Tech Savvy Mama

Parenting in the Digital Age

Holiday Gift Guide: Tweens (w. 10 giveaways!)

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GIVEAWAY: Forbidden Island (Gamewright, $14.99)- Be part of a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to Forbidden Island to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Work together to master and play this cooperative game as you make some pulse-pounding maneuvers as the island sinks beneath every step! This game is enjoyable for the whole family thanks to the detailed artwork on the cards and because it’s different each time it is played thanks to the use of tiles, rather than a game board.  Each game takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.  Stores in a compact storage tin.  2-4 players.  Ages 10+
39 Clues Boxed Set (Scholastic, $79.99)- For a second year in a row, I’m including the 39 Clues set because I am still completely addicted to the series. I know I’m not the target demographic for this book but I love following Amy and Dan around the world as they search for clues in a treasure hunt. The series starts right after the death of Grace Cahill, the last matriarch of the Cahills, who changed her will minutes before she died, leaving her descendants an impossible decision: receive a million dollars or a clue. The first Cahill to assemble all 39 clues hidden around the world will discover what makes the family so powerful—a reward beyond measure. It’s Cahill versus Cahill in a race to the finish, with readers hot on the heels of the main characters, Amy and Dan. Ages 9+  Some titles personally purchased.
GIVEAWAY (4 autographed copies): SpaceHeadz  by Jon Scieszka (Simon & Schuster, $)-Spaceheadz is a new book series that uses multi-platform storytelling to share the story of three aliens who have come to take over the world and are disguised as a fifth grade girl, a fifth grade boy, and a fifth grade class hamster. Spaceheadz is also a sneaky/fun way for kids to learn tech skills and become media literate since kids get to both read the books and explore the digital sites to piece together the complete Spaceheadz story.  For a full review of Spaceheads, visit author Jon Scieszka’s guest post that he wrote for me upon the release of his book. Ages 9+
Tonka Garage Ricochet RC Vehicle (Hasbro, $79.99)- This Tonka remote controlled vehicle is like the Pimp My Ride version of any of the remote controlled vehicles the neighbor kids ever got when we were kids.  It converts from a flat low rider to a monster truck with crazy suspension and has crazy huge wheels that are designed to be run into, and over, objects that get into its way.  Oh, and it can flip over and keep going. Tonka Garage Ricochet RC Vehicle runs on a rechargeable battery that lasts for approximately 15 minutes.  So parents…Be sure to hand the remote control back to your kid on Christmas morning so they get to play with it before the battery dies.  Ages 8+
GIVEAWAY: The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future by Dav Pilkey (Scholastic, $9.99)- Fans of Captain Underpants will delight in this new graphic novel series by the same author.  Caveland, Ohio residents Ook and Gluk live a great life in 500,001 BC until their town is invaded by a corporation from the future.  They travel to the future where they learn that 2222 AD is worse than the world that they came from and manage to pick up kung fu skills from martial arts master Master Wong which come in handy when helping to save their world from the bad corporation from the future.  The entire plot may sound absolutely absurd to adults, but just like Captain Underpants, this book is a hit among the tween set!  Ages 9+
 
Rory’s Story Cubes (Gamewright, $7.99) No reading is required in this 15 minute game that consists of 9 different cubes whose faces are covered with different images.  Simply roll the cubes and let the pictures guide your storytelling!  I love that this game is open ended, fosters creativity and language skills, and provides infinite possibilities where there are no wrong answers.  Ages 8+
 
GIVEAWAY: Designed by You Special Occasion Fashions (Creativity for Kids, $39.99)- Future fashion designers will delight in this all in one kid that contains pearls, lace, dress mannequin, yards of fabric, sewing essentials, sparkle fabric paint, and more to design wedding dresses and special occasion fashions. Perfect for the fashionista or the Project Runway wannabe!  Ages 9+
Lego Harry Potter Sets – Harry fans will love building the Hogwarts Express ($79.99) to travel to their favorite wizarding school (Hogwarts Set $129) where they can engage in a thrilling game of Quidditch ($19.99).  Check out the entire Lego Harry Potter building line and Harry themed Lego games on the Lego site.
 
