Gift Guide for 10-year-old, Gift Ideas for Tweens
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Please note these 10-year-old gift ideas may feel more geared to girls, as I have a 10-year-old daughter. Most would absolutely work for my son, too, but I will be back as he approaches 10 with more 10-year-old gift ideas!!
Little A turned 10 this year, and it is a tricky age for gifts. She is over princesses, unicorns, and rainbows, but not quite into all of the teenage things. Her friends have a wide range of interests and likes; some are still into younger toys, while others are into iPhones and makeup.
I will not be discussing iPhones in this post, as we have chosen to defer her having one for now, so I cannot speak to those in my experience as a parent. This is a screen-free gift guide!!
Gift Cards
I am starting with gift cards because they seem to be controversial gifts, especially for grandparents. A gift card is not impersonal! Gifting a child the opportunity to pick out their own items at a store they enjoy shopping at is a great gift idea!! My kids love shopping for themselves. It fosters independence and they are proud of what they pick out.
My kids favorite gift cards (click through to grab them on Amazon for easy eGifting or sending physcial cards) are to Barnes & Noble, Target, Amazon, Dick’s Sporting Goods and our local toy store. Ask where the child you are gifting shops and grab them a gift card.
Tough love note, if you gift a kid something they don’t like or want, just to give them a physical item, it is not helpful. My kids have expressed frustration when this happens that the giver “doesn’t know them at all”. The items ends up exchanged or returned, which equates to a gift card, just with extra work for the parents to return the items…sooooo gift cards are great!
Clothes
Clothes are tricky at age 10! Little A is very particular about her clothes these days, as she has a right to be!! One thing she is really into that you can grab on Amazon are these adorable butterfly shorts. They have built-in tight spandex shorts and come in a variety of colors.
Little A has asked for gift cards to buy clothes this year. But if people insist on buying clothes, I simply ask that they provide a gift receipt, just in case.
Instant Camera
Little A is into scrapbooking and photos recently. Unfortunately, in today’s day and age, I can honestly say that most of our family photos are stuck on my phone, all 50,000 of them.
The Fujifilm Instax Mini Instant Film Camera for kids allows kids to take and print their own pictures. It comes in a variety of fun colors and even has a little mirror on the front for selfies, which she loves. Be sure to purchase extra film/print paper as it goes quickly when hanging with friends (cue the selfies!)!
We received it as a gift, in an offered Fujifilm Instax bundle with the camera, extra film, a little photo album, and a carrying case.
Friendship Bracelet Supplies
If you have an 8 to 10-year-old child, you’ve probably experienced the joy of friendship bracelets. Little A and all of her friends have friendship bracelets-in-progress trailing off their water bottle handles so they can work on them at a moment’s notice.
Gift ideas could include new string/embroidery floss colors, a box to hold all of their supplies, or a friendship bracelet ideas and patterns book. We love this ArtBin Floss Finder Box organizer to keep everything in one place.
I also recommend these Fiskars folding scissors. They work great for embroidery floss, and you can fold them up even smaller to save space in a carrying case. Most nail clippers also work to cut embroidery floss and are small enough to fit in carrying devices. Nail clippers are also allowed on planes, whereas some scissors may not be (something to keep in mind if traveling).
Gimp
If your child is into friendship bracelets, gimp is likely already in progress or on the way. I remember gimp way back in the 90s, and am thrilled that it’s still around. Gimp is something you can purchase at a craft store, or you can find it on Amazon where they have pages of gimp options.
There are pattern and ideas books for gimp, and thankfully, step-by-step YouTube videos to help kids learn. Most of the patterns that Little A knows she learned at summer camp from her counselors.
Nail polish
Nail polish is always a great gift, and there are now kits where you can add designs and stickers at home. We love this Go Glam Nail Salon that stamps little stickers onto the nails. We’ve had it for years, and it still works great. The nail designs come out perfectly if you follow the directions. The nails dry quickly and last for quite a few days. Stick-on nails are also a fun gift option.
Headphones
We love wireless headphones for long rides in the car and airplane travel. Little A had been using my husband’s for quite some time, but they are black and “not pretty,“ so she requested her own.
We love these Beribes Bluetooth Headphones on Amazon. They are wireless, easily connect via Bluetooth, and fit kids’ heads. Bonus, the battery lasts forever, this is huge on long car or plane rides.
Alexa/Echo Dot/Echo Show
Little A loves her Alexa. She has an Echo Dot in her room, which she uses to check the weather every morning when she’s getting dressed and to play songs via our Spotify account. She is into musical theater, so having access to songs that she likes to sing when she wants to hear them has been great for her.
We can also drop in to speak to her through Alexa when she’s in her room via the Alexa app. Little A can call us through her Echo too, which gives us all peace of mind if we are out and the kids are home with a babysitter.
Baby J has an Echo Show. Be warned, this device has a screen and can show videos, which we did not realize when we got it. He is pretty good about it now that we have explained that watching videos on the Alexa counts as screen time, just like his iPad. He is also able to call us from his Echo. Given the screen, it comes to us as a FaceTime call if we’re on Wi-Fi; otherwise, it will still come through as a regular phone call
Gift an Experience
Remember that a gift doesn’t have to be a tangible item. A shopping day, visit to your local park, aquarium, science center, museum, make your own pottery, amusement park and/or waterpark is a great gift idea. Even a special lunch date just you and them, will give a child memories that last longer than many physical items.
