This Tween & Teen Christmas List Gift Guide features some items I received as a sample and contains links I might receive a commission for. Thanks for reading! –Kimberly
As my girls have gotten older, their gift lists have definitely evolved. It seems only a short time ago they would pour over the store catalogs and make lists that filled the front (and sometimes back) of a sheet of paper. Those days have passed. Now their lists are short, and more influenced by what their friends have and what they see on YouTube. Perhaps you’re shopping for a growing girl too, so here are some gift ideas that might be on their tween and teen Christmas list.
Surprise your teens by hiding their gifts and sending them on a Christmas Scavenger Hunt! Or wrap all the gifts using numbers instead of names for a mystery gift opening game!
Tech Gifts for Teens & Tweens
Great for family vacations, or just for those days your tween/teen forgets to plug-in. Portable chargers are a big thing in our household. [price varies – great options on Amazon]
I got to experience this Play Impossible Gameball and I want one! I know my girls would love one, they’d even want two so they could compete with each other! The Play Impossible Gameball is an active gaming system that brings digital action indoors and outdoors with a variety of free connected ball games you can play on your own or with friends. The Gameball is embedded with patent-pending sensor technology that connects to the Play Impossible app via Bluetooth.
Kodak Printomatic Instant Print Camera
While our kids seem to be hardwired for this digital world, my girls are still showing interest in printed images. My teen especially loves snapping photos with her friends. This Kodak Printomatic prints on the popular 2×3 ZINK paper which means it doesn’t need ink and won’t bleed. They’re adhesive backed too, perfect for sticking to notebooks or journals!
Tweens and teens normally love music, so let them jam to their favorite tunes while showering with these fun speaker creatures.
Portable Bluetooth Speaker
Another popular teen Christmas list idea from my own teen is a portable bluetooth speaker. She says they’re popular to listen to music at home and while hanging out with friends or waiting for the bus. I love that this one has a clip that lets her clip it to her bookbag, and she loves that it’s slim so it won’t bulk up her bag or look bulky. It also is waterproof and JBL is a top quality sounding speaker.
By far the hottest new gift on my girls’ list is something I received from a conference. The HP Sprocket is a super compact photo printer that can go wherever your tween/teen does. It easily fits into any bag and can print 2×3-inch stickable snapshots whenever the moment strikes. Plus they can customize the photos before printing with the HP Sprocket App to add fun text, borders, emojis, and more. Add a pop of personality for snapshots and stickers that are totally and uniquely you! [available at: HP / Amazon / Best Buy]
Imagine Siri in your bedroom, only this is Alexa. That’s why both my girls want an Echo or Dot. Here’s the difference in case you’re wondering. The Echo is the original unit and contains a speaker to play music. The Dot has the same smarts of the Echo but is missing a speaker, so your tween/teen would need to plug into speakers if they wanted to ask Alexa to play music.
Seedling Design Your Own Virtual Reality Marble Maze
A little bit of gameplay mixed with today’s virtual reality technology. Tweens & teens can craft their own marble maze, but then plug in to live it in virtual reality.
Braided Charging Cable
No tech gift list could be complete without mentioning the need for charging. My hubby purchased some gold braided charging cables for me for my phones and my teen has now commandeered them for herself!
School has moved into the age of technology and many times my girls’ homework is found online. You might be ready to start shopping for a notebook computer for your teen or tween. My teen wants one that’s a 2-in-1, tablet and laptop in one.
Stylish activity tracker that looks like jewelry but will help keep your tween/teen active and moving!
Portable and great for readers – the Kindle Fire tablets are priced well for families who want to give their kids a bit of technology with their learning. Also, the Kindle Unlimited subscription can be great for families to keep their tween/teen plugged in but with limits.
Fun & Quirky Christmas Gifts for Teens & Tweens
Speck Phone Cases
If there’s anything I don’t want to worry about with my teen, it’s that her phone will break when she inevitable drops it. Protect your teen’s phone against drops, scratches, and other damage with the Speck Presidio GRIP. It protects against damage from drops up to 10 feet, and a raised edge around the screen guards the screen against breaks and scratches. The case also has a no-slip grip to help your teen keep a secure hold on their phone.
LoveHandle Phone Straps
My teen’s favorite new thing are these LoveHandles that stick to your phone and create and easy way to keep hold while snapping pics and texting.
Fuzzy Socks
Another one of my things that my teen has tried to steal are my fuzzy socks. She loves to wear them around the house. And since teens seem to veg better than any other age group, fuzzy socks will keep their toesies warm during said lounging.
CozyPhones
We have a pair of these and my tween loves them! They’re a great alternative for girls or boys who hate earbuds, or struggle with bulky over the ear headphones. They’re lightweight, comfortable, and have a washable headband with removable speakers. If you’re shopping for an older teen, they have an adult size which is perfect for athletes who like to listen to music as they run or workout.