GIVEAWAY: Capsters (Klutz, $16.95)- Bottle cap art is quickly becoming a hot new art form so embrace the trend with Capsters which contains all the craft supplies your young artist will need.  Take a bottle cap, add the enclosed art and perhaps a gem or glitter inside the cap, seal it up with the “special goo” and let it try overnight where you won’t be tempted to poke at it to see if it is dry.  Trust us, it isn’t and you don’t want to mess up your masterpiece! Ages 8+
 
Make Your Own Music Video (Klutz, $16.99)- Aspiring video music producers can get an early start with this Klutz kit that includes a green screen and downloadable video-editing software to swap change the green screen into of the 25 backgrounds you want.  Tips on developing storyboards, setting, light, props that fit the within the allowance budget, and other director tips are included in the helpful book.  Not included- basic video camera.  Ages 8+
 
GIVEAWAY: Window Art Classic (Klutz, $21.95)- While home sick from school last week, Klutz’s Window Art kept Little Miss Techie hard at work creating masterpieces for our home.  She selected a design from the book, slipped the plastic cover over the page, took out her paints to fill in the design, and waited patiently for it to dry.  A word of advice- make sure that all parts of the design are filled in and even when it dries, go back and fill in spaces so it will lift off the sheet easily.  There’s also a Christmas version available to fill your home with holiday cheer! Ages 8+
When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke (Scholastic, $6.99) Scared by a storm, Twinklestar, the least reliable reindeer, bolts causing Santa and his sleigh to crash.  Though Santa has dropped into a friendly neighborhood, he’s not safe.  Jeremiah Goblynch, the ruthless new leader of the Council of Yuleland, is determined to put an end to children’s wishes and turn the holiday season into his own personal moneymaking scheme. With the help and hope of kids Charlotte and Ben, Santa must face Goblynch and his Nutcracker goons to save Christmas! Ages 9-12
 
GIVEAWAY: Star Wars Millenium Falcon: A 3-D Owner’s Guide (Scholastic, $21.99)- The 3D Owner’s Guide provides a pilot’s view of the Millennium Falcon, the fastest ship in the galaxy!  From her armaments and defense to her life support and propulsion, each page details the technology of a different system with a meticulous illustrated cutout. When the guide is closed, the cutouts fit together to create a ED model of the famed YT-1300 light freighter. Plus Hans Solo weighs in on every page. A very cool book for any Star Wars fan!  Ages 9+
Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy (Scholastic, $19.99) During the First World War the artillery of the Austria-Hungary Empire began shelling the troops of the country to its south causing more countries to rush into war. But who could have guessed that on December 25 the troops would openly defy their commanding officers by stopping the fighting and having a spontaneous celebration of Christmas with their enemies? This beautiful and heartrending narrative will remind everyone how brotherhood and love for one another reach far beyond the boundaries of war and politics—and how history can teach us life-altering lessons, even today. Ages 9-12
On Christmas Eve by Ann M. Martin (Scholastic, $15.99)- Eight-year-old Tess is convinced that this is the year she will finally meet Santa and experience “the Christmas magic.” She also wishes with all her heart that her best friend’s will father would recover. Ages: 7-10
GIVEAWAY: Mastermind (Pressman Toy, $12.99)- Believe it or not, my parents still have the original Mastermind that I played as a kid!  While the game board itself is now blue instead of brown and the flip down hood conceals the code better than the removable shield, the game remains exactly the same.  1 person arranges 6 of the colored pegs in holes behind the hood and the other has to use reasoning skills to determine the correct order.  Red and white key pegs provide clues about correct colors and position but logic is still needed to crack the code!
SanDisk Fuse+ MP3 Player ($89.99)- SanDisk’s Fuze+ is a small lightweight portable media player with 8GB of flash storage to fill with music, videos, photos, and podcasts.  The intuitive interface is navigated using the touch sensitive area under the screen and through the left/right arrows, play, and pause buttons.  With a price half of the popular competing MP3 players and a larger screen, the SanDisk Fuze+ is an excellent choice.  Full review of the SanDisk Fuze can be found here: SanDisk Fuze+ MP3 Player is an Affordable Alternative to iProducts.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books by Jeff Kinney ($56.00)- The first four books in the bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series are available together for the first time in a collectible box set. Included are Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Rodrick Rules, The Last Straw, and Dog Days in a specially designed package.  Also check out Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book (hardcover, $10.95) which was always popular with my students! Ages 9+
 
