2020 has been a hard year for teenagers. Relegated to their homes with school online, our masked children are flaunting their style on social media instead of IRL. But we have an opportunity to lift some teenage spirits this holiday season with the perfect gift! We get it, teen and tween girls are hard to shop for, and while a gift card, bath bomb and twinkle string lights have their place in the holiday gift pantheon, they don’t delight quite like a perfect gift that will lead to lots of kudos and compliments.
Choose one of these spot-on gifts for teenage girls and bring a little cheer to a terrible year. Your favorite teen girl will forget all about the pandemic when she opens up a cool craft, fun game or something sparkly and special on Christmas morning. We’ve got plenty of stay-at-home delights on our list, from a video game console for the gamer kid to a good old-fashioned book. And you know a young VSCO girl will love a cool pair of Vans or an influencer-approved phone case.
Ready to grab a wonderful gift for a teen girl? Read on and grab some of these hot gifts from our gift guide… before they sell out like toilet paper in March. And, if you have a teen boy on your list, be sure to check out our list for them as well.
Read more: The best gifts for girls ages 9-12
Amazon
If you’ve gone on any social media platform during the pandemic you’ve probably seen evidence of this year’s tie-dye trend. (There was even a tie-dye shortage.) If you are looking for creative gifts for a teenage girl, this Tulip kit is a great option. Your teen can add a splash of color to her wardrobe.
Ulta
Teen makeup mecca Ulta has a new line of Harry Potter-inspired makeup. That’s right, there’s a Hogwarts body lotion, Hedwig lip gloss, Hufflepuff nail polish strips and a Slytherin eyeshadow palette, among other magical gift idea offerings.
Gjenmi
Delicate and cool, these 14-karat gold earrings are made in Los Angeles and ready to impress. It’s a special gift for the teen girl who likes to sparkle.
Óscar Gutiérrez/CNET
It seems that nearly every teenager wants a Nintendo Switch, and the portable Lite handheld consoles are flying off the shelves. If you can get your hands on this great gift, you’ll be a holiday hero, and your teen girl can join her friends playing Animal Crossing and Mario Kart. Step up to the $300 version of the Switch if she wants the flexibility of playing on the TV, too. Read our Switch Lite review.
Fans of singer Harry Styles, aka “Stylers” (of which there are many), will go gaga over this coloring book, a great inexpensive gift idea. Add a pack of colored pencils and you’ve got a perfect gift.
Urban Outfitters
Nail salons are out, so give your teenage daughter or the teen girl in your life the gift of DIY nails with this gel manicure kit. This cool gift looks like a macaron! But more importantly, this Le Mini Macaron set includes everything she needs for gorgeous digits, including Black Cherry and Honey Ginger polishes.
Amazon
Could this board game be any cooler? Teenagers inexplicably love the ’90s sitcom Friends. They’re also stuck at home right now, so it makes sense that this Friends-themed Monopoly game is such a hot holiday gift idea (and an Amazon exclusive). The cutest part is that each character has their own token — Chandler’s is a sweater vest, naturally.
Diamond Art
Girls who like to craft will enjoy this unique project: Tiny gems come together to form a shimmery image, like this arctic scene. If wolves aren’t her thing, there are plenty of other images, with more arriving this fall. When she’s done crafting, the picture makes a cool wall hanging.
Wildflower
Influencer collabs? Check. Ironic ’90s designs? Check. It’s easy to see why Wildflower phone cases are popular with teens. Plus, their durable rubber bumpers are cute gifts that will actually protect your kid’s phone. You can pretty much pick any case and make her day. And phone cases make great stocking stuffers.
Glossier
Super trendy cosmetics line Glossier offers a trio of its beloved lip balm, Balm Dotcom. Choose your own trio of scents from eight fun options. Some have a sheer tint (like cherry), while others are clear (like mint).
Vans
Add a twist to last year’s checkered Vans with this new rose and animal print. You can’t go wrong with classic, comfy kicks.
Pura Vida
What’s a VSCO girl, you ask? It’s a style popular with the teens, named after a photo-editing app. It involves a lot of ’90s trends (scrunchies, Birkenstocks, bucket hats, tie-dye), plus some modern ones (reusable straws, Crocs)… and these bracelets.
Target
All those hours online doing schoolwork can wreak havoc on the eyes! Hence the blue light glasses trend. This pair from Target’s youthful Wild Fable line are both cute and practical. And the price is right.
Amazon
Gift the book lover one of the hottest YA releases of the year and watch her dive into a great book. An unexpected prom queen competition might be the only way for Liz Lighty to escape her small, Midwestern hometown.
Apple
It’s a big buy, but you can be assured that the teen on your shopping list would love an Apple Watch (who wouldn’t?). This smartwatch is the ultimate tech gift, and there are a variety of cool bands and cases, like the neon pink sport loop.
An important note: Some colors may arrive Christmas. If you need something for under the tree, be sure to check the dates!
Anthropologie
Fifty hours of the scent of “fresh-fallen rainwater layered with honey, fig and cypress” — that’s a pretty good gift. United by Form’s hand-poured coconut wax candles are a teenage luxury, and parent bonus: Her room will smell delightful.
Nordstrom
The streamlined Kanken backpack from Fjallraven is pricey, but oh-so-nice. The classic Scandinavian design has been around since the ’70s, and the modern Kanken features the added bonus of water-resistant Vinylon fabric. Any teenager will appreciate this on-trend bag, even if school is online and they have nowhere to go.
Erin Condren
Help her organize her online classes with a fresh planner for 2021 (and maybe we can pretend 2020 never happened). Erin Condren’s planners are considered the gold standard, and her collab with the iconic Hello Kitty is just adorable. The 234-page planner includes sections for class schedules, projects and to-do lists.
Walmart
Yes, even in this digital age, nothing beats a hard copy. The Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s camera is this generation’s answer to the classic Polaroid, an instant camera with the ability to print photos on demand. Yes, you’ll need to buy new batches of film cartridges until the end of time, but that’s the price of creating miniature wall art out of your photos. This year’s seafoam color is particularly cute and makes an amazing gift.
Amazon
Two trends converge into one adorable, prescient gift with this tarot card deck. Telling fortunes is in, and this 78-card tarot deck is done in the super cute (and popular) Japanese Kawaii style. We predict Kawaii Tarot will be a hit.
Amazon
The ultimate ’90s throwback game has a modern new look. Tamagotchi is an interactive virtual pet, and the new ON versions have a ton of cool features, like an app, cute characters and new games. This year’s Wonder Garden theme features two exclusive characters and a special theme park. Wonder Garden comes in turquoise and lavender.
Ipsy
If your teen loves experimenting with trendy makeup but doesn’t have the cash to splash out on the latest glosses, treat her to this fun makeup subscription box. Ipsy includes five beauty samples in the $12 Glam Bag — including brands such as Glossier, Essie and ColourPop — per month. You can upgrade to five full-size products with the Glam Bag Plus for $25 a month, or go for broke with the $50 Glam Bag Ultimate, which includes 12 products.
Amazon
Hydro Flask water bottles are beloved by teens — and what a wholesome trend. We can get on board with hydration. These durable, stainless steel bottles are BPA-free and keep beverages cold (or hot). Plus this water bottle style comes in a variety of fun colors like pacific blue and watermelon pink.
This story has been completely updated for the 2020 holiday season.
