Christmas Gift Ideas for Tweens: Gift Guide Review

Find the Best Christmas Gifts for Preteens (Tweens)

Searching for the best Christmas gift ideasChristmas gift ideas for tweens? Check out our gift guide for tween boys and girls aged 9-12 yrs. These Christmas gift ideas for tweens were tested by our staff's own children and have received a two thumbs up! 

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Finding the right gift for preteens is tough, because they’re not little kids anymore, but they’re not quite teenagers yet. Most tweens are outgrowing their favorite toys and developing their own tastes. What they loved yesterday is old news! Tweens often like gifts that are related to their interest and seem cool and fun: Think Nifty! 

Because shopping for teens and tweens is difficult, it's tempting to take the easy way out and give them money or a gift card, but a great gift is much more memorable and lets them know that you really care. Below are some of our top picks for teen and tween Christmas gifts.

5 Top Picks for Tweens Gift Guide Review

• Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Camera

Our tween girls love this camera! Nifty is its middle name. The Instant Camera is the perfect gift for tween girls. It’s stylish and it's an excellent value for the price. The Fuji camera comes in a range of funky colors and uses automatic exposure to help make it easy to use for beginners. All you have to do is turn the power on, adjust the dial, take the photo and wait for the film to develop. The tiny photos instantly pop out like old fashioned Polaroid pictures.

The camera is compact and lightweight so tweens can easily carry it around with them and even take photos one-handed. A highlight is the simplicity of the design because it doesn’t overwhelm kids with features and accessories they won’t use. Be sure to stock up on lots of film, kids love taking pictures of everyone during the holidays!

• My Cinema Light Box

Last year, this was a hit with our preteens and tweens! A cinema light box is another nifty gift that helps tweens express their personality by showcasing a message they can personalize. Kids can share their own fun or inspiring messages to friends and family. Plus, there are lots of fun emojis included and plenty of room to add a range of messages that tweens will love. The light box has a cool color changing background with different settings that include fade, flash, and strobe to give a variety of effects. This is a truly unique gift for theater and other creative kids. Put their name in lights under the tree and brighten your preteen’s holidays.

• Kanken Classic Backpack

The iconic Kanken backpack design is Retro which automatically translates to cool these days. Available in a wide range of colors, the large capacity storage space allows for plenty of room for school supplies and tablets. In addition to the main compartment, it has two side pockets and a front zippered pocket. The laptop pouch in the main compartment is perfect for a 13" Macbook Pro but won’t fit any larger laptops. Material is durable and water resistant, so if you're tweens are outdoorsy, it’s a great bag to take on hikes.

https://amzn.to/2qVogel

• Electronic Drum Pad Set

Music lovers will have hours of fun with the electronic roll up drum pad set. Tweens can learn about the different sounds a drum kit makes and develop a sense of rhythm by playing a beat along to their favorite music. Use it with headphones to play at night and it won’t disturb your neighbors.

An electronic drum set pad is a great alternative to a full size drum set. Who has the room for a full-size drum set? It’s also easy to roll up and carry, so your kids can take it anywhere. We bought one of these for our tween boy last year. Pardon the pun, but it was a hit! We also bought this electric roll up piano for our musical tween daughter. She takes it with her everywhere she goes!

• Crystal Growing Kit 

Crystal growing kits are a hit with 9 and 10 year-olds. If your preteen is into science or shows an interest in precious gems, the crystal growing kit is a perfect gift idea. Kids can grow red, blue, and white crystals and monitor their progress day by day as they transform into fully grown crystals. Once they’ve grown, add them to an LED display to show them off in their full glory. How cool is that?

These Christmas gift ideas for tweens are some of the best rated gifts for preteens on Amazon and have been proven hits with our own kids. If you didn’t find the perfect gift for your preteen, check out some more cool suggestions on Good Old Gifts. Hopefully, you'll find a gift suggestion that matches your preteen’s interests so you can give them something they’ll truly love this Christmas.


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Homemade Christmas Card Printables with Cute Poems and Clipart

Click the Christmas tree clip art for an adorable Free Holiday Card Printable with poem.

