Best Gifts for 12 Year Old Girls (That They’ll Love)

Tweens are the hardest age to buy for — so what gifts for 12-year old girls will they like best?

Here’s a list of books, games, crafts, and other gift ideas that your kids will enjoy for a  birthday, Christmas, or any occasion.

You Might Also Like:
Gifts for 13-Year-Old Girls
Cool Gifts for Teen Girls

Gifts for 12-Year-Old Girls

Apple AirPods
These will be a hit with any tween! If your 12-year-old girl is like mine, they LOVE listening to music 24/7.

Sofa Chair / Gaming Lounger
What tween wouldn’t love this soft chair that provides great support for reading, meditating, watching TV, or playing games?

Opal Stud Earring
Made with surgical steel, we prefer this kind of stud because they aren’t too long and won’t pinch your head while you’re sleeping. This opal matches with almost everything.

Starfish by Lisa Fipps
Heartbreaking and inspiring, this poignant story in verse shows a girl who learns, after years of fat-shaming and bullying, to define herself not based on what others say but on who she really is. Ellie loves swimming; it’s her safe escape where she feels the most comfortable and safe from her mother who won’t buy her new clothes because she thinks it encourages Ellie’s weight gain and is pushing for gastro-bypass surgery. Not even Ellie’s dad stands up to her mom’s cruel treatment of Ellie. Fortunately, Ellie finds an understanding therapist who helps her move from powerless to powerful.

One by Wacom Digital Drawing Tablet
The original Wacom tablets cost $500+, so this is a more affordable option at $60 for kids who want to get started with digital art. Plug into your computer and start drawing!

Owala Water Bottle with Straw
Kids love this popular stainless steel water bottle with a built-in straw.

Create This Book
Color, imagine, write, and create in this book of prompts and activities.

Pom-Pom Keychain

iPad Pro + Apple Pencil
Both the Pro and the Apple Pencil have been much-used, favorite gifts for both my girls. They’re loving the pencil for drawing apps and think that the functionality of the Pro rocks.

Boolean Box
This amazing build-it-yourself computer kit will teach kids how to create games and animations, teach them engineering concepts, and help them learn new coding using Scratch and Python! This box, created with children who know very little about coding in mind, is the perfect gift for any child looking to learn STEM and have a lot of fun at the same time!

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston
Fantastic fantasy world-building, excellent writing, a strong female heroine of color, and a surprise plot twist ending are just a few of the reasons you’ll love this book. Amari is an exciting action-packed, suspenseful story about Amari whose beloved older brother has vanished. But, she gets a virtual message from him revealing that she’s a magician like him and at his bequest, gets to attend a secret school. There, she discovers she’s actually a dark magic magician (which is outlawed) but she’s determined to prove she isn’t evil, stay in the school, and find her brother.

NYX Butter Lip Gloss Creme Brulee

Easy-To-Do Crochet Kit
This great beginner’s gift teaches any child the basics of crocheting and allows them to create awesome things like handbags, placemats, belts, etc.!

MacBook Air
With online learning, these are a must for almost everyone.

littleBits Avengers Hero Inventor Kit
Marvel fans, make your own gauntlet! Snap together the electronics to build circuits that customize your gauntlet. Videos for over 18 in-app activities, wearable Tech sensors, in-app block coding, customizable LED Matrix light design, and authentic Marvel Avengers sound effects.

EOS Lip Balm
My daughter got these for all her friends last year — and they were a big hit!

Wireless Headphones
These aren’t just highly-rated, they’re really a good price, too! We also love that they have good sound, LED lights, and volume control.

Learn to Knit
Learn to knit a scarf with yarn included and step-by-step directions.

The Van Gogh Deception by Deron Hicks
Written like an adult suspense novel, this is one of the best edge-of-your-seat mystery books for middle grade that I’ve ever read. The author jumps around showing various incidents and people. You’ll have no idea what is going on or what will happen next. A boy with no memory is found at the National Gallery staring at a Degas sculpture. Strangely, this boy does know a great deal about art and artists. Soon we learn he’s being hunted by a team of professional bad guys. The boy, Art, and his foster sister escape from several kidnapping attempts and begin to unravel who he is and what’s going on.

