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What to Buy a Tween
The tween years, which is generally classed as ages 10-12, can be a tricky age for gift buying. Sometimes they still love playing with lego or playmobil and other times they say they’re too grown up for it. They’re no longer classed as a little child but neither have they reached the more mature teenage years, so navigating this time can be awkward.
I’ve been asked for a few ideas on what to buy tweens for Christmas, birthdays or indeed ideas for my daughter’s tween friends birthdays. As such, I’ve chatted to my children and nieces and we’ve come up with a few suggestions of gifts they have received which they really enjoyed. There are ideas for tween girls and boys too.
I’m starting off in a price bracket below £15 so they are fairly cheap and reasonable gift ideas and will add to this, but for now here are my children and niece’s first few suggestions (filtered by me to be neutral gifts which aren’t too young or too old…)
Gifts for Under £15
Neon Writing Board
My kids have both been bought light boxes but the new craze seems to be an illuminated writing board – and they do seem pretty good. My Niece received one and she’s left it in the kitchen and when I visit there is often a new message or event on the board. I think her mum and her take turns to write and draw messages to each other and it looks great …
Sussed Card Game
My niece was recently bought the sussed card game which I’d never heard of but she brought it to a family lunch where we all played (our players were aged 10-over 70 years) and it was brilliant and very funny. We’d definitely recommend this game and there are a few different options to buy.
Dream Catchers
Both my children have dream catchers in their bedrooms. For my youngest this was both a lovely wall decoration – she choose a dream catcher like the one opposite (a chakra / rainbow style). She was also having a few nightmares and the traditional meaning of a dream catcher is to catch the bad dreams and let the good ones flow through, so this hangs just above her bed.
Bullet Journal
A teenage friend got both my children in to bullet journals last Christmas and they really love it. It’s both a way of organising & recording events and being arty. My children spend hours designing pages – such as monthly logs, mood trackers, gratitude pages – they design and record what’s important to them. The bullet journal itself is just a hardbacked usually dotted notebook. You can also buy additional items such as stencils, calligraphy pens, brush pens etc. This was actually one of my 10 year olds favourite gifts last Christmas and she and her teenage sister have spent hours through the year coming up with designs and recording events important to them. I wanted to describe it as a diary but she reliably informs me it’s not, as you don’t have to do it every day and record boring stuff – you record and design when you want to – can’t really argue with that and I’m thinking of doing one myself…
Fidget Cube Toy
I bought this for a friend who was doing some exams as a way to relax and help focus, but when my children saw it they were both really taken with it. It follows on from the fidget spinner craze but this has more buttons and features to fiddle with!
Inspiring Books
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls
I bought this for my youngest daughter a few years ago and didn’t realise what a hit it would be. We ended up buying the follow up ‘Good night stories for Rebel Girls 2’ and for a while, we bought this for her friends for their birthdays until I think everyone had a copy! We still come back to this book again and again. It’s a story to a page with a beautiful illustration opposite about inspirational and remarkable women from around the world – we think it’s a must for any young girl. I also think it’s one of those books which will be kept and treasured – I wrote a dedication in the front about believing in yourself, following your dreams and being happy.