£20 gift for 12 year old girl?

[Smedsmoos]

A charity has allocated me a 12 year old girl to buy a Christmas gift for. The budget is around £20.

It is likely that this will be her only Christmas present.

What can I get her?

I don’t want to buy a load of cheap tat just to make it look like more but equally I don’t want her to only have one thing to open. Help please!

I love this, could you share the charity? I'd love to do the same X

That’s so difficult as it really depends what she’s into. 12 is the age where it could be skincare & make up, K-pop obsessed or horses & sports!

For skincare Byoma is a really good brand for youngsters and Boots do a nice gift set for £12.50 https://www.boots.com/byoma-stellar-skin-plus-bodycare-set-10365532?traffic=paid.shopping&gclsrc=aw.ds&gadsource=1&gadcampaignid=21086067789&gbraid=0AAAAA-AdmwQKObZubmk42GLkatadXCTy&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt8G7PGmkAMVZYFQBh1WmS4LEAQYBSABEgJklPDBwE. There are other sets but those are the products I’d choose for a 12 year old.

Another idea is jewellery. Lovisa is a popular brand.

one of the presents all my family loved were oodies. Dunelm do some nice quality teddy bear ones that are on offer at the moment https://www.dunelm.com/product/teddy-oversized-blanket-hoodie-1000203736?defaultSkuId=30831308&colour=Teddy+Cream

A mini shower speaker is another idea for that age group but it does assume she has a phone to connect to it.

other stocking filler type. Items are lip balm, sweets, hair accessories & fairy lights.

Heartbreaking . £20 doesn’t buy much sadly
so id buy loads more for her .

Yes what a great idea x

I don't have children, but when my god daughters were that age, these are some of the things they liked. As others have said, its tricky if you have no idea what she is into:
-lipgloss making kit
-bath bomb making kit
-science type kit

GALT make quite a few like this https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7552094?utm_custom6=LIA&deeplink=true&gclsrc=aw.ds&&cmpid=GS001&$ja=tsid:59157|acid:629-618-1342|cid:20368907733|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:6444467094350650834|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:1006637&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20368907733&utm_term=7552094&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=629-618-1342&GPDP=true&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19671806872&gbraid=0AAAAAD9II9l734ib8bgyU4l9LsyyPwhsW&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjL3HBhCgARIsAPUg7a4crMi37R6-VWz7wSe99iv2uRKv6rYt6DASK2fmw0JLcXD7dy1OkUaArQuEALw_wcB

While that's generous of you, having just been having a discussion about kids' secret Santa at our "Cousin's Christmas", it's probably a really unhelpful idea. The Charity probably sets an amount so that kids in a group (potentially siblings, or friendship groups, or even orphanage groups) get the same amount. Buying more would just make everything difficult for them.

For our family one, I am going for

• a book (although that might be inappropriate if she is in a non-English country)
• some clothing (hat or scarf if you don't know the size)
• chocolate
• note-book and pens
• a craft set

You can get very nice versions of these quite cheaply somewhere like Primark or The Works

These are really lovely, but in my house they'd go down well with my DDs at 8-10 type age, I think they're probably a bit young for a 12 year old.

Think I'd go for
A silly soft toy (jelly-cat esque, or a small jelly cat if you budget wisely elsewhere!!)
Slipper socks/something snug
Cute stationary
A small toiletry set

£5stuff you will pick up a real Oldie if you pick carefully, big gift, will be exciting and it's useful and cosy. Some toiletries/skincare/makeup, some cute stationary, a big choc Santa! Amazon haul may be worth a look as well. What charity is it? I'd be really happy to do a few?

If it’s her only present do you have to stick to a £20 budget?!

I agree with the above poster, a few nice things. Bright hat for the winter (Next do cheap, decent ones around £7) fluffy cute socks (TU are doing boxed Xmas themed ones for £3.50) nice note book or a little secret diary type thing, pen, lip balm and some xmas sweeties/chocolate. The smaller selection boxes always look impressive and they're around £2. Few nice presents and money stretched well.
What a lovely thing to be doing, am sure whatever you get she will like :-)

What's an Oldie? That's just something I used to call my parents years ago!

DD is about to turn 12 and things that might work that she loves

• body sprays in different scents
• nail polish sets
• Lego
• fluffy socks
• sleep masks (with cute images /funny messages - she has one that said "shut up!")
• jelly cat teddies
• cute stationery -.legami pens, pretty or fun notebooks
• good sets of colouring pencils/pens
• water bottles /cups in fun designs

I'd probably do a box with a few different bits in. Go to Superdrug or similar and you could get quite a few of these things for a total of £20

Sweets are another option if you want to put a variety of things in a box (or bulk out a smaller gift) . DD loves nerds, tic tags, haribo, maoam

DD is 11 and her gift requests are a Jellycat plush, P Louise makeup/skincare and art supplies, flying tiger do nice bits that are cheap. She also likes Byoma and Bubble products.
If the budget is firm you can get jellycat-esque plushies in Lidl/Morrisons etc but honestly I'd try to get something that feels a bit special for a child who doesn't get much so would try and stretch to one branded item and a few other small cheaper things, it matters at that age especially if you feel like the only one who doesn't have it.
Primark have snow fairy dupes which could do a little basket.
Boots 3 for 2 might be your friend here as well.

Do you get any indication of her interests?
I would get something she can "do" like a small sewing craft kit (she might not have scissors so get a mini sewing kit to
go with it) or adult colouring book and some fancy pens. The Works is good for those or Flying Tiger.
Primark do nice body fragrances and shower gels - you could get a nice toiletry bag to put them.
A mini cute squishmallow type toy.
Don't get anything that needs batteries or access to the internet as she may not have those.

What's the charity? I like to give gifts rather than just money to charity each year.

I give gifts to the Salvation Army for Christmas. I really like Sostrene Greene for buying inexpensive but nice quality and pretty stationary to bulk out the present. I put a few small bits into a gift bag. @AutumnDayswhen suggestions are great.

@Smedsmoos I hope this girl is able to get lots of other presents from elsewhere too.

What do you know about her living situation? If this is her only Christmas present she may well be struggling for basics so maybe spend half the budget on some essentials: shower gel, shampoo/conditioner, deodorant. Then maybe lip balm/gloss, colourful pens and paper and some socks or gloves/hat.

A few years ago my work teamed up with a charity that sounds the same as this and everyone who wanted to take part was allocated a person. If its the same then you need to give the gift unwrapped and not spend more than £20 as if it was a brother and sister and one had someone spend £100 and the other had someone spend £20 that wouldnt be nice. Also I guess it makes it accessible for people to take part

Palm pals are a cheaper alternative to Jellycat. They have lots of different types, not only animals.

Yeah, that's my thinking too, rather than cuddly toys, as lovely as they are. Mix of useful (but even useful can be fun, colours of a hat, scents in shower gels etc) and fun ones.

I have a 12 year old, here are some things she likes
body care stuff, body sprays are a huge hit, fancy shower foams
flimsy necklaces and beaded bracelets
lip balms, lip glosses, face masks etc
young adult fantasy books
sweets
cosy pjs
fluffy blankets
posca type pens, notebooks, paint supplies
hair stuff, scrunchies, tangle teezer brushes

Why unwrapped?

I think the charity checked the gifts and wrapped them