38 Best Gifts for 12-Year-Old Girls That Will Prompt a 'Thank You'
Our pros find the best presents for the tricky in-between-age.
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When we think back to being 12 years old, we remember the confusing age that felt too old for certain toys but too young to leave other toys behind. Tween girls are just on the cusp of their teenage years, which makes it especially difficult to find gifts they won't deem "embarrassing" or "too childish" (to use the words one editor may or may not have told her mom way back when).
Our editors regularly research the most popular toys and gifts for all ages. Meanwhile, experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute spend time testing toys and gifts with actual and tweens. After reviewing tester feedback, the items with the best scores go on to win the Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards. So we're pretty confident that our list will, at the very least, spark some ideas when shopping for the 12-year-old girl in your life.
Yes slime is still a thing, and this kit will have her stretching and twirling jars of fluffy slime before dressing them up with included add-ins. The set comes with seven different colors of slime, plus things like charms, confetti and dots to mix into them. Shoppers report that the slime wasn't overwhelmingly sticky. Ages 8+
Yes, these look a little...blobby, but man are they comfortable. The bubble shape actually gives users a light foot massage as they walk. Shoppers report using them in the shower, and say that they love how they don't make feet sweaty. They come in a few neutral shades, and women's sizes 4 to 16.
When it comes to bracelets, more is more. This set comes with 16 bracelets that they can combine, stack and recombine to make a different look every day. No age recommendation given
LEGO never goes out of style in our humble opinion, so even your picky 12-year-old will want to start building the Castle Bed and Breakfast — especially if she is a fan of the Netflix show. The set comes with over 1,300 pieces so she can build the three-story château. It also includes four mini-dolls. Ages 12+
Two-layer necklaces are in, and in this case that means double the opportunities for personalization, with a name on one strand and a birthstone on the other. You can also get this in different plated metals.
Alone or in a group, these knot pillows add a touch of sophistication to a tween bedroom. The velvety fabric is fun to touch, too. You might even wind up getting a few for yourself.
Cookies and Pop Tarts and cupcakes — oh my! This kit comes stuffed with ideas and supplies to make 18 adorable, food-themed plushies. And the step-by-steps are so easy to follow, no prior sewing experience is necessary. Ages 10+
When they need something to do with their hands, this is sure to do the trick (and get a smile while they're at it). Beads are suspended in a gel, and kids have the soothing sensation of pushing them around to augment the background picture. They can even print their own backgrounds. Ages 5+
This beanie lets her rock the ponytail she spent all that time perfecting. This way, she can keep her hairstyle in place while staying warm, all while looking great. Maybe you'll get her to leave the house with a hat on!
Tweens love to personalize everything, from their walls to their clothes to, yes, even their favorite method of hydration. This set gives them a hook to stick onto their favorite water vessel, be it Stanley or Hydro Flask, which they can then use to attach charms and other trinkets. The set even comes with a lip-balm holder, so they'll never be without.
They'll remember birthdays, assignments and appointments when they get to turn their planners into works of art. It comes with a tabbed spread for every month (undated, so they can start whenever), plus stickers, arrows, stamps and other stationery supplies so they can trick it out however they want. Ages 8+
LEGO Friends Downtown Flower and Design Stores
For the serious LEGO Friends fan, this set will have them building their own streetscape. They'll also get lots of characters to populate their city, including nine minifigures and two pets. It's the best possible combination of construction — it clocks in at more than 2,000 pieces! — and imaginative play. Ages 12+
A bag with colorful, sequined rhinestone confetti? Yes, please! This can be worn around the waist or across the body, but either way it'll have her looking like a party. No age recommendation given
It is all the rage to hangout with your besties and make beaded bracelets, regardless of age. This set comes with over 1,000 charms and beads so she can design multiple friendship bracelets, keychains and more with her friends or on her own. Ages 6 to 18
Give her a literal gold star! Jellycat, a hot line of fun and funny plush characters that are particularly popular with tweens and teens, makes this 6-inch character and plenty of others, including other celestial bodies like a sunshine, food like a chili pepper and creatures like a bashful dino.
This book is dedicated to the most important person in a tween's life: themselves. It'll have them making charts, graphs and other infographics inspired by their lives by challenging them to chart their dreams, count the smiles they see on the street and make lists of their favorite meals. Along the way, they'll learn about how to visually represent data. Ages 8 to 12
Educational Insights Kanoodle Ultimate Champion 3D
In this brain-boosting game, a guide offers puzzles that a single player, or two players, race to solve with the timer counting down. Plenty of puzzlers share their #KanoodleChallenge videos on TikTok— it's a whole thing! “I liked that you could time yourself,” one tester tween told us. “I liked that I could easily take it with me places or in the car. I liked the challenge of it.” Requires two AAA batteries. Ages 7+
This jewelry case comes with their initial on the front, and then opens to reveal seven ring slots, four adjustable compartments, places for stud earrings and three necklace hooks, plus a small mirror. And yet it zips up so small, it can be used for travel — or she can keep it on her nightstand at home with all of her most-worn pieces.
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If she loves watching videos in bed, video-chatting with friends or using a front-facing camera to check out her look in the morning, she's going to need one of these. It clamps to a shelf or a desk, and then holds onto her tablet so she can go hands-free (and without getting the dreaded "text neck").
Nee Doh is a social-media sensation, and, after giving one a squeeze, it can be easy to see why: These three kitties are fun to squish and stretch in your hand, like a stress ball. This set comes with three mini cats in random colors, and they also look good sitting on a desk when they're not in use. There are other shapes, too, like a gummy bear and a new ice cube. Ages 3+
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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