Buying gifts for an 8-12 year old can be a tricky thing. They are too old for baby dolls and toy trucks, but not quite old enough to want just clothes and gift cards. I’ve put together a tween gift guide filled with things my own tweens would enjoy. Hopefully it will help cross a few names off your list!
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If you know a Lego fan, they will get a kick out of this Build-On Brick Mug. They might also enjoy one of these Lego minifig alarm clocks.
The Rainbow Loom was a hot item last year, so chances are your tween already has one. A Grab N’ Go Organizer is a great way to corral all of those little pieces. It also comes in blue or magenta. My daugher displays her creations on a Loom Boom – a simple tower that holds up to 40 bracelets. I recommend this loom band refill set. The colors are vivid and the bands are high quality.
All of my kids like to play Nerf Firevision Football, which is played at night. Each player wears a pair of Firevision frames (2 are included). The frames have a red or green light that bounces off of the reflective stripes on the football. The cool part is that only the person wearing the glasses can see the glowing ball. There is also a Firevision basketball set and flyer disc, and you can order additional frames.
Most tweens have outgrown playing with stickers, but not when they can create their own! The Xyron Create-a-Sticker Machine turns any piece of paper into a sticker. It is perfect for adding a personal touch to everything from notebooks to skateboards. It also comes in a 5-inch version. Don’t forget the refills – available in permanent or repositionable.
My son got this Syma Sky Thunder Drone Runner for his birthday and now eveyone wants one. It is very durable! The cage protects it when running into the ceiling or wall. If you have a Costco nearby, I bought ours there for $20.
This wacky Bean Boozled game is our go-to birthday gift for friends. It is filled with Jelly Belly jelly beans – some tasty and some weird – each color has one of each. Spin the spinner and pick a jelly bean. Will it be licorice or skunk? No matter what, it WILL be hilarious!
The problem with buying this gorgeous Enchanted Forest coloring book is refraining from keeping it for yourself! (Maybe you better go ahead and order two.) A set of Prismacolor pencils would make a perfect pairing.
Take Taco Tuesday to the next level with these funky taco trucks. How can you look at those and not smile?
Leave it to a tween to find the humor in something this disgusting. I predict that the Runny Nose Shower Gel Dispenser will motivate more than one preteen boy to take a shower.
Has your tween discovered the Funko Pop Figures? My kids collect them, and I am a bit smitten with them myself – especially the Peanuts set. There are hundreds of characters available from Disney, Marvel, and popular TV shows & movies.
Astronaut Ice Cream reminds me of the crunchy lump of cotton candy that always gets left in the bottom of the bag after a trip to the fair, but my kids think it is so cool. It is fun to experience at least once!
A Wreck This Journal gives its owner permission to go a little crazy. Each page has an assignment like painting with coffee, filling a page with doodles, or even tearing the page out and using it as a cup. It comes in a variety of covers.
Slingshot these Flingshot Monkeys across the room and listen to them howl (the kids and the monkeys) as they go flying through the air.
So tell me, what is on your Tween’s Christmas list this year?
My other gift guides:
100 Free Printable Gifts for Kids
Need more gift ideas? This guide is part of the KBN 2015 Holiday Gift Guide. There you will find fantastic gift ideas for all ages!
