10 Brilliant Last Minute Gifts for Smart People

If you need a great last minute gift for the smart people in your life then today’s post will be just the thing for you. Today I have a list of 10 great last minute gifts for smart people. Since there are so many different types of smart people, I tried to find options that would be great across a large array of different types of intelligence. And as an added bonus a lot of the gift options are from companies that have partnered with GiftYa.

If you haven’t used a GiftYa before they are essentially a gift card that exists in an all digital format. And there are all kinds of great benefits that come with the digital format, but the most important is the fact that you can send them instantly in just a couple of clicks. Which makes them a real lifesaver when you need a last minute gift!

But that’s enough introduction, let’s get right to that list of brillant last minute gifts for smart people that brought you here!

1. A Membership to Their Local Museums

A Great Last Minute Gift for Smart People

If you need a great last minute gift for a smart person in your life then I would think about setting up a membership for them at their local museums. The nice thing about a museum membership is that it usually comes with admission to a variety of different museums. For instance if they have a natural history museum and an art museum, the membership will usually get you into both. So just be sure to check with the museum what all comes with the membership and if it seems like a good deal to you, you can set up a membership for your smart friend or family member and then give them the membership card as the physical gift itself. 

I am sure they will enjoy having access to the museums because a lot of museums have rotating collections or special events throughout the year so they should have a couple of different reasons to visit throughout the year.

2. A Classic Game

Finding A Game That Test Their Intelligence Can Make A Perfect Last Minute Gift for Smart People 

If you need a great last minute gift for a smart person in your life you could consider getting them a classic board game. Chess is an obvious choice, but there are lots of other great options like Trivial Pursuit to let them test their trivia knowledge. Scrabble and Balderdash to let them test their mastery of the English language. Or even something like Pictionary to test out their communication and artistic skills. And there are plenty of tabletop games like Settlers of Catan or Stratego that test out their ability to manage and make plans for victory. There are all sorts of options you can go with here, just try to pick out the board game or tabletop game that you think most fits their interests!

3. Barnes & Noble

Most Smart People Will Appreciate A Book As A Gift (Even if it was Last Minute)

Grab a Barnes & Noble gift card by following this link!

Barnes & Noble is the largest book retail chain in the whole country with almost 600 locations around the country. So there will hopefully be one within a reasonable distance from you. Because as the largest book retail chain in the country, Barnes & Noble has a massive selection of books to choose from. So no matter what kind of smart they are, you will be able to find something they will love. If they are a history buff you can get them a great book on the history of a famous war or era. Or if they are more of a literary mind you can get them one of the all time classic novels. 

And they have plenty of books on science and technology if they are more scientifically minded or a bit of a tech junkie. No matter what kind of intelligence they have, you will be able to find a book or novel that is perfect for them at Barnes & Noble.

Get yourself a digital Barnes & Noble gift card in seconds by following the link!

4 - Subscription Service for Books

A Great Way to Get Curated Books Delivered Right to Their Door

If you want to get them a book as a gift, but don’t want to have to pick it out yourself, then consider getting them a subscription to a book of the month service. And then that way they get a new book delivered every month for the next year that is specifically curated. There are tons of options you can go with for what kind of books will be delivered to them. You can find everything from a Bestsellers service to a book service that delivers books in specific genres like science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, or even services that deliver a book and a specific bubble bath to go with it so you can relax in the tub while you read. Just think about what kind of book subscription would be best for the smart person and your life and get the account set up for them for the rest of the year!

5 - Guitar Center

A Great Last Minute GIft for Smart People Who Are Also Musicians

Get a Guitar Center gift card in just seconds by following the link!

A lot of smart people out there play an instrument of some sort. If they happen to be any kind of musician then you can get them a great gift at Guitar Center. Don’t let the name fool you. They have a lot more than just guitar gear. They also have everything you might need for the drums, keyboards, singing, DJing, or playing a classical instrument. So no matter how they express themselves musically you will be able to find them something great at Guitar Center. 

If they play a stringed instrument like guitar or bass then a new set of strings can be a great gift. Or if they play piano then a song book with all the music to one of their favorite artist’ greatest hits. Or a couple of new reeds for their saxophone. No matter what kind of music they play, you will be able to find them an incredible gift at Guitar Center.

