Gift Gurus Unite: Share Your Best Xmas Present Ideas for Pre-Teens - please

[Toastiesforever]

I have 2 pre-teen girls (11 and 9)

Neither are into toys now and im at a total loss now for their xmas.

Thought we could start a thread on ideas for pre teens ( girls and boys)

Ill start with my top gifts last year:

Oodies ( these are worn in winter and summer, have to peel them off them to wash)
Molly Mae Crimper
Air up bottle ( ridiculously expensive but used every day)
Strip LED lights for their bedrooms

Joining as I have DD who will be 12 at Xmas.

Second the Oodie, got my DD one last year and she loves it. The air up bottle can get in the bin. Stupid expensive waste of money that leaks if the bottle tips over in her bag!

Going to look at the Mollie Mae crimper!

Yeah the airup is a love hate one i hear but for my 2 girls they have loved theirs and its used constantly but it killed me buying it.

This was the one i got

https://beautyworksonline.com/the-waver-uk.html

Oooh that's a better price than the one I was looking at. They look easy to use too.

Bump

Musical instrument ? I got my then 13 year old drums and he just taught himself

DS will be 10 just after Christmas so I have both birthday and Christmas to buy for with very limited ideas.

We tried an Air Up bottle for his birthday last year and it was like the Emperor’s new clothes, no matter what we did neither of us could taste anything, despite spending a fortune on various different capsules. I gave it all away in the end.

One present he did love was a monthly Robux subscription, a delivery of Robux once a month for the rest of the year that means he no longer pesters me to buy them for him. It felt a bit uninspired but he was over the moon and the excitement has continued all year.

Hits have been

Beanbag chair
Light up sound bar
Lava lamp
Light up mirror

11yo DD here. Biggest recent hits have been...
Oodie (a fake one but similarly well loved and difficult to peel off for washing!)
Polaroid camera
Posca pens and sketch book
Resin kit
Waffle maker
Ice skates (or roller blades/skateboard)
Tickets to show
Jewellery
Pillow spray
Echo dot
LED strip lights
And despite not being hugely into playing with toys, she does love a squishmallow!

I’ve got mine some crystals from Psychic Sisters, they were in the Holland and Barrett sale and I know t they will love them. Also a zodiac mug from Claire’s and will be getting bubble tea kits nearer the time.

Oh yes - bubble tea kits! That's become my go-to present for nieces and DD's friends for birthdays etc! Always goes down well!

The mention of crystals reminded me of a lovely gemstone mining bag I bought a couple of years ago. It was basically a bag filled with sand and she had to go rummaging inside it for gems and tumbled rocks. It even had a pretty gemstone bracelet inside too. I think it was about £20 and she found 30+ gems/rocks. She loved it.

E-reader, mine loves her Kindle.
Echo Dot
Electric keyboard

Oh thankyou!!! fantastic idea re the bubble kit my DDs love them!

Other ideas ive come across:

Popcorn maker
VR headset
3D Printer

My dds are 12 and 10, so not too different in ages.

Hit presents from recent years have been a night sky projector, a skateboard, a resin jewellery making set and bullet journals

This year I've got sleep headphones, tickets to Wicked, a mocktail book, calligraphy pens, wreck the journal, and a cat shaped shelf for displaying crystals.

Big hits for mine have been:
Oodie - Still worn constantly 2 years on
Velvetiser- It does nothing that a saucepan and whisk doesnt, but DC has used it LOADS all year.
Beanbag was a surprising hit and handy as moveable extra seating!
Airtrack- not as bouncy as trampoline which is part of the appeal.

Some brilliant ideas here - we have 11 year old birthday next month, then Christmas. Ideas so far:

Skincare (!)
sol de janeiro (sprays or cream)
starbucks cup
squishmallows
Ugg slippers
Concert/show tickets
zara clothing
Candles
beanbag
room decor
lipgloss
headphones (apple dupes!)
stanley cup