Anita Poems offers free homemade Christmas card printables. Design your own card with cute poems and clipart. Click the link below to start a new holiday tradition. Enjoy!

Homemade Christmas Card Free Printables.

Want more?  Click the link below for 12 Free Printable Christmas and Holiday Cards. From anitapoems.com  Happy Holidays!

Gingerbread House: What's outside the window? Penguin and Snowman Peanuts, Popcorn, and Marshmallow Edible Holiday Craft Snack fo Kids

How to make a fun Gingerbread House with Marshmallows and Popcorn and Cute Penguins and Snowmen

Mayhem and I had a yummy, crafty time making this edible Christmas scene with candy cane sleighs and peanut snowmen and penguins. Enjoy!

Marshmallow and popcorn Christmas snow scene.

Candy cane sleigh with holiday characters including
peanut penguin and gingerbread marshmallow man.

 Materials:

  Halloween candy

  Christmas candy

  Popcorn

  Marshmallow shapes

  Unsalted peanuts

  Waffle cones

  Ice cream cones

  Icing

  Edible Glue

  Gel food coloring

Popcorn snow scene.

I made peanut snowmen magnets/pins a few years ago. This prompted me to come up with an edible version for the holiday.  These snowman peanuts are coated with our edible glue, the eyes are Wilton's icing coloring.

How to make a cool Gingerbread house scene.

We glued a cheerio on the bottom of the penguin and snowman to serve as a base. The penguin's hat base is also a cheerio, but the snowman sports a circle cut from Fruit Stripe gum.  The noses are made by dipping a toothpick into gel food-coloring.  Use a pair of scissors to cut the top hat and scarf from gum.

The sleigh is made from two candy canes glued together with icing.  The base is a leftover Almond Joy from Halloween with a big, round gum drop as the back of the seat.  Santa's bag is made from the base of an ice cream cone and filled with jelly beans.  The little mouse atop the sleigh is just a peanut sitting sideways. Did you see that little gingerbread man and those Christmas tree reindeer?  Those are store bought mini-marshmallow shapes.


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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Cranberry Christmas Waffles Recipe: Kitchen Kids

Christmas Waffles Recipe for Kids to Make

If you or your kids want to make an easy Christmas Breakfast for the family or Santa, make some Cranberry Christmas Waffles. These are super easy to make, and you only need a few ingredients. Enjoy!

Cranberry Christmas Waffles Recipe: Kitchen Kids.

You need:

1/2 C. canned jellied Cranberry sauce
1/2 C. Apple sauce
1/4 Walnuts
Frozen Waffles or make your own 



To make:

Mix cranberry sauce, apple sauce, and walnuts.
Toast frozen waffles or cook your own according to recipe.
Spread sauce onto waffles.
Eat.
Say Yum and Merry Christmas!



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ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)

Looking for Gifts for Teen Boys

Thoughtful Gifts for Teenage Boys this Christmas

Choosing perfect Christmas gifts for teenage boys is difficult – they're not an easy group to please. Perhaps they might not tell you what they'd like, or they might seem disinterested in everything except gaming and sports items. That’s why we've compiled a list of unique and thoughtful gift ideas for teen boys which are sure to bring a smile to their face on the big day. We’ve picked a couple of ideas below, but if you need further gift inspiration, you'll also want to check out this list of ideas for a 13 year old .

This post contains affiliate links.

Christmas Gift List for Teen Boys

• Being a Teenage Boy Book

First on our list of thoughtful gifts for teen boys is this book for teenage boys aimed at 11–14 year old boys. Though the book is only 50 pages, it gives teen boys tons of important life skills and messages that they should know. Including things such as respecting girls and women, that it’s okay to fail sometimes, and the importance of having a strong work ethic. This is a great book to show teen boys you're thinking about them and want to help develop them into fine young men.

