice hardcover to give this sympathy gift idea the gravity it deserves.
Unique Sympathy Gifts
11. Flower Arranging Classes
Looking for a unique sympathy gift other than flowers? Gifting someone flower arranging classes gives them some time for quiet contemplation, without missing out on a beautiful flower arrangement. If you can’t find a florist offering this near you, check out virtual flower arranging classes and enjoy a craft day together at home. All of the logistics are taken care of, giving them a meditative activity to enjoy that feels earned rather than simply received, which can be especially comforting as a sympathy gift for loss.
12. Creative Gift Card
The hard part about gifts for loss is the timing. What if they’re not ready for a night out or interaction with people? A creative gift card might be just the answer. When they’re ready, they can choose from a wide array of uplifting creative activities, including therapeutic pottery classes, energizing dance classes and more.
13. Plant a Tree
There’s something poetic about planting something new that can grow after something else dies. A seedling tree is a unique gift that will bear fruit for years to come. Organizations such as the Arbor Day Foundation let you dedicate a tree in a forest or send a sapling they can plant themselves, so every new leaf or ring of growth carries a sense of continuity rather than an abrupt ending.
14. Spa Gift Basket
Sympathy gift baskets are an easy way to encourage them to slow down and process their feelings. As a gift for best friends or others in your life who are grieving, try putting together a spa gift basket with aromatherapy lotions, a bubble bath, a nice bottle of wine and a good book.
15. Make a Donation
When someone dies of cancer or a chronic illness, it can be a nice gesture to make a donation to a charity organization in lieu of sending flowers. This is especially appropriate for someone who is sending condolences from a distance and can’t attend services in person. Supporting an organization such as the American Cancer Society or a local hospice program also signals that their loved one’s story is still shaping something good, which can matter a great deal to families facing ongoing medical realities.
16. Care Packages
There’s a difference between gift baskets and care packages when it comes to gifts for loss. A care package is more about sending comfort than stuff. If they are far away, send them the comforts of home like a batch of scratch-made cookies, a cutting from a familiar plant or a blanket that smells like home. This sympathy gift for loss offers a lot without ever shouting it.
Useful Sympathy Gifts
17. A Grief Journal
When it’s hard to get them talking about their loss, try giving them a gift they can write in. Journals make great gifts for any occasion, but they can be particularly useful in helping someone process their grief. Promptly Journals offers beautiful options filled with thoughtful prompts to provoke introspection and promote healing. It can be especially helpful as a gentle sympathy gift for men who prefer to process privately.
18. Estate Sale Service
A useful gift for the loss of a mother is to help arrange for an estate sale service. It can be overwhelming trying to sort through someone’s personal items, not to mention emotionally taxing. Estate sale services are experienced at making the transition of personal belongings easy on the family.
19. Babysitting
Having time alone to mourn is a critical piece of the grieving process, but so many people just don’t do it, often because they have children to attend to. Offer to babysit and get the kids out of the house so your recipient can have some quiet time to cry. This is one of the perfect sympathy gifts for parents.
20. Cruise Getaway
Not everyone has a budget for this kind of gift, but if you do and need family gift ideas, why not send them on a cruise? Cruises are a great deal and easy to plan. Sometimes the best thing you can do to get past a loss is to just get away.
21. Books on Loss
Depending on the circumstances, giving books on loss that help to explain the mystery of death can be a powerful gift. Following a loss, it’s natural to want answers, especially if the loss was unexpected. Reading stories of how others have survived similar situations can be very curative.
22. Lunch or Brunch
When someone you care about is grieving, it can be really helpful to get them out of the house. Plan a quiet lunch or brunch and give them the space to either share their feelings or not talk about it at all. This gift for sympathy offers presence rather than platitudes, which many grieving people find more comforting than anything wrapped in a box.
23. Lawn and Landscape Service
When looking for a thoughtful gift for the loss of a father, consider lawn and landscaping services. Whether you hire a service or arrange for friends and neighbors to pitch in, helping to take over this responsibility will surely be appreciated. Lawn services are great sympathy gifts for seniors in particular, who may need a helping hand but are too proud to ask.
Pet Sympathy Gifts
24. Christmas Ornament
Pets are part of the family, so help them be remembered every year by gifting a keepsake Christmas ornament. You can use a real photo of the pet or just have their name engraved or painted onto a decorative bulb. This is one of the best gifts for dog lovers who have lost a beloved companion. This gentle gesture works beautifully as a sympathy gift for loss, especially for those whose pets are the heart of the family.
25. Send a Card
Need sympathy gifts under $50? Just send a card. Better yet, make this sympathy gift idea yourself! A handwritten card may sound modest, but a few honest, well-chosen sentences can mean more than an elaborate arrangement.
26. A Hug
Sometimes a good hug is really all you need. According to research published in Psychology Today, a meaningful hug triggers a range of bodily processes that bring comfort and soften anxiety. Don't overthink your gifts for sympathy; at the end of the day, it's all about showing you care.
27. A New Companion
Maybe the best gift for the loss of a pet is to help them connect with a new one. There are so many animals in shelters just hoping for a new mom or dad. Give them a couple of months to get over their initial loss, then take them to a shelter. Adopting a new best friend has tremendous healing power and works as a sympathy gift for men and women alike.
Finding a meaningful sympathy gift takes a little thought. Don’t be afraid to ask close friends or family members for their input on what the person may need most at this difficult time. It's not about finding the perfect gift; it's about expressing your support in a way they'll understand. No matter what you decide, it truly is the thought that counts.
For even more thoughtful gift ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