If you gift an experience, consider making a little scrapbook of the day, so that you both have the memories. You could do this together or surprise your child.
Board Games
Yes, they still make good, old-fashioned board games!! Favorites for my 10-year-old include Clue and The Game of Life. She also enjoys Chess. I have the most luck choosing games in person, unless it’s a game I am familiar with from my childhood, to ensure they are family-appropriate. 13 Dead End Drive is another board game we enjoy playing, that is not as well known, along the lines of Clue.
We also play a lot of card games with a standard deck of cards. Given we are constantly losing cards with 2 kids, I am always appreciative when someone gifts us a new deck!!
Books
My kids are obsessed with books. If gifting books, ask the parents or child what kinds of books they enjoy, or what authors they read. Even adults struggle to read new authors or genres, so giving books that you aren’t sure the child reads could just be adding to the clutter, donation bin, or destined to be returned. When in doubt, go with a gift card to a bookstore so the birthday boy or girl can choose their own books.
Art Supplies
Art supplies are a great gift for any age, and tweens are no exception. Because of the wide range of options when it comes to art supplies, I wrote an entire post dedicated to The Best Art Supplies for Kids. It has links to tried and true art supplies my kids use and love (and I can recommend as a mom!)
Sporting Equipment/Supplies
Kids’ sports can be expensive! Take the opportunity to see what they need as their birthday approaches. New leotards, gloves, bags, balls and other practice equipment can be wrapped as an amazing gift that you know will be used.
We have done this at the spot at the start of a new sports season with both kids, and they were thrilled to receive items for their favorite sport. We would’ve had to buy them anyway, but no one needs to know that!
If you’re a grandparent who isn’t exactly sure what the child needs for sporting equipment and doesn’t want to ask, a new sports bag, shirt, sweatshirt, or sweatpants are always great options.
Hair Accessories
The world of hair accessories is forever evolving, and a great way for kids to express their unique styles. Fun elastics, bows, barrettes, and headbands are all great gifts. There are also cute clip-on colored extensions and Little A loves chalk hair color. It easily washes out in the shower but doesn’t fade too quickly.
Makeup/Skincare
Ooh another controversial one. Little A asked for Sephora gift cards for her birthday. She does not use fancy skincare or makeup, but enjoys their nail polish, hair supplies, etc. I would not recommend gifting skincare to a child without asking the parents, as some items can be toxic and my kid definitely has sensitive skin that reacts to everything but Evereden face wash/moisturizer.
Jewelry
Don’t worry, I’m not talking about expensive jewelry. Fun bracelets, necklaces, and earrings (pierced, stick-on, or clip-on) are all great options. I can say that Little A does tend to lose a lot of these items, so I would not spend a ton of money on them. Keep it fun and flashy, versus expensive, just in case.
Favorites in our house include cute stud earrings, the Kendra Scott Elisa Necklace and Pura Vida Bracelets.
Smart watch
I saved the most controversial for last! The range of smart watches and what they can do feels infinite. It’s worth a deep dive to figure out your family‘s best match. Certain smartwatches only work with specific cell services. For example, the Gizmo is specific to the Verizon network.
Basic Smart Watches
For those looking to have the time, track steps, and maybe a couple of basic games built into the watch, there are the Fitbit Ace and the Garmin vivofit jr. We considered the vivofit jr., but need Little A to be able to text us if she wants to come home from a play date or a sleepover, without having to ask her friend’s parent, in case she isn’t comfortable doing so. We also want to be able to track her via GPS if she is riding bikes with friends in the neighborhood. Be sure to research the capabilities of the watch and if they match your family’s goals.
Garmin Bounce
The watch we chose is the Garmin Bounce. It is a great starter watch. It allows kids to see the time, track steps, check off chores that they do, and even compete against me in step challenges (I also have a Garmin).
In terms of communication, she can send us text messages and voice messages. However, these are through the Garmin Junior app. Kids can communicate with others who have a Garmin Bounce, as well as people who have the Garmin Junior app, but not with kids who have an Apple-based texting device. There is an option where she can check in and send her location to us, as well as an option to send a notification for help.
The Garmin Bounce requires a data subscription through Garmin. It costs $10 per month, or $100 purchased in advance for the year, for a small savings if you pay annually. Our town is tricky, as most cell providers, especially Verizon, do not have service, but we have not had a problem yet with her having service to send texts, except for school (when she should not be texting anyway!).
Apple Watch
From what I’ve heard, you can lock down Apple Watches pretty well for kids, but the idea of possible drama from school reaching her via text messages while out and about makes us uncomfortable so we opted to go with the Garmin for now and keep the texting to her iPad.
Gift Guide: 10-year-old Gift Ideas
I hope this gift guide for 10-year-old gift ideas helps or inspires you in shopping for the special 10-year-old in your life! Remember, it’s the thought that counts! A specially chosen card and a hug let’s the birthday child know your thinking of them, these are just extra ideas, in case you need them!
A common theme you may see throughout this post is to check in with the child or parents before gifting certain items. This is not a sign of weakness, or “not knowing them,” it’s being respectful to a child who is growing up and discovering themselves and their identity.