• Gamer Socks

Socks might not top the list as the most exciting Christmas gifts for teenagers, but these gamer socks are sure to appeal to those who love playing video games! They have a non-slip design on the sole, making them ideal for hard flooring. The socks are made from cotton and polyester and are comfortable and soft. The moisture-wicking technology is designed to repel odor, so your teen’s feet will always smell fresh! Gamer socks fit sizes from 6 –12, so gamer socks for teens are ideal for most teen gamers.

• To My Son Dog Tag

Jewelry is a nice choice when it comes to unique Christmas gifts for teenagers. This dog tag necklace shows teens how much they means to you. It’s made from stainless steel to ensure it's long lasting and won’t rust and it will remain shiny and new for years to come. Versions are available from grandma, grandpa or dad, so you can customize the gift depending on your relation to the teen boy. The rear of the tag is left blank so you can take it to be engraved with the recipient’s name or another special message to make this a really personal gift idea for your boy. Find more personalized gifts for kids.

• 97 Things to Do Before You Finish High School Book 

Books are a thoughtful gift idea for teens. This thoughtful Book gives boys ideas of fun things they should do some day but won’t learn about in school! It shows them how to do all sorts of fun things such as planning a road trip, making a time capsule, or more practical skills such as doing laundry. The book acts as a kind of bucket list of things that teen boys should do before finishing high school. Teens will find it packed full of fun and exciting ideas to try.

• Mom & Son Journal

Finally, last on our list of thoughtful Christmas gift ideas is this journal book for boys. This book gift idea is a precious mother and son journal that's great for homeschoolers. The mother son journal is filled with questions which require brief answers, either by filling in the blank or using multiple choice answers. With its mix of fun and more serious questions, it's a great way for teens to bond with mom. It’s ideal for promoting discussion when conversation dries up, yet is intended to be lighthearted and fun. The book is perfect for young teens or preteens who aren’t always talkative or open and is a great way to bring them out of their shell. Older teens may find it it silly or embarrassing, so know the teen your shopping for before choosing this option.

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For more unique gift ideas for teens, check out our Amazon store.

Gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list from Kids Creative Chaos.

Gift Ideas for Babies.

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Christmas Games for Parties: Have the Best Party Ever with these Christmas Party Games for Adults (Tips to adapt for children's parties too)

Are You Ready for the Best Christmas Party Ever? 

Here are some fun games for your holiday party for kids or adults: For many years, I was a party planner. The office Christmas party got me started, and then I became a catering and special events manager. I had to come up with creative, innovative ideas for icebreakers and party mixers. We also have some fun ideas for New Year's Eve with the kids. Scroll to the bottom for Cotton Ball games that you can swap out for Marshmallow games. Enjoy!

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*

Shh... I paparazzied Santa during a summer picnic. 
He was wearing this discreet disguise.

This skill came in handy when I later began teaching summer camp and afterschool enrichment activities for kids. What's cute for little ones is silly for adults and embarrassing for teens. Want to have the best party ever? Pick a few games for parties from the list below.

Click the link to find ideas for the best slumber party ever.

Games for Christmas Parties:

• Gift Wrapping Game

Divide groups into pairs. Each pair of people stand around a table in front of a piece of wrapping paper, a roll of tape, scissors, ribbon, and shirt gift boxes. Each pair of players stands with one arm around the other person. Say "Go!' and the players must race to wrap their box with one person using only their right hand and the other person using only their left hand. (Keep the other hand wrapped around the partner's waist.) The first pair to wrap their gift box wins!

• Toothpick Tower Marshmallow Game

Supplies: Toothpicks, mini-marshmallows, and adult supervision or use uncooked spaghetti noodles to make an edible game for preschoolers.  

Who can build the tallest marshmallow tower? It may sound simple, but you have to be super fast and some what creative to win. Suggested for ages 10 and up. Game details and instructions 

• Shaving Cream Santas

Supplies: Shaving Cream, plastic spoons, and paper towels.

Divide into pairs. Each pair decides who will play Santa. The Santa covers his face with shaving cream. The other player is Santa's barber. Jingle a bell to start! The teams race to "shave" their Santas. The winning team is the first to have a clean shaven Santa and sit their spoon onto the table. To signify they are done, Santa lets out a loud "Ho ho ho"! 

