I try to start my list of gift ideas well ahead of the holiday season and can hopefully get a good deal. It can be difficult to keep up with what gifts are the “in” gifts for each age group, for both Christmas and birthdays. Especially when it comes to gifts to get for in-between, preteen age of 8 to 12 years old. That’s why I thought it would be helpful to throw together a gift guide with the best tween girl gifts for 2019 with the help of my own 11-year-old daughter.
If you don’t already have Amazon Prime, consider taking advantage of their 30-day free trial once you start shopping for the holidays. I love our Prime subscription because it saves me a lot of time and money with their 2-day shipping right to my door and a massive selection of items. Plus, it saves me from having to drive around town looking for a specific item.
Gift Guide: Top Gifts for Tween Girls (8-12 Years Old)
Contents
Most of the items you see on this list of gifts are items that my older daughter currently owns or gift ideas she had for her birthday or Christmas wish list. If you see something you like, click on the red text link or the product image for details or to purchase.
If the tween girl in your life is a Harry Potter fan, then you’ll also want to check out my list of Best Harry Potter Gifts For Kids.
Tween Gifts That Encourage Creativity
My older daughter is an artistic child. As a mom, I love arts and crafts gifts because I know they will get used – usually within 24 hours. These are her picks for girls who like to create works of art and get creative.
String Art – I love the way the finished products look from these cool string art kits for girls! They have lots of different designs and animals to choose from. Give the tween girl in your life a fun craft to do, as well as a fabulous decoration for her room.
Instant Camera – this Fujifilm camera bundle is the #1 item on my daughter’s wishlist this year for Christmas. This kit makes it easy to carry around with the included case, allows for creativity with the 4 color filter lenses, plus it looks fashionable with its modern styling and 8 different colors to choose from. The bundle does come with additional film, but you may want to buy this 4-pack of colorful and patterned backgrounds so the birthday girl doesn’t run out and can up her photo-taking game.
Fairy Garden – my kids love putting together themed fairy gardens and this Unicorn Paradise fairy garden kit is a great way to get the preteen girl in your life working with plants and being creative.
Rubber Band Bracelet Kit – Tween girls love making bracelets for their family and friends. Buy the complete Wonder Loom kit for a newbie. Or buy this refill kit that includes hooks, clips, charms, and beads, for an experienced bracelet maker.
Duct Tape – Who knew that duct tape fosters so much creativity? My daughter uses duct tape to make wallets, clothes and accessories, and pencil covers. She’s also used different colors of duct tape to cover large boxes to turn them into space ships and cars. The ideas she comes up with are endless and you can find more ideas on Pinterest or the duct tape website. Choose from the many patterns of duct tape, along with some solid colors, and see the creativity flow.
Scratch Art Note Pad – Audrey loves scratch art. Buy this Melissa and Doug notepad so your tween can write rainbow-colored notes to pass to her friends.
Scented Glitter Gel Pens – These gel pens are fruit-scented. They are glittery. Enough said.
STEM Gifts For Tween Girls
What parent doesn’t want their daughter to learn more about science and technology? Kill two birds with one stone with this list of gifts that are both educational and fun!
Unicorn Robot – This robot gift mixes unicorns and learning to code. Being a science nerd myself, I know I would love to put this together with my daughters.
Roller Coaster Building Set – Although this roller coaster building game is marketed for kids 6 and up, I would definitely recommend this for kids who are at least 8 years old since each challenge takes some deciphering to understand the symbology and build the project correctly. Tons of fun for both kids and adults!
Perfume Science Kit – If the girl you’re buying for likes science experiments, then this perfume-making kit will be a hit.
Beginner’s Microscope – a kids microscope is perfect for girls who like science and exploring the world around them.
Crystal Growing Kit – grow crystals in 8 different colors, then favorites can be displayed in the night light display. Giftees will learn first-hand about crystal formation.
Snap Circuits – kids can learn all about circuits and electrical engineering while building things like a light switch, radio, and alarm. My daughters love this snap circuits set and can set up the projects on their own.
Cozy & Cuddly Gifts For Preteen Girls
Gund Pusheens – These super soft, stuffed animals are siamese cats. The girls in my daughter’s school absolutely love Pusheens. Cross a cat with a unicorn and you’ve got this Pusheenicorn. These adorable kitties also come as mermaids, like narwhals, eating chips, or with a top hat and mustache. My daughter owns the Pusheenicorn, as well as this hilariously funny Pusheen book.
Mermaid Tail – Audrey used an Amazon gift card she got to buy this mermaid tail for herself. She loves that it covers her whole body. She wears it while watching TV, while playing on her iPad or reading, and in bed. It comes in a variety of colors. Bonus! We didn’t realize it also comes with a mermaid necklace.
Unicorn Slippers – Check out these adorable, fuzzy unicorn slippers, which have great reviews.
Unicorn Squishy – This squishy is large and super soft. Why do kids love squishies? I have no idea… but they do. You can’t go wrong with a cute unicorn squishy.
More Fun Gifts To Get For Tween Girls
Earbuds / Headphones – If your tween giftee loves listening to music or audiobooks, she’ll make good use of a cute new set of earbuds or headphones. I love that the headphones shown below come with a carrying case with a clip that can be attached to a bookbag or easily stowed in a bag or purse.
A Diary – the preteen years are when girls start wanting more privacy and ways to express their feelings. Foster their need to express themselves with a diary that has a lock so her little brother and sister can’t sneak a peek.
Customized Jewelry – personalized jewelry is always popular for preteen girls, whether its an inspirational bracelet with her birthstone, a necklace with an initial pendant, or initial earrings. She’s sure to cherish the personalized touch.
Summary
I’ve given you lots of different gift ideas for the 8-12-year-old girl in your life. The best thing is that these recommendations have been approved by a tween girl herself. I hope this list of gifts has helped to give you ideas of the perfect gifts to buy for the tween girl on your shopping list!
