30 Best Gifts for 12-Year-Old Girls and Tweens 2025

Updated

2025-10-13T18:28:53Z

Finding the best gifts for 12-year-old girls and tweens can be a bit tricky as they move away from typical toys and home in on specific interests. You certainly don’t want to get her something childish, but it’s a fine balance not reaching for something a little too mature. To find that middle ground, treat her as an individual with unique hobbies, and that’ll lead the way.

Some girls are experimenting with fashion and makeup, while others are embracing their creative sides with art and journaling. And if you’re unsure what makes her tick, you can’t go wrong with adding to her room, which she probably treats as her sanctuary. To cover a wide variety of interests, we included longtime favorites and this year’s most popular gifts to narrow down the best gifts for 12-year-old girls and tweens.

A handheld printer to display her favorites

A person uses a smartphone to edit a photo next to a pink Kodak mini photo printer, with colorful printed photos displayed on a desk and wall in the background.

Kodak Step Instant Mobile Photo Printer

Whether she wants to decorate her notebook or display her loved ones in her bedroom, this Kodak printer connects via Bluetooth to print out photos. She can even design them with borders, filters, and more through the editing app. The device is small, portable, and wireless for a trouble-free experience.

A set to elevate their senses

A display of Maison Margiela Replica perfume sample vials and a boxed set arranged on beige stone blocks against a neutral background with faint numbers.

Maison Margiela Replica Memory Box Sampler Set

Let her discover what scent she gravitates toward — and maybe find a signature scent — with this Maison Margiela set. It includes 10 miniature perfumes based on familiar moments, like Beach Walk and Lazy Sunday Morning. The bottles provide enough fragrance for her to test what she likes, and they’re small enough to toss in her backpack or makeup pouch.

A whimsical plush to collect

Two plush keychains shaped like smiling marshmallows, one white and one pink, with small brown feet and metal keyring attachments.

Jellycat London

Jellycats are a trending gift this year, and chances are that she can never have enough. Snag her an adorable friend or two that remind you of her. There are even pouches and keychains, like the marshmallow bag charm that’ll remind her of her BFF, so she can bring them along with her.

An adventure course for their own backyard

child in green shirt crossing the slackers ninjaline

Slackers Ninjaline 36-Foot Kit

Turn her backyard into a challenging obstacle course. The athletic tween in your life can put herself to the test by swinging on monkey bars, gymnastic rings, and more. You’ll just need to make sure she has two trees or posts to hang the ropes between.

A colorful bracelet

A delicate gold chain bracelet featuring small multicolored heart-shaped charms in shades of black, pink, red, blue, yellow, and white.

Kendra Scott Haven Heart Bracelet

This Kendra Scott bracelet marries a classic style with colorful, fun hearts. It features a lobster clasp with an adjustable sliding bead so she gets the optimal fit. This jewelry piece is sweet enough to wear on its own or stack with other bracelets she’s collected over the years.

A way to stay in touch, without a smartphone

A silver Apple Watch with a white sport band displaying a bold red and beige digital clock face.

Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm)

A smartwatch is a stepping stone to owning a smartphone, allowing kids to call their parents or friends yet not allowing them to spend hours on social media. The Apple Watch SE with a cellular data plan is a good alternative. Just keep in mind that a parent or guardian needs an iPhone with iOS to manage parental controls, like approving contacts.

A cozy lounge chair

A person sitting in a Polar Bear Faux-Fur Ivory Hang-A-Round Chair

Pottery Barn Teen Hang Around Chair

This round chair will be a sleek addition to her kid-going-on-teenager room. It has a fun shape that’ll keep her comfortable on all sides, and the faux fur material makes for a cozy finish. Still, it’s neutral enough to grow with her as she develops her personal style.

A crafty jewelry kit

A person sitting in grass uses a blue bracelet-making loom to weave colorful friendship bracelets, with finished bracelets already on their wrist.

Choose Friendship My Friendship Bracelet Maker

Help her unleash her crafty side by making bracelets for her friends, family, and herself. This bracelet kit comes with 10 different colors of pre-cut thread so she can make up to 8 bracelets, but you can always gift her more to keep the fun going. The kit also comes with a little gadget that holds the threads in place and stores them in between sessions.

A make-your-own mobile game kit

A Pixicade game creation kit featuring a tablet displaying a hand-drawn video game, an open activity book with game design pages, markers, and the product box in the background.

