I might have been a gift guide writer for three years, but locating suitable gifts for tweens — anyone falling between the ages of 8 and 12 — is virtually impossible. I’d argue that’s because your giftee is not quite yet at teen status, but also doesn’t want the kid presents you used to buy them, meaning you’ve got to strike the right balance.
Second reason it’s so damn tough: because it’s been years since I was that age, and a lot has changed. While I adored my Groovy Chick-themed bedroom and would happily waste hours playing online make-up games, tweens now are all about K-pop and TikTok.
But to spare the rest of you painful hours scrolling, I’ve compiled a list of perfect gifts for preteens, all approved by my 10-year-old nephew. Your options — which he’s also said could make suitable gifts for teenage girls and gifts for teenage boys — include adorable Squashmallow plushies, tech gifts such as wireless headphones and tablets, or cosy evening essentials like a dressing gown, an oversized sweatshirt and slippers.
Yep, he’s labelled the above — as well as various personalised gifts and LEGO gift sets — as so sigma. Not skibidi. Mad lit. Yeah, I had no idea either, but apparently they’re compliments. So, read on for our edit of the best gifts for tweens, whether shopping for birthday gifts or last-minute Christmas gifts, most available for speedy delivery.
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How I choose the best gifts for tweens & why you can trust me:
To sum it up in one sentence, it involved hours of scrolling and quizzing my Gen Alpha cousin on what’s hot and what’s not. But I’ve also attended countless press days and have chatted with various experts about 2025 shopping trends to ensure I’m clued up when it comes to curating gift guides.
And, because I wouldn’t recommend anything to you that I wouldn’t to a pal, I aim to personally review as many products as possible. Once they arrive in my hands, I consider the following:
Essentially, you can be reassured that only products and brands I genuinely love and would be happy to recieve myself make it into the Glamour Gift Shop.
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