Thank you to Alex Brands for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
Sabrye, my oldest daughter, will be 8 in just a few weeks. She feels too old for toys like dolls, but still likes to play with Shopkins. She doesn’t want any dolls, but she will sit there and play dolls with her little sister. I am all for her still being a kid and playing with toys, but I know she feels that tug – that tug of still wanting to be a kid while growing up. It’s just a tough age.
It’s hard to figure out what to get a tween girl for Christmas. If you get her a doll, she may not seem too enthusiastic about it. On the other side, she is too young for some of the items teens want. One suggestion could be that you could play it safe and get her jewelry. That is what a friend of mine did with her daughter. She went looking around the jewelry stores Denver has in order to find that perfect gift for her 9-year-old. However, if you aren’t sure about that, you can read on for some more suggestions.
So, what do you get a tween girl for Christmas?
7 Gift Ideas for a Tween Girl (that she will actually love):
1. Books.
Books are always a great gift idea, and there are so many good book series targeted to tween girls! Baby Sitter Club, American Girl, and Magic Tree House books are almost always a good choice! Additionally, many of these books are Accelerated Reader books, which means she can test on them at school to get her points in for the year.
Money Saving Tip: Popular books are usually packaged together as a short series or together as the most popular books in that particular series. Many times, you will pay less per book when you purchase a set packaged together.
2. Tablet.
A tablet is a fantastic gift for any age! Tablets come in so many different colors, with cute cases and accessories. I love that you can put in your child’s age in the Fire Tablets and get content that is age appropriate without having to worry about what she will end up watching or games she will end up playing. Not to mention, all of the different games, movies, and apps that are free! (If you’re thinking of getting them a phone or tablet, this custom phone case site could add some personal magic to your gift!)
3. Hair Appliances.
If you hear, “But, I haven’t finished flat ironing my hair, mom!” when it’s time to leave for school, church, or another place, hair appliances are the way to go! I think a tween is the perfect age to start teaching about hair appliance safety and responsibility. If you are going the hair appliance route, be sure to pick up some heat protection spray and a round brush to go with it.
4. Games.
I’ve noticed that a lot of games are ages 4-7 or ages 8 and up. I know my daughter is wanting to play some of the “older” games especially since she can read and understand how to play a lot of these games. Around the holidays, there will be all kinds of deals on board, card, and interactive games. On the plus side, she may still want to play the game with you so you can spend some family time together.
5. Jewelry.
You don’t have to splurge and purchase a couple hundred dollar necklace, because she may still not be at the age where she can appreciate the value of it. You can, however, purchase a dainty sterling silver necklace or earrings for around $25. To add a personal touch, you could even create a name necklace on the Name Necklace Official website so she has a piece of jewelry she can wear every day. If you’ve got a bigger budget and want to buy a piece of jewelry that she can cherish forever, check out laboratory diamonds by Green Diamonds. She’s bound to love it! No matter how much you spend, it’s always the thought that counts!
I would recommend picking out something special for her that she would appreciate it. If all else fails, go with her birthstone and explain to her why you picked it out. It will have a special meaning and she will value it more than she would a $200 necklace with no meaning behind it.
6. Movies.
Every year at Christmas, both of my girls ask for movies! There are a lot of movies that come out during the year that one or both of them just absolutely love and want them. If you are purchasing a gift your tween niece or cousin and are unsure of what movie she may like, purchase a few RedBox Rentals. You can even use this cute printable to write the codes on and stick in an envelope or with some popcorn.
7. Sweetlings.
Sweetlings is a fun, creative DIY activity that captures the current decorating food trends into fun and addicting craft! Sabrye absolutely LOVES crafts and loves to help in the kitchen! Sweetlings from Alex Toys is the PERFECT combination, and Sabrye had so much fun making the little unicorn doughnut.
Sweetlings comes with whipped clay icing to decorate. It looks just like icing, but dries as a clay! In fact, I had to tell my four year old that it was NOT real icing because she wanted to lick it!
There are a few different Sweetlings available, and each comes in a box with everything you need to decorate it and even has a little backdrop to go with it. When the sweetling is done and dry, it can be set on a dresser or shelf as a decoration. It truly is the perfect combination! You can see all of the different Sweetlings available here.
If you have a tween girl on your Christmas list, I hope these ideas gave you a starting off point. Remember, when purchasing a gift for anyone on your list to not go overboard and to stay within your budget. The gift doesn’t have to be extravagant for the recipient to know that you put thought into the gift.
