Gifts for tweens that are NOT fashion/beauty?

[cornbunting]

DD1 is 11, and has zero interest in makeup, perfume, and clothing brands, which seem to be the prevailing suggestion in the other threads.

She likes:

• Reading (Hunger Games, Jacqueline Wilson, and Skandar are current favourites)
• Nintendo Switch games (particularly animal crossing, stardew valley, Mario kart)
• Shiny pebbles and "gemstones" of the sort you see in gift shops

Any ideas gratefully received!

Can you still get gemstone polishing kits?

My god daughter is a 'young' 11yr old, so this might not suit yours:
https://www.thetoyshop.com//out-to-impress-neon-pebble-paint-craft-set/p/549610?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21761044923&gbraid=0AAAAAD8GR-udh1qYFO8_vJLJoLS__6ozN&gclid=CjwKCAjwisnGBhAXEiwA0zEOR49Qwe3W9tZ_qYmNRXLjdB0LdVSacHMW_vBwPjPgC7NW_rF5UAV5mBoCrBYQAvD_BwE

She also loves sushi. I did this course myself and still make sushi. There were kids in the group too- although with an adult.
https://yosushi.com/sushi-school

Diamond painting set to go with her love of gemstones

How about an experience like theatre tickets, or a young driver session? My 11 year old is getting tickets to the Harry Potter studio tour.

Favourite present last year for my avid reader (DD22) was a thumb book page holder.

Just a shaped bit of wood with a hole in. But makes reading (especially paperbacks) so much easier when lying down etc.

Does she like board games? If she likes Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley she might like the board game Everdell which has a similar vibe.

Has she read the Percy Jackson books?

Himalayan salt lamp for her room?

Patrick Ness writes good YA. Chaos Walking Trilogy. Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park also good but may be a bit old for her depends how advanced a reader she is, it is definitely YA though

Maybe some of the classics that you can get in really nice designs : Little Women, Anne Of Green Gables etc

Thanks all, some good ideas here! I'll have a look for Everdell, @MerryPumpkinmas , that could work.

Good shout on tickets, @VikaOlson - she got Harry Potter tickets for her birthday, we are going in Feb! I'm in two minds about getting something Potter related - yes she'd like something, but also I need to let her get something affordable from the gift shop when we go 🤣

@ChubbyPuffling the book gizmo sounds interesting! I'll have a look - do you remember where it came from?

Craft kits are sadly not a winner in this house (even for arty DD2) - I have just made up two bin bags full of untouched craft kits to take to the charity 😭

Ah, that's a good idea. A beautiful illustrated copy of a classic novel might go down very well. I'll have to spend some time browsing in a bookshop, oh no... 😂😍

The book pageholder was bought from a Christmas craft fayre, but if you search, you can get all sorts on line - amazon, etsy, etc some personalised, some shaped like stretching cat etc.
We just chose one with a lovely wood, polished, rounded, grain showing. It is very tactile and visually nice as well as functional.

What a hardship @cornbunting😂

Lush bathbombs? Not really beauty

A fluffy rug for beside her bed. We got a super fluffy thick towel
for DS about that age and he has just taken it to uni.

Personalised book embosser
Book journal

I'm planning to get this for my ds who loves gemstones and lego: https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/mineral-collection-21362

Or a kindle paperwhite could be a good option if she's an avid reader, maybe with some credit on it.

And/or things to make a really cosy reading space in her room e.g. fairy lights/cuddle cushion/Snuggly blanket/ snack selection along with a few great books. Has she read all the Hunger games prequels? Or the northern lights/book of dust series (the final one comes out in October)

Fairy lights are an excellent shout, I'm sure I had a link to some nice ones saved as a consideration last year... I'll have to see if I can find them!

Her grandparents gave her a kindle for her birthday, so that's out, but we could give her an Amazon voucher for new books to go on it. Just feels a bit flat for a kid who likes a parcel to open.

I'd not seen the Lego minerals! That's worth thinking about for sure.

Is a book journal a notebook for keeping track of what she reads? Worth a thought. She'd probably use it very assiduously for a couple of weeks and then forget about it, but such is life with many Christmas gifts I suppose.

I don't know how to feel about an embosser. Part of me is all "oh cool, that's fun", and another part is screaming about intentional damage 😂

My then 11 year old dd liked all those things! She liked the murdle logic puzzle books and the murder most unlady like series (Robin Stevens) was a huge favourite at that age too. Or maybe a more grown up board game like Catan, carcassone or ticket to ride (we like ticket to ride Europe).

Is a book journal a notebook for keeping track of what she reads?

Yes exactly

Worth a thought. She'd probably use it very assiduously for a couple of weeks and then forget about it

I suspect this will be the case with my DD too!

Dream catcher. Bubble tea kit. Or hot chocolate bits. Photo frames with pics of her and her friends 💕

Jellycats!

@cornbunting Just remember that the words, the thoughts, the message is what matters, not the paper. You own the paper - you can do with it as you wish...

Rock tumbler
Mining bag (basically a bag of sand with tumbled stones hidden in it to find. My DD’s one also had a cute gemstones bracelet)
Gemstone display shelf
Lego minerals
Fluffy cushions/blankets for bedroom
Teddy bedding set (Dunelm)
Oodie-type thing
Fairy lights/LED strip lights/lava lamp
My DD has a personalised book embosser and it’s gorgeous!
Calligraphy set
Button bag knitting or sewing kit
Poster for room
Waffle maker
Ice cream maker
Hot chocolate or s’mores hamper
Jewellery?

A photo frame is an excellent shout! She'd love that I'm sure

Sushi go party board game is lots of fun to play and on theme for your God daughter. I would also recommend to op as we love playing it. We also like co operative board games, they are fun to play with 11 year olds (and younger) as you are all working towards the same aim. We like sub terra, forbidden island, bandido and saboteur.

My DD also likes playing switch, reading Skadar and the hunger games so following for more ideas! No interest at all in make up, can only just get her to wash her face.