Gift ideas for a 12 year old (getting desperate!)

[Thealarmhasgoneoffagain]

About £50ish budget. She's 12 but young iyswim.

• She's just had her room done so nothing for that.
• not into clothes / make up / smellies
• not getting an alexa or anything like that
• we already have a couple of days out / experiences planned
• her hobbies don't need any equipment
• already have plenty of craft stuff.
• She's not having money or gift cards
• no garden and no where to ride a bike or the like.
• she is a viroucious (sp?) reader and loves writing her own stories

I can only really think of an ooodie or switch game but I don't think she particularly wants them. She would lose a really fancy pen.

Onesie
Cake recipe book
Roller skates or skateboard
Bluetooth speaker
Keyboard or ukulele
Slippers
Novelty phone charger pack
Sparkling fruit juice and a nice glass
Fluffy blanket
Magazine subscription
Backpack or weekend bag
DVDs

literary gifts ?
are there any classes she'd like to take? We did a circus skills workshop for a similar birthday

My DD just turned 12 and sounds very similar to yours: into books, not girly, likes quirky stuff. I got her "cool" clothes and a hanging chair for reading in.

Bookends.
A book subscription.
A bookbinding course or kit.
A scrapbook.
A photo album plus vouchers towards getting physical prints of her favourite photo, or a voucher towards a photo canvas.

Definitely ask her. My 12 year old dd still writes a letter to Santa. Obviously she now knows its me that will be buying them but we still go through the ritual. She puts a few main things on there so I can pick off the list and pass present ideas to my mum and siblings from it as well.

Someone upthread suggested electronics kits. We got DD a soldering iron (and other electronics bits obv to use it on) when she was 12. It turned out to be very useful when she was doing her EPQ, her soldering skills were helpful during her degree, and then in one of her internships during covid when she was WFH.

That's the sort of thing you'd want to check if your DD would be interested in though.

BBC maestro writing course?

Cash. Nothing better at this age.

But other than that, a voucher for whatever your coolest local coffee/bubble tea place is, so she can go with a mate and treat them.

Cinema voucher for her and a mate.

Mid priced jewellery? DC2 is 12 this month and as one of her presents is getting an unusual ring she spotted at a makers' fair.

Sorry, I see you stated no money or gift cards.

In that case I might just gets something small, and a few fidgets, and wait until she sees something she'd really like at another time.

If she loves classic novels Waterstones sell a range of cloth bound classics. About £15 each but they look beautiful on a shelf. My 15yo reader has started collecting them.

I know you said she doesn't need anything for her room but maybe something small she can put on her wall like a dreamcatcher? Etsy have lots of themed ones

If she loves reading and writing them books, book vouchers, notebooks, pens, gel pens and stationary seem like a good call. You can never have too much stationary

Cinema vouchers so she can go with friends

Hot chocolate spoons with a nice character mug and mini marshmallows

Thanks everyone. It's for her birthday.

For Christmas, she is getting a cello, music books, pjs, vegan marshmallows and a boardgame (all of those are a tradition), a pack of body spray and a specific pre-order book. With the price if a cello, that is pretty much it. So nothing we can transfer to her birthday.

@Isyesterdaytomorrowtoday I agree, that gifts should be about the recipient but she'll just put money into her bank account so it's not much of a present. She also gets money from relatives. Harry potter is a no because (surprise!) not everyone likes it. We won't have an Alexa in the house. Fidget toys are a no because they won't be played with for longer than 5 mins. If she was that bothered, she'd use her pocket money. Plus everyone goes on about the environment and than buys stuff like that.

I might make her a voucher for a fancy drink and cake that she can claim that when she sees something she fancies so thanks for that.

The writing prompt books seem like an idea. I will check those out.

I will look into electronics kits. They seem like something she's enjoy. She's pretty clumsy so a soldering kit would need constant supervision which I don't think she'd like.

A necklace might also be nice. I think she'd like some sort of crystal pendant.

A neom pod thing might be a possibility too.

Some good idea. Thanks!

She's asked for a cello, right?

You come across as thinking the things she's into are a bit weird and disappointing to you, that's not the case is it?