Popsocket Phone Grip
Perfect for shooting the perfect selfie and for propping up your phone for youtube viewing.
Rocketwave Smart Notebook
If you have a writer or doodler this is a good new gadget. They can write in their notebook, the notes can be synched to the cloud, then just a pop in the microwave will erase the notes! Pretty cool. The Rocketbook Everlast is also a good gift idea.
MonkeyLectric Monkey Lights
A fun way for tweens & teens to trick out their bikes, add some fun lights.
Hang In Out Cacoon
For those times when your tween and teen needs some private space, this is a fun hideaway spot.
Hickies No-Tie Laces
Fun way to dress up boring shoes, plus allows your tween/teen to show off their style.
Wristband Headphones
For the teen who loves to listen to music, but is tired of the tangled up headphone cords.
Headphones are always getting tangled in pockets and backpacks. This is a handy tool to wrap them around. Perfect stocking stuffer!
Decorating bedrooms seems to be a hot topic for my two girls, and these LED strip lights are on their decorating must-have lists.
Help encourage your tween / teen to drink lots of water by doing it in style with this S’well water bottle. Lots of great colors and prints available.
Beauty Gifts for Tweens & Teens
These ULTA Black Friday Specials make great gifts for teens!
LAVANILAgirl Healthy Deodorant
Cute packaging and aluminum free, these naturally based deodorants are perfect for stocking stuffers or adding to a beauty gift set.
Bath Fizzy Gift Set
If your tween or teen loves to relax in a bath, they’ll be sure to enjoy this fun bath fizzy gift set.
Anything LUSH
Both my tween and teen are in love with LUSH cosmetics. And, my nieces and sister-in-law were the first to get us hooked on the brand. They’re known for their bath bombs, but sell all sorts of body and bath products. You can buy in the store, online, or even some stuff on Amazon.
e.l.f. Cosmetics
My teen love ELF makeup and skin care. It’s fairly affordable and seems to be decent quality. We often buy Lizzy e.l.f. makeup at Target.
12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar
A unique advent calendar perfect for teens, uncover a beauty product each of the 12 days of Christmas. But jump fast because they do sell out!
Embellished Hair Ties / Bracelets
My girls both wear hair ties around their wrists, so here’s a fun way to dress it up a bit!
tweexy Wearable Nail Polish Holder
My girls always love doing their nails, so here’s a fun accessory if your teen likes nail polish too!
Makeup Brushes Set
My tween loves playing with makeup. If yours has a similar interest, a set of nice makeup brushes can make a perfect gift. There are so many brush set options, so choose one that fits your budget.
LUNA Play Face Cleansing Device
Small but supercharged. Perfect for helping to keep that ever-changing teen skin clean and clear.
Pulleez Sliding Hair Tie
Fun way to dress up your tween / teen’s simple ponytail.
Bath & Body Gift Set
Sweet smelling soaps and lotions are always a hit with my girls, bath and body sets are perfect for gifting with a pretty great price!
My teen loves using this mirror. She likes to get ready for school in her bedroom and uses this mirror to do her makeup and pluck her eyebrows.
Subscription Box Gifts for Tweens & Teens
Subscription boxes make great Christmas list ideas for teens. They’re an ongoing gift and teens love unboxing all their goodies to snap pics and share with friends. Here are some picks that my own daughters would add to their lists.
While I’m a fan of Stitch Fix and get quarterly boxes, both of my girls recently got boxes to try and they loved it. If you have a tween, there are Stitch Fix Kids for up size 14, my teen got a regular women’s box. I find that adding notes to my stylist about what styles I want (and mentioning your kid’s age) helps you get the best fit. Consider wrapping a certificate and walking through the style quiz account set up after gifting. That way your kids can select what styles they like best.
Owl Crate is the perfect subscription box for teens who love to read. Each box contains a newly published hardcover book, 3-5 other bookish goodies (jewelry, collectible toys, stationery), as well as exclusive items from publishers and authors. Each box has a fun and unique theme too! They’re recommended for ages 14+, so if you’re shopping for a tween, consider the Owl Crate Jr that’s for ages 8-12.
Another great subscription box for teens is the LitJoy Crate. It also contains a new release book as well as a few bookish items. However LitJoy Crate also offers rare Magical Editions for Harry Potter fans. The one this year is available to purchase on November 21st and focuses on the Prisoner of Azkaban.
SpearCraft Book Box is a monthly book subscription box that sends a newly published Young Adult novel and 5 + assorted bookish and fandom goodies to your door. SpearCraft Book Box quarterly is a deluxe seasonal book box that ships 4 times a year, 10% goes to charity. The Cat box is a quarterly box for cats and their humans! Treats, toys, gifts.
