Need to Find A Great GIft for the Tween-Aged Person In Your Life, But Don’t Know Where to Start?

10 Last Minute Gift Ideas for Tweens

Buying gifts for a tween can be kind of a tricky needle to thread. They are just at the age where they aren’t really little kids anymore, but they aren’t teenagers/young adults yet either. So you want to be sure to get them something that isn’t too kiddy, but also something that isn’t too adult for them. So I feel your pain if you are down to the last minute on where to find a gift for a tween in your life. And as such, today I have an article that has 10 great ideas on where to find a last minute gift for the tween-aged person in your life.

And to help you out, a lot of the options on the list today accept our convenient digital GiftYa gift cards. If you haven’t used GiftYa yet, they really make a real lifesaver when you need a last minute gift. Their all digital format means that you can purchase one in just a couple of clicks and then text it directly to the recipient’s phone. Now since you are shopping for a tween you might want to send the gift card directly to their parents phone and let them handle it when it gets used. But it really all depends on how mature the kid is and if their parents let them have their own phone yet.

But that’s enough introduction, I’ll get right to that list of 10 great ideas on last minute gifts for tweens!

1 - Get Them Something That Is Unique to Them

But Helps Them Start Taking Steps Towards Adulthood

Everybody likes to be recognized for who they are!

It’s really tempting to just throw a blanket term across all people aged 10,11, and 12 but they aren’t really all the same. They might be going through some of the same things, but they are all independent little actively minded people. So try to find them something that aligns with some of their interests, but also helps them feel like they are taking small steps towards adulthood. A nice wallet for a boy can help him feel more like an adult. The same can be true for a female kid. Getting them a wallet or a purse is an innocuous way to help them feel more like an adult, but doesn’t really sign them up for any serious commitment that they aren’t ready for. Or alternatively if you know a young woman who is very appearance oriented, you can get her a hair dryer, volumizer, or hair straightener. That way they feel like they get to do some of the adult preparation for their appearance, but it’s not like it’s makeup or something that their parents might feel like they are too young to wear.

No matter what it is, you want to find something that fits their personality, but gives them a sense of getting older. If they are really into science maybe get them a microscope. Or if they are really into writing or drawing, get them a nice journal they can write or sketch in. You can just take something they love to do and give them more mature tools or products to enjoy their hobby with. They’ll feel like they are growing up and being recognised for it, but it will still celebrate something unique about them

2 - Barnes & Noble

A Popular Book From Their Favorite Series Can Make A Great Last Minute Gift for a Tween

Grab yourself a Barnes & Noble gift card by following the link!

Tweens are at a great age where they can really read at close to an adult level, but still have a lot of the imagination of childhood inside of them. Which makes reading a really incredible experience at this age. So if you know a tween that is a bit of an advanced reader be sure to head to Barnes & Noble and find a great book for them to lose themselves in. 

The nice thing about Barnes & Noble is that they have over 600 locations around the country which makes them the largest book retailer in the whole country. And the nice thing about them being such a large retail chain is that it means they are able to offer a ton of variety in the books you can get. You can find them a timeless classic that you read at their age, or you can ask their parents if there are any young adult book series that they follow or love and you can get them the next one in that series. 

Anybody can get a digital Barnes & Noble gift card in seconds when they follow the link!

3 - Cinemark Theaters or AMC Theaters

A Gift Both the Tween and Their Parents Will Love!

Get a Cinemark Theaters gift card or AMC Theaters gift card instantly when you follow the links!

If you want to get a gift that both the parents and the tween will love, then try getting them a gift card to a movie theater. Now the parents can drop them off for a two hour movie and enjoy some much needed time of peace and quiet without them. I would be sure to put enough money on the movie theater gift card that the tween is able to bring a couple friends and get snacks for everyone. Or alternatively put enough on that the parents can go see a movie at the same time. And then it really becomes a gift for the whole family.

It only takes a second to grab a digital Cinemark Theaters gift card or a digital AMC Theaters gift card when you click the links!

4 - Apple Gift Card

GIves Them A Wide Variety of Choices of Gifts They Can Choose From

Grab an Apple gift card by following this link!

An Apple Gift Card can be a great option as a last minute gift for the tween in your life for a couple reasons. FIrst of all, you can get one in just a couple of clicks. So you can get one as last minute as you possibly can. Then you can just text it directly to the tween, or their parents phone. And then they can use the gift card to get a wide variety of different things from the Apple Store and the App Store. They can even buy music from iTunes and books from Apple Books. And with as massive of a corporation as Apple is, you can be sure that there is going to be something across all their platforms that will be a great gift for them!