Clip-on Ring Light

Pink Donut PopSocket

LEGO Yoda
Build a Yoda model has a posable head and eyebrows, movable fingers and toes, and a great big green Lightsaber that will impress any Star Wars fan.

Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker
My kids LOVE their portable mini-speakers and so will yours. Something about kids — they need their music, right? This Bose provides amazingly high-quality sound in a waterproof, silicone exterior. Charge up to give yourself 8 hours of play time on the go. (It’s compatible with Google Now and Siri.)

Nintendo Switch 
This cool gaming system can be taken on the go for tabletop mode or connect it to your TV. You’ll get two Joy-Con controllers for multiple players. If you have kids who like gaming, this is a top gift choice.

Alexa Dot
The Alexa Dot was our successful compromise with our daughter who still wanted to listen to her music in her room but wasn’t allowed to have screen time in her bedroom. Now it’s become a favorite way to play music for both our girls. It’s voice-controlled and you can use it as an alarm, speaker, timer, and more.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Mia and her parents have struggled ever since moving to America from China. When her parents take a new live-in job at a motel, they end up working around the clock for very little pay. Mia helps out by working at the front desk. She befriends the weekly tenants and uses her English skills to write letters advocating other people in tough spots— like her uncle whose sweatshop boss has taken his passport and weekly, Hank, who needs a letter of recommendation to get a job. This book is more than a memorable coming-of-age immigrant story, it’s also about tolerance and diversity and a must-read story you won’t soon forget.

Pure Vida Bracelet

Shashibo Shape-Shifting Box
Magnetic puzzle box for sensory stimulation, relaxation, and imagination.

Escape Puzzle
Put together the puzzle, read the instructions, and guess before you open the sealed envelope with the solution.

Good Vibes Coloring Book
30 activities help kids learn patterning, shading, and coloring while coloring inspirational words of wisdom.

Fleece Knit Christmas Slipper Socks

Lokai Bracelet
Infused with elements from the highest and lowest points on Earth. The white bead carries water from Mt. Everest, and the black bead contains mud from the Dead Sea. Very popular!

Scratch Art Rainbow Notes
Draw or write on these rainbow note squares.

Knitted Touchscreen Texting Gloves

Twinkle Star LED Window curtain String Lights 
These make a grown-up tween bedroom beautiful and cozy. They look amazing!

Squishmallows (Cat)
Trust me when I say Squishmallows are THE SOFTEST, CUDDLIEST plush toys we’ve ever owned. And we own like a million. My kids LOVE these and want all of them. 🙂 I’m highly, highly, highly recommending these amazing toys. There are different animals, too — a llama, a frog, a unicorn, a cow, … My girls love these!

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel

Get ready for a wild ride of suspense, action, adventure, science fiction, and coolness!! Bloom tells the story of three kids who are not affected by the strange-looking plants that appear out of nowhere and take over land all over the world, covering houses and streets, swallowing animals and people but doing nothing to these kids. Scientists figure out that the plants are an alien invasion…and think these kids may be the only chance they have to stop them. To avoid spoilers, I’ll just tell you that it’s an AWESOME story…and ends on a crazy cliffhanger but there are two more books in the series.

Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst
This is quite the cool educational Maker kit! It’s filled with parts and challenge cards so that kids can explore, experiment, and learn.

Soft Sherpa Blanket
Soft and cozy, this throw blanket will be a cozy vacation necessity.

Make Things Happen Journal

Record Player
My music-obsessed daughter loves her record player. Would your 12 year old girl want one, also?

Lockwood & Co The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
In historical London, dangerous ghosts and spirits aren’t just stories — they’re real and murderous. But, only kids can see and fight these ghosts. We follow the perilous adventures Anthony Lockwood who owns his own agency (with no adults in sight) to combat the supernatural with his teen team of Lucy and George. Creepy and exciting!

