Girls grow up fast these days and it can be difficult for us older members of society to keep-up with current trends. Some gift ideas stand the test of time while others seem to be here today and gone tomorrow? If you are a parent or grandparent then you’ll appreciate how girls can change their preferences from one year to the next and the modern media savvy world this pace of change certainly isn’t getting slower. What to you buy a teenage girl for Christmas is one of the most common search phrases on the web around this time so if you are stuck for ideas then take comfort in the fact that you are not alone.
Electronic Gifts for Teenagers
The most popular girl’s gifts over the last couple of years have tended to be electronic products such as netbooks, cameras and mobile phones. Given the number of such products currently on the market it looks like this is one trend that will last for a while yet. Lightweight, portable laptops, or ‘netbooks’ were a big seller in 2008 and there were only one or two machines specifically aimed at girls – this year there are at least a dozen, from major brands such as Sony, Dell and Samsung. Costing around £200 – £300 these mini laptops are certainly not toys and can punch well above their weight compared to traditional laptops. Netbooks are ideal for the way that teenagers live and are particularly useful as an alternative to bulky and more expensive laptop or desktop computers. Most have Wi-Fi connectivity built-in and quite impressive battery performance so they are not restricted to where they can be used.
The mini 110 from HP with Windows 7 – The latest netbook from HP, the Mini 110 comes pre-loaded with Windows 7, ahs a great easy to use keyboard and ample memory capacity. £283.46 from amazon
Cameras in various guises have always been a popular teenage girls gift and the new generation of portable video cameras like the Flip are great for making short video clips at parties or while out an about. More conventional digital cameras are still fashionable and relatively inexpensive.
Mobile phones, sometimes a curse but more often a blessing, are always popular and there are lots of models designed with girls in mind. Although the cost of calls is still quite high the handsets themselves are relatively inexpensive and, provided you opt for the pre-paid variety, you can be assured there’ll be no nasty shocks in the form of a huge phone bill.
Beauty Gifts & Accessories
Naturally as girls get older then their appearance and self-image become more important and beauty products make excellent gifts. Hair straighteners and hair-dryers are the most popular gifts, as well as gift sets and cosmetics. this could be an ideal time to introduce a young girl to natural and organic cosmetics, with a host of gift sets readily available this is often a simple and economical gift idea.
GHD Hair Straighteners are always popular gifts at Christmas and there are a range of special editions and gift sets available. The Kiss Hot Pink Hot Pink Styler is a limited edition gift set complete a selection pack of lip gloss in bright feminine colours. The temperature is electronically controlled and there is also a safety cut-out feature which makes these straighteners safe to use.
- £95.63 from amazon.co.uk
Bean Bags
These funky modern bean bags make great gifts for kids, especially teenagers. Perfect for lounging around, watching TV or as occasional bedroom furniture, bean bags are available in a range of sizes, designs and colours. The Baby Pink Recliner, left, is made from easy to clean faux leather and is just perfect as a gaming chair or a comfy chair for chilling out. £64.99 The Barkweave Tub Chair is part bean bag and part arm chair – useful as a bedroom chair or just her own personal lounge chair it really is as comfy as it looks. £79.99
- Both from Beanbag Bazaar
Books
The Twilight Saga Box Set by Stephenie Meyer - one of the most popular fiction series of recent times, especially with teenagers, the Twilight Sage Box set includes a hard-back edition of each novel: TWILIGHT, NEW MOON, ECLIPSE and BREAKING DAWN. An ideal gift for fans of Meyer’s Vampire saga.
- £36.99 from amazon
Gift Vouchers and Gift Experiences
If you are truly stuck for ideas then gift vouchers offer a safe option that’s hard to get wrong – available from virtually every retailer they are simple to buy and use.
However, also consider the opportunity to give a voucher which is a little more unusual and original – gift experiences are a great idea and you can buy a specific experience or a simple voucher which can be exchanged for an experience of their choosing. There are many experience gifts particularly suitable for teenagers – from days out, to make-overs, photo-shoots and all manner of weird and wonderful activities.
- Activity Gift Vouchers at Buyagift – (use code 843843 at the checkout for a 10% discount)