Get yourself a digital Apple gift card in seconds by following the link!

5 - Under Armour

Grab yourself an Under Armour gift card by following this link!

If they play any kind of school sports then getting them a gift card to Under Armour can be a great choice. Under Armour is one of the leading sporting goods retail brands in the entire country. They have everything you might need for practice and game day. They have shoes, athletic socks, workout gear, batting gloves, and everything else they might need to play on their school’s team. So a gift card here can be a great way to support their commitment to their physical health.

If you need a last minute gift you can always grab a digital Under Armour gift card by following the link!

6 - Cold Stone

We All Scream for Ice-Cream!

Get a Cold Stone gift card in just seconds by following the link!

If you are less concerned about their physical health, and more concerned with putting a big smile on their face then you can always get them some ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. I mean what kind of kid doesn’t love ice cream? I mean I suppose lactose intolerant kids, but Cold Stone has flavors for them too. And they are one of the most popular ice cream chains in the entire country with nearly 1,000 locations across the nation.

And if you can’t be there in person to take them to Cold Stone, you can always send them, or their parents, a gift card to Cold Stone Creamery that they can use at any time to get a delicious treat!

Anybody can grab a digital Cold Stone gift card in an instant when they use the link!

7 - Domino’s/Papa John’s

Grab a Domino’s gift card or a Papa John’s gift card by following the links!

Everybody loves a pizza party!

If you think they’re the kind of kid who would prefer ice cream to pizza. Or you just want to send them pizza and ice cream on their birthday, then I would be sure to look into getting them a gift card to Domino’s or Papa John’s. These are two of the most popular pizza locations in the entire country (they each have over 6,000 locations) so hopefully they have one nearby. And you can instantly text a gift card to the birthday boy or girl themselves, or send it to mom or dad and let them take the kids out for a pizza dinner. Either way I am sure the tween in your life will love getting a pizza dinner to celebrate their big day!

You can grab a digital Domino’s gift card or a digital Papa John’s gift card anytime by clicking the links!

8 - Xbox Live, Playstation, or Nintendo eShop GIft Card

The Perfect Last Minute Gift for Any Tween that Loves to Game!

Get a Xbox Live, Playstation, or Nintendo eShop gift card by using the links!

Video games are a very popular gift that you can get last minute for a tween!

If the tween in your life likes to play video games of any sort then you can’t go wrong with getting them a gift card to one of the 3 big gaming companies. With these gift cards they can buy all sorts of awesome things from the virtual stores that the game companies have on the consoles. They can buy a new movie, a brand new game, or even get themselves some downloadable-content for their favorite game. And they can also use the card to pay for a subscription to the online services the consoles charge you to play your games online with real other people. And that way they would be able to pay to play games online with their friends!

Anybody can grab a digital Xbox Live gift card, a digital Playstation gift card, or a digital Nintendo eShop gift card instantly by clicking the link!

9 - Amazon 

Millions of Options for Last Minute Gifts for Tweens

Grab yourself an Amazon gift card by following this link!

Amazon is the largest online retailer in the whole world. So as long as you have the option to wait for the 2-day shipping they offer on most of their items, you should be able to find something any tween will love for a gift. They have millions of different items for sale so if you really can’t think of something to get them, just ask their parents and find out something they like and you can order it from Amazon and even have it gift wrapped and sent right to their house. I know this article is for last minute gift ideas, but I figure a 2 day window might count for some people’s definition of last minute.

If you need a last minute gift you can always grab a digital Amazon gift card by following the link!

10 - Visa

Let Them Choose With These Customizable Gift Cards

Get a Visa gift card in just seconds by following the link!

If you don’t know what to get them and are just about to give up and give them cash, maybe consider sending one of these customizable Visa gift cards instead. With these gift cards they can buy themselves whatever they want from practically anywhere. These cards work everywhere they accept Visa so they should be covered. And you can even send them with a custom message and you can even pick out a photograph to make the cover of the physical gift card. And that way every time they go to use it, they can see a photo of a great memory that makes them smile or makes them laugh.

Anybody can grab a digital Visa gift card in an instant when they use the link!

And There You Have 10 Great Last Minute Gift Ideas for Tweens!

Buying a last minute gift for a tween can be tricky. They are at the age where they aren’t really little kids anymore, but they aren’t rebellious teenagers quite yet either. So you kind of have to thread the needle and get them something that isn’t too infantilizing without also being too mature for them. But I hope you found something on this list that works for the tween-aged person in your life!

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Trae Bodge

Trae Bodge is the shopping expert here at GiftYa. Trae helps people find the best deals and ideas on popular new items to purchase.

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