Anybody can grab a digital Guitar Center gift card in an instant when they use the link!

6 - Airbnb

The Opportunity to Travel Makes For A Great Last Minute Gift

Grab a Airbnb gift card by following the link!

There are few greater joys in life than getting to travel. So if you want to get them something that will bring a lot of joy and wonder into their life then I think an Airbnb gift card can be a great way to do so. Although there are tons of hotels, motels, and campgrounds around the US, there are millions of Airbnbs. And the amount of options you have with an AIrbnb gift card is what I think makes it such a great gift. 

You aren’t pigeonholing them to going to one particular place. There are Airbnbs all over the country (and all over the world) that they can choose to stay at. So no matter where it is that they want to travel to next, you will have them covered with an Airbnb gift card that can be used at any of their locations. And then their next trip or adventure will be all that much cheaper and easier thanks to your gift!

You can grab a digital Airbnb gift card anytime by clicking the link!

7 - Blinkist

Let Them Read A Whole Book In Just 15 Minutes

Blinkist is an app service that specializes in summarizing all the most important pieces of works on nonfiction. Through this app you can get through the major themes and information in a whole nonfiction book in just fifteen minutes. They will be able to rapidly expand their knowledge on a variety of different subjects and topics and do it all as easily as listening to music or a podcast. Think about how much you could learn if you could read a whole book on your commute to and from work everyday? That is basically the service that Blinkist offers for people. And it’s not like this is just Cliffnotes. Blinkist is an award winning app with over 23 million downloads!

8 - Apple

GIve Them Access to Tons of Entertainment As A Last Minute Gift

Grab an Apple gift card by following this link!

An Apple gift card can make a great option as a last minute gift. The nice thing about an Apple gift card is that it can be used on Apple hardware (like Macbooks and Iphones) as well as for entertainment on Itunes, Apple TV, and the App Store. No matter what kind of entertainment they might be into, they will probably be able to find it through Apple. They can get everything from music, to movies, to television shows, and documentaries. And I think the enormous amount of options you get with an Apple Gift Card is what makes it such a great last minute gift for a smart person. No matter what they are into, they will be able to find something they love with this one. 

Get yourself a digital Apple gift card in seconds by following the link!

9 - Calm

A Great Way for Smart People to Calm Their Racing Mind

Grab yourself a Calm gift card by following this link!

If you want to get the smart people in your life a gift that will help approve their mental health or emotional wellbeing then a gift card to Calm can be a great way to do that. Calm is a meditation and sleep app that provides guided meditations and Sleep Stories through its subscription service. I think we all know the stereotype of the tortured genius, so if there is a smart person in your life whose mental health doesn’t seem to be as good as it should be, this gift can be a nice way to help them improve their emotional wellbeing. 

By helping them calm their racing mind through meditation they will be able to think more clearly the rest of the time. And I don’t think I need to explain how important a good night's sleep is for your mental health and intellectual processes. Calm provides a lot of benefits for its users for a pretty reasonable monthly subscription fee. I would set up a gift card that covers the first six months or the first year for the smart person you need a gift for. And then they will be able to see how helpful the app is over the long term. 

If you need a last minute gift you can always grab a digital merchant gift card by following the link!

10 - Visa

A Personalized Gift Card Makes A Quick Last Minute Gift for Smart People

Get a Visa gift card in just seconds by following the link!

If you really don’t know what to get the smart people in your life as a last minute gift and are about to just give up and give them some cold hard cash, hold up. Instead of giving them an impersonal cash gift, you can give them one of these customizable Visa cards instead. The nice thing about these cards is that they can be sent with a custom message and a custom photo as well, which makes them a lot more personal than cash. But on top of that, they are basically as good as cash themselves. Whether you send them in a digital format or as a plastic card they are accepted everywhere that accepts Visa. Which in all practicality makes them just as good as cash in the modern world.

Anybody can grab a digital Visa gift card in an instant when they use the link!

And There You Have A List of 10 Great Last Minute Gifts for Smart People

I hope something on the list worked for the smart person in your life that you need to get a gift for. But if you are really down to the last minute and didn’t see anything that worked for you on the list today then be sure to check out all the national brands that have partnered with GiftYa because you can instantly send a gift card to any of them in just a couple of clicks!