Tip: Make this an edible game for kids with Non-dairy whipped cream.

• Balloon Stomping Game

Grab a bag of Dollar Store balloons and give one to each player with some curling ribbon. The players blow up their balloon and tie them to their ankles. Now blow a horn or ring a holiday bell to start the stomping! Each party guest has to stomp the other player's balloons. The more you stomp, the better your chances of winning the game. The last person to have a balloon wins! Use masking or painter's tape to mark a circle of play area on the floor.

Christmas Book for Kids

• Little Known Secrets Game

Before the party collect little known surprising facts about 5-10 employees or party-goers. Collect photos of them as a toddler. On a colorful poster board, tape photocopies of the baby pictures and write the secret fact underneath the photo as a caption. Label the images from 1-10 (or how many co-workers you chose). Hand out paper and pens as guests arrive. Point them to your board and tell them to number the paper from 1-10.  Can they guess who is who?Winner is the one who gets most correct wins. If several get all the answers correct, place their papers (with their names) in a Santa hat and draw for a winner!

• What’s in your Stocking

Before the party, fill several stockings with two or three non-breakable items. Tie the stocking closed with a ribbon. Divide party-goers into teams. Have them spread out into different corners of the room to work. Now, each team must guess (by touch alone) what is in their stocking. The winning team wins the contents of all stockings! 

• The Amazing Maze Game

This is a fun party idea for a  child's party. Choose a variety of Christmas curling ribbon colors in a single roll or ball. One for each player. Tie a prize or party favor to one end of each ribbon. Hide the end with the gift on it somewhere in the house. Now, unwind the ribbon and wrap it all over the room, all around furniture, over tables, under doors, anywhere it will be a fun challenge. Tie a candy cane to the other end of the ribbon. Repeat for each player, tangling the ribbons if necessary. When the guests arrive, give each one a candy cane and have them follow the ribbon to untangle it (wrapping it around their candy cane as they go). Let them know it leads to a surprise! Then, let the chaos begin!

Handmade Candy Canes

• Christmas Wrapping Pin the Bow

Wrap three large boxes. Line players up single file behind each box. Give each player a giant sticky bow, spin them around and jingle a bell to start. They must walk around the box and then pin the bow on top, return to the opposite end and sit down before the next team member goes. The first team sitting down wins.

8 Simple Holiday Games with Santa

Find Santa's Reindeer

Buy some cute Dollar Store holiday plushies Reindeer, Angels, Santas, etc. Hide them around the house. The reindeers must be found to drive Santa's sleigh. Attach a clue to each stuffie of where the next one can be found. When they find a reindeer, they line it up next to the Santa stuffie. There are 9 reindeer to be found. When all reindeer are placed next to Santa you announce the winner. The winner is the one who 
found Rudolph and/or placed him in the lead position next to Santa. They win the stuffie of their choice!

Cotton Ball Games for Parties Fun Adult or Kid's Activity

We have lots of games with cotton balls 
which are a great sensory activity for kids.

• Shoveling Snow – Cotton Ball Game

Supplies: Vaseline, bowl, cotton balls, stop watch, camera

How to play game: Everyone sits in a circle on their knees or around a table. Place a dab of Vaseline on the tip of each player’s nose. Place a bowl in front of each player with a pile of cotton balls next to the bowl or scattered in front of them on the table. 

The object of the game is to have them use their noses to pick up a cotton ball and then somehow get the cotton ball off their nose and into the bowl without using hands. Hands should always be clasped behind their back. After 1 minute, the player with the most cotton balls in their bowl wins! The prize can be a wrapped surprise gift or a stocking full of goodies.

• Sticky Cotton  - Another Cotton Ball Game Fun for all Parties

Supplies: Bag of cotton balls, two large bowls, a blindfold, and a large wooden spoon or ladle. 

