Gifts Galore
Tweens can be tricky to shop for: you can't buy anything too babyish, and yet, they're not quite as grown up as they sometimes make out! Mom.me has the solution—from crystal growing kits to a fisheye camera to a real guitar and amp, the gifts on our list are sure to please even the pickiest 9- to 12-year-olds. Our goal was to keep it budget-friendly with a splurge suggestion too. Click forward to check out our picks.
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Crystal Growing Kit
Nature-minded tweens will have a blast growing crystals from scratch with the Smithsonian Electronic Crystal Growing Kit. Just dissolve the crystal chemicals in water, place a rock into the solution and watch as sparkly rainbow-hued clusters emerge. Then hook up the electronic color-changing base to stage a light show for the fam.
To buy: Smithsonian Electronic Crystal Growing Kit, $28
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Wood Figures Painting Kit
Spark the DIY spirit in your budding artist with this painting kit by Kid Made Modern. The set includes five unpainted wooden birds designed by iconic American artist Charley Harper, paintbrushes and paint. Tweens can follow Harper's original color scheme or come up with one of their own: Blue robin or red jay anyone? Then, they can choose where to display their new mod aviary.
To buy: Kid Made Modern Wood Figures Painting Kit, $13
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'Super Mario' Wall Decal
Create a virtual reality for your video game-obsessed tween with Blik's New Super Mario Bros Re-Stik wall decal. With 36 separate graphics from the original game, you can expect lots of coins, mushrooms, and, of course, a Princess Toadstool. Just like the real thing, all of the pieces are moveable. Now that's what we call the game of life.
To buy: New Super Mario Brothers Re-Stik, $75
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Lowrider Headphones
By now, your almost-teenager probably has her own ideas about music (and at what decibel level to play it). If so, it's time to pick up a pair of bright orange Skullcandy Lowrider headphones. With high-grade components, DJ-quality fit and a lightweight stashable design, everyone wins: Your tween can rock out and you can opt out.
To buy: Skullcandy Lowrider, $40
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Swagger Scents
From deodorant to body wash, Old Spice's Swagger line gives a guy everything he needs to stay fresh. The Red Zone formula will keep him feeling (and smelling) clean all day long, and the scents of the body wash and spray will leave the entire bathroom a more pleasant place… for everyone.
To buy: Target, $10
Lomography Fisheye Camera
Analog cameras join the list of retro-things-that-are-cool-again thanks to the pocket-sized Lomography Fisheye. With a Bauhaus color theory-inspired palette, your petite photographer will make a statement on both sides of the lens. Features include a 170-degree fisheye lens, a PC flash adapter and 110 film. You may need to explain that last one to your millennium baby.
To buy: Lomography Fisheye Baby Bauhaus Edition, $55
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LEGO Villa Savoye
Everything from dinosaurs to spacecrafts has been rendered in LEGOs. Now the time-tested toy company turns its building block sensibility to an obvious subject: Great works of architecture. Design enthusiasts can pretend to be the famed architect Le Corbusier while they work on a model-size version of his modernist masterpiece, the Villa Savoye.
To buy: LEGO Villa Savoye, $70
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Tortoise and Hare Banks
Why does it take so much longer to save money than to spend it? These minimalist porcelain tortoise and hare banks seem to say, "Who cares, when saving looks this good!" When it is time to splurge, just pop the hidden removable stopper for easy access.
To buy: Porcelain Tortoise and Hare Banks, $24
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We're Jammin' Electric Guitar
If your tween has rockstar dreams, check out this kid-sized electric guitar and 5-watt portable amplifier from Land of Nod. Sure, we know it's a splurge, but with a laminated hardwood body and chrome hardware, this baby is built to last. Looking to start a family band? You can always pick up the matching We're Jammin' drum set. Just don't forget the headphones.
To buy: We're Jammin' Electric Guitar and Amp, $169
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Elite Microscope
Young scientists can get up close and personal with, well, just about everything, thanks to the Elite Microscope from Learning Resources. This scope is no lookalike toy, though, thanks to lab-worthy accessories such as a mirror, light, vials, tweezers, slides, hand magnifier and three magnification options—100x, 300x and 600x.
To buy: Elite Microscope, $29
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Pottery Wheel
Crafty tweens can spin, trim and glaze their own ceramics at home with this pottery wheel from Imagine Nation. Features include an adjustable speed foot pedal, clay tools, five colors of paint, paintbrush, sponge, wire and two pounds of potter's clay. Use air-dry clay for best results, unless, of course, you happen to have a kiln at home, too.
To buy: Pottery Wheel, $30
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Twist Perplexus
Remember when the Rubik's cube was a challenge? That was then. Twist Perplexus 3-D Puzzle Ball is now. As the most recent member of the Perplexus family, the Twist has a bunch of new tricks: You can turn the tracks within the sphere to escape dead ends and traps. But, just like its predecessors, it improves problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination.
To buy: Twist Perplexus 3-D Puzzle Ball, $25
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