I have a soon-to-be 12-year-old son, so it’s safe to say I’ve been in the tween phase for a little while now and it happens to me every year: birthday and Christmas shopping for him can be difficult! With his help and guidance, I’ve compiled a sweet list of cool gifts that go slightly beyond the video games, gift cards, and cold hard cash that seem to be the go-to items for these years.
ACTIVE GIFTS
With activity levels taking a dip thanks to so many gadgets and electronics at hand, I feel fortunate that my oldest has a pretty good balance of an active and sedentary lifestyle (growing pains are rough, y’all!). He runs and bikes regularly, and occasionally throughout the school year he walks or bikes to school. He has also enjoyed taking this RipStik for a ride to/from school or the park (he got it around his 11th birthday). I would recommend getting a helmet and maybe knee and elbow pads, if your guy plans to learn some tricks!
GIFTS FOR THE BOOK ENTHUSIAST
Whether your kiddo wants to set the next Guinness World Record for most claps in a minute (last I checked it was 1,080, by the way) or likes to dive into an awesome non-fiction, you can never, I repeat, NEVER go wrong with a book. We’ve made it our thing to get into books that have had a movie made after them. Here’s a short list of a couple favorites (oh, and as you may already know, the movie is never quite as good as the book!):
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Journey to the Center of the Earth
*Honorable Mentions also go to anything age-appropriate by Rick Riordan, J.K. Rowling, and John Flanagan
TECH GIFTS
If you have a tween who loves all things coding and programming, I’d strongly suggest getting this Sphero SPRK+. It’s an app-enabled robot, so he’ll have to use his phone (or borrow yours) to “drive” it. A couple things I’ve enjoyed as the parent of a child who has one, is that it’s scratch-resistant, waterproof, has a 60-minute battery life and pretty cool LED lights. The price IS a little steep, but if your child plans on using it for all it can do, I’d say it’s a great investment.
On a slightly smaller scale on the techy gadget front is this super cool My Arcade Pac-Man Hits Handheld Gaming System. All the nostalgia of the OG Pac-Man arcade games in a portable, tiny, handheld device.
GAMER GIFTS
As much as I fought and resisted in our home, a gaming system was inevitable. With one evening out of the week set aside for all his gaming indulgences (provided grades are up and chores are done), I took a “If you can’t beat them, buy them the necessary accessories and try not to complain too much about it” stance. So, if you too have a gamer in your home, here are a few headsets I’d recommend: PS4 Headset with Mic ($, only compatible with PS4) or the Razer Kraken Pro V2 ($$, compatible with PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch and mobile devices).
And as I mentioned before, gift cards are a go-to item for the tween gift. So, you can be 150% sure that a gaming gift card will most definitely be put to use to buy the newest battle pass, skin, or whatever!
EXPERIENCE GIFTS
If you frown upon the material gifts (because, depending on my mood, I too get tired of ALL THE THINGS), I’d suggest getting totally immersed in your tween’s current favorite band, singer, YouTuber, artist, and the like. Most experiences at this stage in their life and development will be something they remember for the rest of their lives. Like when my mom took me to Universal Studios in Florida (just us girls), and we made memories that I still cherish to this day. Not to mention, you’ll get MAJOR cool parent points if you’re IN-THE-KNOW on his favorite YouTuber who just so happens to be in town for tour and you just so happen to have tickets to go see him (just sayin’!).
GIFTS FOR THE ANIMAL LOVER
My tween has begged and pleaded with us to let him have a ferret OR a turtle. Judging by the looks of his room before a Field Day at our house, I’d say with 100% certainty he WILL NOT be getting that ferret anytime soon. Now, a turtle on the other hand…I may entertain that gift suggestion. If your tween is up for the responsibility of a pet and is an animal lover, I say, WHY NOT?! If they decide they’re ready for a hamster, ferret, guinea pig, gecko, turtle or fish, do it! SMALL ANIMALS NEED LOVE, TOO!
This was just a small portion of what I’m sure could be an endless list, but I’d love to know your recommendations for cool gift ideas for tween boys (since I do still have two in tow after my first is well into his teen years!).