UGG Bow Boots 

Cat Lamp
My daughter loves this cat lamp so much that she brought it to college with her and still displays it proudly even at age 20.

Wise Words to Color: Inspiration to Live and Color By by Zoe Ingram
My daughter started this beautiful coloring book of quotes and mandalas when sick. And I’ve been enjoying coloring it myself. The quotes are lovely and inspiring. (Great for travel, too!)

Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad
This pad comes with over 100 images that kids can trace by putting their blank sheets over the awesome light-up pad and drawing away!

Escape from Atlantis by Kate O’Hearn
Don’t miss this wildly inventive, exciting, and thought-provoking adventure. Riley, her dad, her cousin, and her aunt are sailing in the Bermuda Triangle when they’re attacked by a leviathan. Riley and her unpleasant cousin, Alfie, wake up on an island with overly-friendly, rule-centered people including half-animal people. They soon learn the sinister truth of the rule-centric community and are determined to escape.

Charging Station
This will be so popular — 6 outlets plus 3 USB chargers!! Add in a few extra long charger cords, too!

Lego Art World Map
Build and display this unique, ocean depths-inspired world map with 11,695 pieces!

A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser
A powerful story with complex, three-dimensional characters about grief, family, community, and homelessness. When their family becomes homeless after her dad dies, June helps her little sister and non-speaking mom get settled at Huey House. Despite the shock of their new situation, June finds kindness from many of the people at the shelter. But when Mrs. G, their social worker gets fired for not agreeing to the city’s new homeless policies, June helps organize a protest and discovers that home isn’t a place and family isn’t always blood.

Llama Pillow
Sew your own pillow with a book of directions and supplies included. Adorable!

Blue Murano Glass Beads Silver Charm Bracelet 
DIY charms bracelet with 14 beads and barrel clasp.

SPRK+ Robot from Sphero
Your kids can do so much with Sphero’s new app-enabled robot that inspires not just coding but also learning STEM / STEAM topics in creative ways. SPRK+ from Sphero caught my kids attention from the get-go and held it as they began to explore the various learning possibilities with it. Read my full review here.

Slackline
The slackline stretches between two trees like a tightrope but is stretchy and bouncy. You can ratchet the line so it fits the distance. It’s great for core strength and balance!

Chunky Soft Stretch Cable Knit Beanie
We have two of these — they’re adorable.

Fitbit 
My daughter LOVES her Fitbit! Get one for your kids that will tell time and help you calculate steps, calories, distance, and sleep. It’s a great way to motivate healthy living.

Mythology Trivia
We love this game with multiple-choice questions cover worldwide myths and folklore–from gods and heroes to magical beasts and monsters.

Crystal Growing Experimental Kit

Put those science skills to use by growing these amazing, eye-catching crystals that come with their own display cases!

That’s What Friends are Thor nail polish
Island nail polish collection in many cool colors.

Literary Notepad
How cute is this book-shaped notepad filled with blank, lined pages?

Pocket Pals Mini Journals
Set of 5 pocket journals with brightly colored covers and lined pages. The perfect gift for your kids who like to write on the go.

Gift Guides by Age

Best Gifts for 3 Year Olds

Best Gifts for 4 Year Old Boys
Best Gifts for 4 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for 5 Year Old Boys
Best Gifts for 5 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for 6 Year Old Boys
Best Gifts for 6 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for 7 Year Old Boys
Best Gifts for 7 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for 8 Year Old Boys
Best Gifts for 8 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for 9 Year Old Boys
Best Gifts for 9 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for 10 Year Old Boys
Best Gifts for 10 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for 11 Year Old Boys
Best Gifts for 11 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for 12 Year Old Boys
Best Gifts for 12 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for 13 Year Old Girls

Best Gifts for Teen Boys
Best Gifts for Teen Girls