Curling tongs or rollers for a 12-year-old?

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

DD1 - 12, year 8, wants curling tongs or heated rollers for Christmas. I have never ventured into these realms - I am barely acquainted with the humble hairdryer - and have no idea what to get. Can anyone advise?
Year 8 seems to be a bit of a minefield. All her friends are dolled up to the nines and sporting makeup you could scrape off with a trowel and she is lagging behind in her jeans and converse, so any young teen style and beauty tips welcome really.

She wants curls and her hair is naturally poker-straight and very thick. When you say a conical do you mean one of those wand things?
I had a look around Boots today and the options seemed to be either those wand things or a set of heated rollers. She doesn't know which she wants either, she just wants to be able to curl her hair, so I suppose the question is what is the easiest and most effective way to do it (and least damaging to her hair of course).

That looks great, thanks ever so much. I will do it for her - I'll probably end up doing it for her two younger sisters too, I expect.
Your poor hand . I burnt mine on microwave popcorn last week .