This post is aimed at a slightly older child than our main selection of posts but we hope that you enjoy it all the same!
You may not all be familiar with the term “Tween”. I know I wasn’t for a long time, but never the less this phrase has been slowly creeping into prominence of late. You’ll find Wikipedia describing this age group as spanning from 10-12 years old but sometimes it’s used to describe children as young as six!
Tween Gardening Educational Toys from ‘The Greenery Nursery‘ via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
This age group is associated with being difficult to buy for, being supposedly too old for traditional toys. That said, if you know where to look you can really pick up some great gifts from retailers and brands that specialise in products specifically targeting the Tween age group.
Choosing a gift usually requires a spark of imagination followed by a tough choice. There are lots of factors that come into play when choosing a gift for a Tween. Fox example how mature is the Tween in question? Many of the older Tweens are like mini adults, crossing a bridge into adulthood. Companies like ‘Gorjuss’ produce a range of accessories like handbags and purses that have youthful designs that Tweens love. Approaches such as this, with products that strike a balance between childhood and adulthood are the ones that make the best gifts for Tweens.
Educational toys are always a great choice when looking for a gift for a Tween. A bonus with this toy type is that if you’re not a parent of the target Tween, an educational toy will also go down extremely well with the child’s parents! Most Tweens are willing to try, and are well used to learning new things. Toys that encourage creativity and engage concentration are popular with both Tweens and parents, often allowing the Tween to take a step back from all things digital that’s so prevalent these days.
Toys like those by the popular ‘Homemade Company’ offer Tweens the chance to get to grips with a new skill through a kit. For example you will find Homemade Company kits that let you create bath-bombs, lip-gloss and lip-balms amongst other items. Much the same as when I was a Tween playing with Airfix kits, today’s Tween has the choice between similar kits and new ranges that are far more engaging and even involve a little science sometimes.
Science based educational kits bring science to life in a practical way outside of a stuffy classroom. Tweens can experiment at their own pace with a large range of kits and you’ll find everything from solar powered kits, plane kits powered by rubber bands to the more traditional, like chemistry sets.
Hunt around for the best gift to suit the Tween in question, that’s my advice. Don’t rule out educational toys, when a Tween sits down to play with an educational toy it’ll be a rewarding experience. There are many places that you will find specialise in the right presents for boys and girls and one of those is Gifts for Tweens.