Blindfold your guests and place them in front of two bowls, one empty bowl and one with cotton balls. Give the players a wooden spoon. They must move as many cotton balls as they can from one bowl to the other using only 3 spoonfuls. Tally the number of cotton balls per player. Have them go to the end of the line when done. Everyone gets two chances! The person with the most cotton balls in both turns wins! 

• Cotton Ball Relay Races

Supplies: Bag of cotton balls, two large bowls, a blindfold and a wooden spoon (Note: these are the same for another game above, you could play both at the same time.)

Divide the co-workers, family members, or kids into groups. Place a bowl of 10 cotton balls at a starting line (Use painter's tape on the floor) and the other bowl 15 to 20 feet away. To begin the cotton ball relay game, player number one takes the spoon, selects a cotton ball, and walks it down to the bowl on the other end dropping it in. When the player drops the cotton ball into the bowl, they must race back to the start. When they touch the bowl, the next player takes their turn, and so on. If the cotton ball falls off the spoon, the player must return and start over. No hands allowed! The first team to empty their start bowl and fill their finish bowl wins. 

• Cotton Ball Spoon Race

Supplies:  Bag of cotton balls, bowls, wooden spoons

This is similar to the game above, but in this one there are no teams just individual players. 

Set your start line, halfway point, and finish line with painter's tape of chalk. Divide the players and put them on opposite ends of the halfway point. Give each player a cotton ball and a spoon. Ring a bell to start the race. Players must place the cotton ball onto their spoon, and race to the halfway point and return to the start without losing their cotton ball. They cannot touch the cotton ball after initially placing it on the spoon. If it falls they must return to the start line and begin again. The winner is the one who returns to the start line first.

• Snowman Building Contest 

Supplies: White trash bags, recycled items, plastic grocery bags, duct tape, etc.

Get white trash bags and have the teams/players stuff them with recycled plastic grocery bags or old paper (shredded office paper). Get a basket to fill with office or recycled items (you choose what you have on hand). Ask a trivia question about the holiday, your boss, your company, or team members. The team who answers correctly first gets to choose an item from your basket. These items will then be placed onto the trash bag snowman with duct tape. When all of your items are gone the team with the best snowman wins! 

Make a Snowman Potato Head Game

• Cotton Ball Straw Race

Supplies: Cotton balls, drinking straws, space 

Use a long dinner table or the floor for this fun, competitive, sensory game for kids or adults. Hint: Teens love it!

1. Set a Start and Finish line (10 to 15 feet apart.) 

2. Give each player a drinking straw and a cotton ball.

3. Let them know they must move their cotton ball from the Start to the Finish using only their Straw. (Keep hands clasped behind back)

4. Tip - Do not demonstrate how to play. They can use it like a hockey stick, folded as chopsticks, or as a straw blowing air toward the cotton ball.

5. The first one across the finish line Wins. You can make a dot on each cotton ball with a marker so you know who is what color. This will eliminate any confusion as to who won.

*This cotton ball game can also be played as a relay race. 

• Cotton Ball Target Drop - Easy and fun game for toddlers.

Supplies: Cotton balls, bowl or jar 

This is an easy games for the little ones. Toddlers and preschooler will enjoy this party game just as much as teens or adults!

1. Player stands on a step stool.

2. Give each player five cotton balls.

3. They are to hold the cotton ball to their nose and let it drop into the bowl below. 

4. Each player gets five tries. Give a party favor for each cotton ball that makes it into the bowl. If playing with adults or teens, the team with the most balls in the bowl wins.

• Cotton Ball Snowball Scoop Up Game

Supplies: 1 or 2 bags of cotton balls, bowl, spoon, blindfold 

This is a simple game. Players form a circle. Blindfold the first player and sit them in the middle of the circle to scoop up as many cotton balls as they can within thirty seconds. The middle of the circle is filled with snowballs (cotton balls). Hand the bowl and spoon to the player once they are seated. Jingle a bell to signify the start. The player with the most snowballs in the bowl wins. Enjoy! 

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Look for more Christmas Party Games in our site. In the meantime, add some Christmas Stories to your kids' holiday party.

ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)