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.
This chair impressed the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute because its fabric was so low-maintenance and easy to clean — a boon for those living with messy tweens. And testers found them comfy and not too squishy, so they'll love sitting in it to read or do homework.
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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+
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
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+
Thames & Kosmos Bionic Robotic Arm
If her favorite subject at school falls in the STEM category, she'll love this toy robotic arm. One parent tester said their daughter enjoyed assembling the plastic parts and "playing with the robotic claw afterward to try to grab things off the table." The kit will teach her about engineering and how muscles and tendons interact. Ages 10+ with help
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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
This two-player game stumped even adult testers. One parent tester said, "I can usually figure out a game. I haven’t cracked the algorithm with Orbito yet, which levels the playing field with my children." The goal is to line up four marbles in a row, but that becomes complicated when the marbles shift every turn. Ages 7+
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.
Hasbro Monopoly GO! Board Game
Designed to last 15 minutes, this board game version of the digital Monopoly Go requires players to send their pieces around the board all at the same time. One parent tester said their daughter "keeps wanting to play it over and over again" and added, "I think she likes it more than the classic version." Ages 8+
Chronicle Books Just Between Us: Mother & Daughter
It can be hard for parents and tweens to find areas of common interest, but this gets them on the same page, literally. Writing prompts and conversation-starters make it easy for them to figure out what they should write to each other, and when they fill it up they'll have a treasured keepsake. Ages 8 to 12
Beauty Bakerie Parchment Paper Oil Blotting Sheets
Puberty happens at different ages and looks different for each tween, but if she is starting to complain about oily skin, gift her these oil-blotting sheets. Each pack comes with 100 sheets designed to absorb excess oil. Our gift editors think they would make an affordable stocking stuffer for her come December.
Just My Style Personalized Alphabet Beads
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
You get two markers in one with this set: One end has a fine tip for details, while the other has a larger tip for coloring in bigger areas. It comes with 40 colors plus a colorless blender, so their creativity will know no bounds. This set has developed such a following online that it's earned more than 11,000 five-star reviews on Amazon.
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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.
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+
'We Are Big Time' Graphic Novel
Good Housekeeping Institute testers really responded to this based-on-a-true-story graphic novel, about a hijab-wearing girls’ basketball team. “I admire the message that everyone deserves respect,” said an 11-year-old reviewer. “I love how they used girls’ basketball to convey that message.” Ages 8-12
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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This kit comes with more than 1,100 pieces that'll let them personalize their walls, lockers and other personal spaces. It comes with pictures, cutouts, letters, stickers, quotes and foam squares, along with other items that'll let them make it just the way they want to look. Ages 10+
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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