Legally (in the United States), a person becomes an adult when they turn 18. In reality, though, we can probably agree that actual adulthood often doesn’t come until a few years later. That’s why the 21st birthday is considered one of the most monumental milestones in an individual’s life. The young man is on his way to a full adventure, which is sure to include love (and heartache), good times (and bad), and all of the messy complexities that make up life on this planet. It’s only right to send them off on this voyage with some words of encouragement, a drink or two, and a gift that will help them treasure this special time in their lives.

If you have a son getting ready to turn 21, here are some terrific gifts you can use to celebrate this enormously important occasion the right way.

Custom BBQ Set

Young Johnny may be used to having all of his meals carefully prepared for him, but the time has come to fend for himself. As much as you might treasure the idea of continuing to care for and feed your son for the next decade, you’ll only be doing him a disservice in the long run. The whole point of childhood is to prepare your kid to eventually take over all of those duties himself – be it doing his own laundry or making his own meals. You don’t want him stuck ordering DoorDash every time he gets hungry; nor do you want him to make a habit of eating Lucky Charms and ramen noodles every night. With a good custom BBQ set, you can give him the tools he needs to not only make his own nutritious meals but also make them delicious! You can change the text on this set to say anything you want, so don’t forget to bring your creativity to bear.

Smart Keychain

Growing up means turning (slightly) away from the toys and “fun stuff” of childhood and towards the more practical issues of life. But does that mean you have to become a boring fuddy duddy? Of course not! A 21-year-old is still likely to have plenty of room in his life for video games, football in the park, and nights out at the club, so let’s not fit him for an EZ chair just yet. Practical can still mean fun, as we see in our next gift: A smart keychain. Sold by multiple tech brands, this product can be used with a smartphone app to ensure that losing your keys is a thing of the past. Other features may include mini-tools, a flashlight, and the ability to find your phone. A great gift for your 21-year-old son – especially if he tends to lose his keys!

Monogrammed Beer Mug

Not every 21-year-old will be itching for a drink on their birthday, but many of them are. You know your son better than we do, of course, and if he is likely to enjoy a beer now and again (now that he’s legal), he’ll need one of these bad boys in his kitchen cabinet. After all, why drink beer from anything less than fine drinkware? This Monogrammed Beer Mug is big enough to hold a full-size beer, and the quality is unmistakable. The customizable monogram takes it from a standard mug to something personal and meaningful. It’s easy to imagine this being his go-to glass whenever he wants a cold one after a long day at the office.

Noise Canceling Headphones

More often than not, newly-minted adults will have to team up with a roommate or two to make rent for the first few years of their lives. Indeed, studies have shown that Gen Z graduates often have to return home to live with their parents after college – at least until they’ve established themselves in their careers. Unfortunately, living with others comes with its own disadvantages, and noise can be chief among them. With a good pair of noise-canceling headphones, your son can escape from the chatter of the apartment and relax into his own world for a few hours. Bose, Beats, and Sony are but a few of the top brands, so get him a great pair for his birthday!

Customizable Acrylic Sign

This is less a 21st birthday gift and more a way to celebrate the occasion in style. If you’re planning a big bash to send your son off into adulthood, this acrylic sign is a wonderful way to add class and elegance to what is sure to be a memorable party. You can customize this sign with his name and age, and he’ll even be able to keep it as a memento when all the partygoers and well-wishers have gone home. There won’t be a whole lot of BIG MOMENT birthdays in his future, so make sure you turn this into a birthday party he’ll never forget.

Custom Knife

We’re just going to say this once and be done with it: Every adult male needs a good knife. Whether that’s a simple fold-out knife like the one offered here or a more complicated Swiss-Army-style knife is irrelevant. There are too many occasions for which there is no other substitute, and this is one of those tools that can’t be duplicated or replaced by digital technology. Whether your son is an avid outdoorsman or is more likely to spend the afternoon on the computer than in the woods, he’s undoubtedly going to run into situations where a versatile custom knife would come in handy. Plus: They’re just cool!

Birthday Bottle Opener

Let’s wrap this up with another great gift for your soon-to-be-legal son: His own customizable 21st birthday bottle opener. Not only is this the perfect gift for the occasion, everyone needs a good bottle opener at their disposal. If you’ve ever tried to pop open a craft beer using the edge of the kitchen counter, you can probably attest to the same. This is such an indispensable (yet highly affordable) gift, you may even think about passing them out as party favors! As always, personalized gifts mean more than generic ones, so don’t miss out on the chance to make your son’s birthday extra special!