# Gift ideas for a 12-year-old girl **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 17, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450 "2008-10-17T21:37:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/1 "2008-10-17T21:37:05Z")
Hi, all. Have a niece that is turning 12 and am looking for ideas. What’s popular with the 6th grade set this year? I don’t have kids of my own, so am not aware of the trends. I can do something based on her general interests, but am hoping to get her something cool. If she was nine, it’d be Hannah Montana all the way! 🆒 I’m not really looking for specific ideas based on what she likes, more “all the girls at my daughter’s school are into this band, or that shirt maker, or this electronic gadget”, that kind of stuff. What’s the word on the street? ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/2 "2008-10-17T21:58:25Z")
I got my niece some nice costume jewelry and a little jewel box when she was about that age. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/3 "2008-10-17T22:01:56Z")
What’s your price range? Does she already have an iPod (assuming she has access to a computer)? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/4 "2008-10-17T22:33:41Z")
There was just a story the other day on one of the big three networks (I think it might’ve been a segment on _Nightline_) on a very popular series of novels for the tweener & teen set – it’s all about high school cliques, and I think the novels are all titled for different characters in the stories. They’re supposedly very _au currant_ in their lingo, realistic in their characterization (especially of mean, popular girls), and name-check designer merchandise to a degree where the whole thing becomes an exercise in _reductio ab adsurdam_, so that the readers are supposed to come to understand just how unfulfilling and silly the cliquish girls’ materialism and status chasing is. Ask a clerk for help I.D.ing them. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/5 "2008-10-17T23:11:01Z")
**winterhawk11** , yes I understand she has an iPod. She does have access to a computer. **The Scrivener** , huh. I will have to hit Borders. I see from the ABC site that this was a series written by [Lisi Harrison?](http://books.google.com/books?as_auth=Lisi+Harrison&source=an&sa=X&oi=book_group&resnum=4&ct=title&cad=author-navigational) ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/6 "2008-10-18T00:40:56Z")
Humm - if she’s girly and you won’t get beat on by her parents, you could get her some lip gloss/nail polish type products - they typically come in nice sets. When I was that age I would have loved a gift like that - my niece is 10 and goes bat-shit for that sort of thing, as does the 11 year old daughter of one of my work friends. Clothing is another great one if she’s kind of girly, but you’ll have to check with mom about her sizes and style preferences. If she’s more of a tomboy you could investigate if she has a particular sport she likes - soccer is huge among girls that age around here - something related to that could be great. ---
**Author:** ![simply\_cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8c91f0/32.png) [@simply\_cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simply_cats)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/7 "2008-10-18T00:54:43Z")
Ipod, or any kind of musical gadget. Books- I will guarantee the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. Excellent books, she will love them. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/8 "2008-10-18T01:14:16Z")
Gift cards. I wanted nothing more than to spend money on myself at that age, and I wasn’t able to get a job yet. I tunes cards are popular, and available just about anywhere. I would’ve loved a Borders card or even McDonalds. Something I could treat my friends with. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/9 "2008-10-18T01:34:04Z")
Another vote for some type of gift card. My local mall sells gift certificates that can be used anywhere in the mall, and will refund (to the giftee) the difference in cash if the certificate is used to purchase something that costs less than the value of the certificate. ---
**Author:** ![Atomicflea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/10 "2008-10-18T01:35:44Z")
Clothing from Hollister. It’s all the rage with the tweens. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/11 "2008-10-18T02:22:31Z")
I teach 7th Grade and I’d say that the book “Twilight” is quite popular. You could get her that. And yes, Hollister is quite popular for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/12 "2008-10-18T15:34:05Z")
Ha! Yeah, the vagaries of tweens. Whatever happened to friendship pins? 🙂 What else is popular with tweens this year? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/13 "2008-10-18T15:51:57Z")
Gossip Girl? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/14 "2008-10-18T16:07:39Z")
Is she into crafty things? I always like to give stuff that they can exercise their creative side on. Beading stuff, candle-making stuff, knitting stuff, if she’s into it. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/15 "2008-10-18T16:31:37Z")
iTunes gift card? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/16 "2008-10-18T18:56:52Z")
Martial arts lessons. Do some comparison shopping and get her into a good school. It literally will be a gift that will last a lifetime. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/17 "2008-10-18T21:07:02Z")
i tunes gift card. ---
**Author:** ![SomeUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@SomeUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeUserName)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/18 "2008-10-18T22:31:01Z")
Ask her parents if she likes those teen magazines like Teen Cozmo or Teen Beat, whatever they have these days. Buy her a subscription to the one she likes the best or perhaps the top two. They are fairly cheap and the gift keeps giving every month for a year 🙂 If you do this then buy her at least the most current magazine to start her off. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/19 "2008-10-18T22:40:15Z")
> [@FilmGeek](#): > > I tunes cards are popular, and available just about anywhere. > [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > iTunes gift card? > [@dalej42](#): > > i tunes gift card. Fourth-ed. Get her an iTunes gift card. My 15 year old just said that she could not wait for Christmas because she needed some more tunes for her iPod. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gift-ideas-for-a-12-year-old-girl/468450/20 "2008-10-18T22:47:26Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Martial arts lessons. > > Do some comparison shopping and get her into a good school. It literally will be a gift that will last a lifetime. A good idea if she’s expressed interest in it; otherwise it’s a terrible idea. I started training when I was ten and hated most of the other girls, who never took it seriously, because they didn’t want to be there. A gift card, based on her interest. You can’t go wrong with iTunes. Target or WalMart are also decent options, or whatever clothing stores she likes.