Pixicade Special Animation Edition

Featuring tips from YouTube star Alan Becker, this special-edition Pixicade kit brings her drawings to life. Using just paper, markers, and the app, she’ll draw characters and game levels and actually be able to play her creation. She’ll have a whole new appreciation for her artistic side.

A defying lip balm set

A Dr. PawPaw Wicked-themed lip balm duo set with green and pink tubes, shown with matching packaging on a split green and pink background.

Dr. PawPaw Wicked Lip Balm Duo

A little shimmer never hurts, and that’s what she’ll get with this “Wicked”-inspired lip balm duo. There’s a Glinda-esque Glimmer Lip Balm that’s clear with pink shimmer and an Elphaba-approved Enchanting Lip Balm that changes from green to a personalized pink tint. These will be “popular” picks in her makeup bag!

An old-school camera

two girls sitting in a bedroom, one is holding an instax camera

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Camera

Sure, her phone has a camera, but the creative possibilities of the Fujifilm instant camera allow her to really experiment. Because it takes time to compose and film is finite, each shot will be more special. Plus, it comes in lovely pastel colors, which always make a gift more exciting.

A compact fridge for their bedroom

A red Frigidaire mini fridge filled with LaCroix sparkling water cans sits on a kitchen counter beside empty glasses and additional cans.

Frigidaire Retro Mini Fridge

With enough space to hold up to 12 cans, this personal mini fridge will seamlessly slide into her bedroom. It features removable shelving, a see-through window, and a locking latch. But if she’s not looking to store drinks and snacks, this mini fridge can be used to keep skincare fresh.

A cute way to organize

Two pink and white striped cosmetic bags with embroidered letter "A" patches, filled with makeup brushes and beauty products on a pink background.

Yoolife Personalized Initial Makeup Bags

Whether she has too many lip glosses to count or a lot of knick-knacks to keep organized, these adorable pouches save the day. Choose the first letter of her first name for a personalized touch and one of the seven color options. It’s a cute, functional gift for 12-year-old girls.

A lettering kit for art or journaling

A calligraphy pen set with multiple fountain pens, interchangeable nibs, and colorful ink cartridges arranged neatly in a foam-lined case.

Staedtler Calligraphy Set, 33 pieces

Whether it’s through words or drawings, encourage her to unleash her creative side by taking up hand lettering. Complete with pens, nibs, paper, and more, this 33-piece calligraphy set includes an instruction book to walk her through this artistic endeavor. It’s easy enough for beginners who are looking for a new hobby.

An e-reader for the bookworm

A backpack laying on grass with a smartphone and Kindle on top of it.

Kindle Paperwhite

Black-and-white readers aren’t the best for picture books, but once kids start devouring chapter books, the Kindle Paperwhite becomes a valuable gift. The Paperwhite doesn’t have the glare of a typical screen and looks almost like a printed page. Plus, a single charge can last up to 12 weeks — that’s a whole lot of books!

A drum set that was designed for quiet tunes

A teenager wearing headphones plays an electronic drum set in a room with warm lighting.

Donner DED-80 Electronic Drum Set

Her musical side will hit its peak when she’s rocking out with this electronic drum set. It’s designed to be quieter than other kits, so disturbances will be kept to a minimum even when she’s utilizing the 4 mesh pads, 3 cymbals, and 2 pedals. To help her get started, the set comes with 180 sounds and 30 demo songs more to spark creativity.

A color laboratory

two children wearing goggles as they experiment with paper chromatography kit

Yellow Scope Paper Chromatography

Through a scientific technique called paper chromatography, this kit lets any STEM-loving 12-year-old learn the chemical makeup of colors in plants, art supplies, candy, and more. One kit includes hundreds of experiments — enough to keep them busy at their homemade lab. The tween who loves art and creativity will dive right into the fun.

A fantasy adventure series

‘The Crowns of Croswald’ by D.E. Night

Give her a new series to fall in love with by introducing her to the Croswald series. Kicking it off with “The Crowns of Croswald,” this fantasy adventure series is ideal for tweens as it takes them through a world of magic. If she enjoyed “Harry Potter,” she’ll appreciate a new book series to immerse herself in.

A Gryffindor-approved game

he Harry Potter edition of Monopoly board game featuring Hogwarts-themed artwork, magical property spaces, tokens, cards, and a decorative chest and owl figure.

Monopoly Harry Potter Edition

With the “Harry Potter” version of Monopoly, a classic board game just got a magical upgrade. She can break it out on family night or when she wants to have some competitive fun with friends. It has special touches, like Owl Post cards, that replace the typical Chance and Community Chest cards.

