Twelve-year-old girls are beautiful, smart, and thoughtful. They are right on the brink of young womanhood, but they still retain a youthful awe about the world. They can converse with adults with maturity, but also dissolve in a fit of laughter with their friends.
If you have a 12-year-old girl in your life, I have some birthday gift ideas that will please most any personality. The key for girls in this age range is to not buy products that are too “young.” When in doubt, go with an item that a teen or an adult woman would enjoy.
Below you will find excellent gift ideas for tween girls (ages 10-13+).
Dick's is an excellent place to shop for athletic clothing for the whole family.
One thing that we particularly love is that Dick's offers a best price guarantee. If you find the same item cheaper on Amazon or another retailer, your local Dick's will match the price!
With over 850 stores across the USA, there's a good chance that you can find one near you. Walk in the doors and you will find a wide selection of clothing, shoes, and equipment for baseball, basketball, football, golf, running, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, and more.
If you're looking for an affordable alternative to brand names like Adidas and Nike, consider Dick's proprietary label - DSG. Surprising quality for great prices!
Pictured Above: DSG Girls' Side Knot T-Shirt, Nike Girls' Pro Dri-FIT Solid Capris, DSG Girls' Plaid Print Sleeveless Golf Polo, Lucky in Love Women's Scallop Tennis Skirt, and DSG Girls' Printed Fleece Hoodie.
Columbia Sportswear has so much to offer active, outdoorsy girls! If your gift recipient enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, backpacking, or exploring, this brand is a strong pick for apparel that will take her on adventures in the woods, across the desert, or on the waves.
Pictured Above: Kids' Columbia Park™ French Terry Sweatshirt and Girls' Vedder Park™ Jacket.
Also - Look at the Girls' Columbia Lodge™ Leggings and Girls' PFG Backcast™ Shorts, but be sure to order a size down if your girl is trim as we found that these items ran big.
We are smitten by the quotation notecards by Princeton Architectural Press. They come in sturdy keepsake boxes and feature 12 notecards (4 quotes, repeating 3 times) and some of the most beautiful envelopes we’ve ever seen!
Current options include: Julia Child, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Thoreau, Buddha, Virginia Woolf, Einstein, Mark Twain, Abraham Lincoln, and William Morris. We especially recommend the Emily Dickinson box for tween girls.
I hope that Princeton Architectural Press expands this line to include boxes with quotes from Madeleine L’Engle, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Toelkin, T.S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Mother Teresa, Charles Dickens, L.M. Montgomery, E.B. White, and Mary Oliver. We’re eagerly watching for new arrivals, especially ones that might be available for the holidays!
Fancy pens are another terrific item to throw in a gift bag for tween girls! She’ll use them for sketching, letter writing, doodling, and homework.
Stabilo’s point 88 fineliner pens come in a set with an array of vibrant colors. They write smoothly and dry quickly (no smudging!). Ideal for bullet journaling too!
Journals are such a great gift for a 12-year-old girl - particularly if your girl is a writer, poet, artist, scholar, or to-do list maker. I've taken photos of some of our favorites and included them above.
BROWSE our favorites: ESV Illuminated Scripture Journals, Novel Journal: It is Easier To Be Good..., Leuchtturm 1917 Journals.
Twelve is a great age for board games and card games of all kinds. Not sure which game to buy? Try Taboo, Scattergories, or Apples to Apples.
Classic Bananagrams is another super fun (and inexpensive!) option for kids who love words. Super simple to play, this game is fast-paced and creates quite an energetic frenzy. Ages 7+.
What birthday gift ideas would you add for 12-year-old girls?