If you have a budding artist or engineer you’re shopping for, look at these Kiwi Co gift boxes. Doodle and Tinker both focus on creative building. Doodle is a bit more crafty art, while Tinker is more hands on STEM activities.
Extremely popular subscription box for beauty lovers, and with a low cost, too. ipsy sends 5 popular beauty products each month.
Every month EarFleek will personally style cute and trendy earrings and deliver them to your home! You’ll receive the ultimate accessory that can pair with your outfit or perhaps you can show off to your friends! Shipping is FREE! and if you are not thrilled you can always return them!
(Beauty on the Inside) box is the perfect gift for tween girls ages 8-12. Each month’s box brings a new theme of strength and empowerment, accompanied by curated health & beauty products, inspiration, jewelry and fun stuff to support that theme. A great gift for your daughter, niece, or a friend. Support her inner beauty!
A monthly art subscription service that contains some of the best art supplies to you, such as Winsor Newton, Golden, Copic, Strathmore, and Prismacolor. No matter your age or skill level, every box includes everything you need to create a work of art.
If your tween or teen is a baker, here’s a gift box for them. Mix Box makes baking classic 100% homemade desserts and baked goods possible in your home! The easy, step by step instructions, in combination with pre-measured ingredients, makes for a perfect dessert every time you bake with Mix Box. Mix Box handles all of the inconvenient steps of baking and makes baking desserts easy and fun for everyone!
If you have a snacking teen, this box is perfect for them! They’ll love surprising their friends with their latest crazy foreign snack. Kids can travel to a new country every month and discover the best snacks and candies that country has to offer! Each box also includes a fun, 8+ page educational booklet.
LippieBox
LippieBox is a subscription box that ships 5 full-sized lip products to your tween / teen. Boxes only include age-appropriate items and never anything highly pigmented like lipsticks. They’ll never receive the same lippie twice. Items include: lip balm, lip scrubs, lip tint, lip gloss, and more.
At Sudzly, our focus is organic and all-natural bath and body care products. There are no dyes, fragrances or any unnatural ingredients in any of our products. Our boxes include soaps made with 85% organic ingredients and a carefully curated selection of handmade all-natural and organic products from local artisans across the US.
Escape the Crate
Shopping for a teen or tween who loves the trending Escape Room experiences? Give them an escape room experience at home with the Escape the Crate gift box. Each box features a different adventure delivered every other month. Work with your family and friends to crack codes, solve riddles, and discover hidden items…all in a beautifully crafted storyline. Find the clues, crack the codes, unravel the riddles, solve the mysteries, Escape the Crate. Boxes include ciphers, letters, sleuthing tools, puzzles, and more, for a 1 hour long game for a family game night!
Christmas List Ideas for Teen Travelers
My tween and teen both argue about who gets to use this suitcase on our trips; nevermind the fact that it’s actually MY suitcase!
I splurged and finally bought a pair of beats rose gold headphones, and now my teen wants them, too! I found this pair on Amazon that isn’t quite as expensive so they could be a good idea. Keep in mind that teens do care about brand names…so those beats might be the preferred option.
Backpacks are the best carry-ons for teens. This one has special spots to route charging and headphone wires. It’s a mimic of the popular Herschel brand bags, so if you want a luxury splurge get the Herschel brand.
Great for starting to feel like a grown-up, toiletry kits work well for helping teen girls keep all their skin care, makeup, and personal care items together.
Travel Bullet Journal KitThis is a great gift for creative traveling girls. They can write and draw to remember their trips or use the pens and washi tape to stay organized and plan what they want to do on vacation.
Fashion Christmas Gifts for Teens & Tweens
Popular teen clothing stores are great places to get gift cards for them to choose their own clothes. There are a few classic items that are trendy, so if you want to get an actual item for a gift, consider asking at your local store location and the clerks can probably point you towards the trendy items.
These are the shoes my daughter wears and the same ones I see piled in our entryway when she has friends over. Look for Old Skool and Checkerboard Slip-Ons.
While Vans have overtaken these in popularity, they’re still a classic.
Gift Cards – Easy Gift Ideas for Teens & Tweens
Even with all these ideas, there’s still one thing most teens like more than anything…cold, hard cash. They love the independence of choosing what to buy. Gift cards can help feel like you’re making an effort to know them, especially if you can find out from mom or dad what their favorite stores are. Some of the gift cards my teen dreams of receiving are:
iTunes
Hopefully, this has given you some thoughts on what gifts might be on your tween or teen Christmas list of wishes. If you have some ideas that aren’t on my list but that your teen or tween is asking for, comment below and share!
And here are some other great gift ideas:
Gifts for Bookworms
Meagan says
November 29, 2017 at 9:23 pmI have a Foreo and love it so much.
Kimberly says
December 1, 2017 at 4:15 pmI really want one! Do you have a full size one or the mini one? I wonder how it would work around your nose and eyes?