A first step into the world of baking

Chocolate cake pops covered in colorful rainbow sprinkles, each on a stick with a white ribbon tied near the top.

Baketivity DIY Cake Pop Baking Kit

She’ll be able to bake all on her own with the Baketivity kit, which comes with pre-measured ingredients. This kit makes chocolate cake pops, but there are options for Funfetti muffins, red velvet cupcakes, and more. Better yet, you might be selected as her lucky taste tester.

A collectible squishy friend

Squishmallows

Like the Beanie Baby craze of the ’90s, Squishmallows are highly collectible plush suitable for a wide range of ages. The marshmallow-like stuffing makes this a huggable gift, and she’ll love collecting them. There are food, animals, holiday-inspired, and specialty ones to make her collection grow.

A colorful pair of skates

A pair of light blue roller skates with bright pink laces and pink wheels sit on a concrete ledge near a beach under a clear sky.

Moxi Beach Bunny Roller Skates

Bring it back to basics with an activity that’ll get her outside and gliding in style. These Moxi skates come in fun color combinations, so she’ll be styling as she feels the wind in her hair. Just like classic skates, this pair has a toe stopper so she’ll feel in control.

A book of famous stories on mental health

serena williams spread in the perfectly imperfect stories books

‘Perfectly Imperfect Stories’ by Leo Potion

As a child ages, their struggles with anxiety, sadness, and other mental health issues can too. To help them with these feelings, this book contains stories of how 28 famous personalities, such as Serena Williams and Dwayne Johnson, lived with and overcame their challenges. It’s OK to not be OK, but this will help her see the light.

A personalized necklace

A person wearing a light blue top and two gold necklaces, one with large chain links and the other featuring a nameplate pendant that reads "Danielle."

Oak & Luna Link Chain Name Necklace with Diamond

She’ll wear her name with pride on this personalized necklace. It’s more exciting than a typical necklace, because the chain has a link design. It’s a piece she’ll wear every day, even if she layers it with others.

A karaoke mic that also plays music

A gold wireless karaoke microphone with built-in speaker and control buttons for treble, bass, volume, music, and echo.

Karaoke Microphone Speaker

Got a tween with a knack for singing? This microphone is an easy way to throw an impromptu karaoke party. It is wireless and can sync to a smartphone, so she has the words right in front of her.

A speaker for all their music

A black spherical smart speaker with a glowing blue light ring at the base, sitting on a wooden surface.

Amazon Echo Dot

A dance party is inevitable when she has the latest Amazon Echo Dot in her bedroom. It can connect to Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and more. Since it’s a smart device, it’s controlled through her voice, so she doesn’t have to get out of bed to change the song.

A party game for her friend group

A family sitting around a table playing Apples to Apples

Apples to Apples Game

When she and her friends don’t feel like watching a movie, they can break out Apples to Apples. The goal is to put down red cards with words or phrases that best match the prompt on green cards. Beware: Answers get ridiculously hilarious, so the chances of laughing your head off are high.

A crafty fashion statement

Tulip One-Step Tie-Dye Kit

Tie-dye is another retro trend making a comeback, but this kit is both fashion and art. The Tulip one-step kit doesn’t require a presoak and includes a guide to create eight different patterns. To ensure they’re ready to create wearable pieces, throw some white cotton, rayon, or wool apparel in with the gift.

A no-slip sports headband

Halo II Headband

For the athletic 12-year-old in your life, this sports headband features grip technology to keep it in place. She can wear it by itself or under a helmet, so it works for cycling, running, or whatever activity she chooses. There’s a range of colors and patterns available to match her style.

A tween-friendly cookbook

"Milk Bar: Kids Only" cookbook opened to a recipe on cornbread

Milk Bar: Kids Only: A Cookbook

Written by an award-winning pastry chef and owner of the popular New York City bakery Milk Bar, this cookbook is filled with kid-friendly recipes. From mermaid muffins to cereal squares, she’ll create colorful, delicious treats. With any luck, you might get to taste the results of her new hobby!

Caitlyn Fitzpatrick

Freelance

Alex Frost

Freelance Reporter

Alexandra Frost is a Cincinnati-based freelance journalist and content marketing writer, focusing on health andwellness, parenting, real estate, education, and lifestyle. She has been published in Glamour, Today’s Parent,Reader’s Digest, Parents, Women’s Health, and Business Insider. She is a journalism teacher, proud wife toan assistant principal, and mom of three rambunctious sons under age 5. To read more of her work or toconnect, check out her website.
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