My 12 year old isn't into fashion, hair or beauty. She likes reading, musicals, animals and nature. I'm good with that!

@leccybill Yes, of course she asked for the cello for christmas! She is really excited about it. She's had lessons for years (also at her request). It's a bit of a random gift otherwise. 🤣 She knows it means she'll get very litte else.

I've only said no to fidget toys so I'm not sure where you've got the idea that I'm disappointed in her or trying to make her pick things I approve of.

Actually @leccybill you've annoyed me with your suggestion that I am trying to change her into something she isn't. She is perfectly her and we try our absolute best to give her the confidence to be her.

Why would I even have posted this if I didn't want to get her something she would love and enjoy?

Didn't mean to offend, sorry. I can see now that the "strange child" comment was tongue-in-cheek and the "I'm not spending this on that" is just sensible if you're on a budget.
I guess this age is prime for not knowing what they really want and we do end up wasting a bit of money on tat but that doesn't bother me too much.
A lot of teens would love an Alexa.
I also think you were a bit dismissive about "nowhere to ride a bike or the like." Unless you live on the 14th floor (and I apologise if you do), a lot of young teens might enjoy roller boots, a pogo stick, space hopper, basketball hoop etc.

Light box

She likes music (the cello) then why on Earth wouldn’t you have an Alexa in her room / the house? You can put full parental controls on them.
My DD is 13 and hugely into music. She spends most of the day listening to Amazon unlimited music via her Alexa or on her phone through headphones. This is all sorts from pop to classical and recently lots of songs from musicals which she is also learning in school music lessons.

@PurpleWisteria1 I have no desire for an Alexa in my house either....
@Thealarmhasgoneoffagain does she have some form of music player? CD player, MP3 ?

@leccybill thank you.
We don't have a garden. The local park is normally nice but a hostel has opened next to it and the residents are causing a few issues right now. We don't want her going there without an adult so she won't have the freedom to enjoy any outdoor stuff and it's not fair to make wait for us to take her.

An oodie might be better than you think. My DD was given one when she was 11, before we’d even heard of them (she’s now 13). Over time it has come to replace her dressing gown as she much prefers it. It will last forever too, it’s so big!

Other things she’s had or I’ve considered:

Baking subscription (Baked In) - popular for a while (though I’m not sure if they do a vegan kit)
Candy floss maker (again if vegan, it might not work but there are lots of other alternatives I would think, eg juicer)
Velvetiser (or cheaper version)
Polaroid camera or mini printer
Arkit - architect style house builder kits

I hope you can think of something, it’s always nice to surprise them.

At around that age my DD got her first camera. Turned into a major hobby which lasted right up until uni (when she didn't want to take her very expensive kit with her!) Hence my name here, in fact. Just adding to the thoughts.

Baking or cooking gift (recipe book and key ingredients)
Boba tea kit
Hair straighteners
Room decorations - plants, photo frames etc
Starbucks or cinema voucher
Board games
Stationary
Joma jewellery
Nike, anything!
Theatre tickets
Books, books, books

Games - I second whoever said Poetry for Neanderthals
also, Sushi Go is fun.
Love Letter is quite popular with my 12yo (it has nothing to do with actual love letters)

OP

If she is clumsy then get an electronics kit with springs. You just connect the wires via the springs so you are not threading them into a breadboard (name used for the board you slot wires, LEDs and components into).

You also can't loose the components, they cost a bit more but might be worth it.

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Or a 'hotwires' like this
www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/toys/arts-crafts-and-music/science/science-sets/hot-wires-plug-and-play-electronic-set/p/103524?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=surfaces_across_google

One word of warning, I set up an alarm so I knew my parents were coming upstairs so I could switch my light off and pretend to be asleep.

The one time I was cool in school was in what is now year 7. Unbelievably we were without a teacher for several weeks for one science class a week. There was a teacher in the next room and the connecting doors were open.

Anyway we were set work to do on electronics and given electronics sets.

I wizzed through the problems and then set up a version of 'buzz off' with a light instead of a buzzer. So that lesson was spent with people copying my work and playing buzz off.