Sometimes I miss the days when my kids were more enamored with the empty cardboard box than the toy itself. I always joked it would make gift-giving easier, just to witness their pure joy playing with a box.
I’ve watched them grow from easily entertained toddlers, to tiny people with growing interests, into young teens/young adults with specific requests and needs. As they get older, it can be a challenge to find great gifts.
My love language is gift-giving and it brings me a lot of joy when I find something that screams, “This is perfect for (fill in the blank)!”
I enjoy the search for the perfect gift, shopping at the variety of local boutiques and shops. They make it easy to put together a personalized gift for any interest and age (even teens!). With that in mind, here are some fun gift-giving ideas for this holiday season!
Gifts for Teens and Young Adults
For the Gamer
Paradox and Game Giant downtown have a large selection of games that are sure to delight. A variety of games that we enjoy include: one that really makes you think (Earth), a friendly puzzle game (The Isle of Cats), a game that’s fun and easy for families (Boooop), and one that’s easy to take anywhere (Railroad).
Other contenders: Ark Nova, Cartographers, Azul, and Ticket to Ride.
For the Book Lover
A popular TikTok trend follows the recipient as they try to collect as many books as they can within a time allotment. This trend can be a good time for the avid reader in your life.
However, if you prefer to pick gifts yourself, I suggest curating a book box. This can include: a selection of books, book reading essentials (bookmarks, book light, book reading journal) and something cozy to curl up in. Zandbroz downtown has an amazing selection of new releases, local authors, and beautiful journals. Other local bookstores include More Than Words in Moorhead and Ferguson Books in West Fargo.
Currently trending series: A Court of Thorn and Roses, Throne of Glass, and Fourth Wing.
For the Beauty Aficionado
Kendall Barbie Beauty downtown is a gem of a shop. Services they offer include makeup classes, waxing, eyebrow shaping, and eyelash extensions/lifts. You can also find funny stickers, journals, and cozy clothing.
Another great resource is Ulta’s holiday samples. They offer multiple choices of fragrances for lotions, soaps, bath bombs, and lip balms. These can be bundled together to create a fun basket of goodies.
Some of our favorite finds from KBB: rose water spray, joint & muscle balm, CoTZ tinted sunscreen, and moisturizer.
Favorites from Ulta and Sephora: Sol de Janeiro body spray, spa headband, and Elf Halo Glow Liquid Filter.
For the Athlete
It’s easy to say Stanley tumbler and call it a day. I know my teen daughter would love that!
Another option is to narrow it down to what activity they’re involved in. Every year my daughter asks for gear from her dance studio. That immediately makes it a personal and perfect gift! Personally, I ask for specialty items like wool socks or a light up run vest.
Beyond Running downtown has all sorts of gear for your favorite runner, hiker or general outdoorsy person. They carry Lululemon colors you won’t see in store and great extras for those go-getters in your life. Shout out to SCHEELS with a wide selection of gear for sports, outdoor activities, and lifestyle.
Favorites: SmartWool socks, Skratch hydration mix, and Nike crew socks.
For the Crafter
Michaels is my go-to place to create an artsy gift basket. Their canvases are usually on sale along with deals on painting supplies.
For a craft gift, I’m a big fan of focusing on one specific medium. For example, if my recipient loves to paint, I pick up a few medium-sized canvases, an acrylic paint set, and a few paintbrushes.
Maybe drawing is their jam. In that case, you can pick from a variety of sketchpads that offer different paper textures. I like to include graphite pencils and a quality eraser.
If your recipient is a knitter, try to find out if they are a beginner or a well versed knitter. Some knitters are specific with their yarns of choice. In this case, The Bountiful Ewe is an excellent shop to buy beautiful and top quality items.They are also an excellent resource for any questions you may have.
Must-haves: Artist’s Loft acrylic paint, Faber-Castell graphite pencils, General’s Art Eraser.
For the Learner
Any learning kit is a big hit. I was big into knitting for several years. During one of those years, I really wanted to learn how to spin my own yarn. That Christmas, I was gifted a drop spindle and some wool. It was so much fun to learn a new skill.
Another year, I bought a gin infusion kit for my husband. It included several recipes to create interesting tasting cocktails.
There are multitudes of kits that cater to just about every interest!
Fun kits: The Woobles for crochet, Calligraphy Kit from Wildflower, DIY terrarium from Etsy.
For Those Who like Experiences
Gifting an experience is sometimes a more treasured gift than anything physical. Recently, we took my teenage kids to a weekend of skiing at Detroit Mountain. It was a blast learning to ski and then going down the tubing hill. Every year since then, they’ve asked to go back.
Ideas: Cooking class at Square One, decorating cookies at Cookie Krums, skiing at Detroit Mountain.
For Teens Who Prefer Straight Cash
As Sally says in Charlie Brown, “Make it easy on yourself, just send money. How about tens and twenties.”
Honestly, sometimes it’s the best answer for a truly hard to shop for person. Have fun with the presentation.
Ideas: Cash puzzle boxes, cash in canned good labels, cash origami flowers.
Buying gifts for teens can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! I hope this list gives you some inspiration for those hard to shop for teens in your life.
What are some ideas for gifts for teens you would add to this list? Let us know in the comments!