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne (Random House, $5.99 and up)- Step into Jack and Annie’s Magic Tree House and explore different periods in history around the world while going on amazing adventures.  This series has helped ignite Little Miss Techie’s love of all things related to the Titanic, a curiosity about the Egypt, pyramids, and mummies, while inspiring her to write her own adventure books.  She also enjoys the Research Guides which are the non-fiction companion to each book for factual information presented in a very age appropriate way.  Box sets of 4 books can be found on Amazon for as little as $5.99- the price of a single book!  Ages 7+  Personally purchased.
GIVEAWAY: Easy-Bake Deluxe Delights Cake and Cookie Kit (Hasbro, $29.99)- This classic toy allows kids to make tasty snacks like cakes, brownies, and cookies that bake thanks to a 100 light bulb (not included). The oven comes with 3 different mixes, 2 baking pans, 2 utensils, a pan pusher, 2 warming cups, and recipes/instructions to create culinary masterpieces.  Extra mixes make great stocking stuffers for future Top Chef Dessert contestants!  Ages 8+
 


GIVEAWAYS: To enter, leave a comment with your tweens ultimate wish list!  Include your email address or Twitter handle in your comment!
For extra entries, first leave a comment answering the above question before doing any of the following:
  • Daily Tweet: @TechSavvyMama has published her Tween Gift Guide w/ gift ideas & 10 giveaways! Enter here: http://bit.ly/efPV1Q  Pls RT! Leave a link to your Tweet on the Google Form.
  • Write a blog post about my gift guides and include the words “Tech Savvy Mama’s Holiday Gift Guides” and link to this post: Then provide the permalink through your entry on the form.

Fine print: Eligible entries through the comments must include an email address or Twitter handle. E-mails must be valid and addresses must be within the United States. Companies will not ship outside the U.S. nor will they ship to P.O. boxes.

All information collected is solely for Tech Savvy Mama to ensure efficient delivery of your prize and will not be shared with anyone else but the marketing/PR company who is shipping the prize. Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama is not responsible for lost prizes or shipping delays.

Please note that there will be one customized selection of books provided by Scholastic to a single winner and entries from all published gift guides will be used to select the recipient.

 
All items provided for review purposes unless noted that they were personally purchased. Images provided courtesy of the companies mentioned.  No compensation was received for this post or for hosting giveaways.
Giveaway closes on Wednesday, December 8 and winners will be notified via email.

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Original post by Tech Savvy Mama
©2012

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Carissa(GoodNCrazy) says

    Wow! Amazing list here! My Tween is super hard to shop for.. she loves the creative stuff though, she’d love the fashion special occasions thing you have listed here.

    and she was in love with a tiny delicate Victorian style doll house the other day in the toy store.

    @carissaRogers

  6. Molomatic says

    The tween in my life wants an iTunes giftcard! Thanks for the fabulous holiday gift guides. I really like how you broke them up by age group – makes it easy to get ideas for the kiddos.

    molomatic at gmail dot com

  8. tannawings says

    Like every year, I am tweeting/entering in an effort to collect to donate to Toys for Tots. ANY fun, new, trendy toys are things I think any kid would like. I donate at the Salvation Army drop and they also have a section for adults elderly for Christmas.
    So… as far as favorites, anything fun!
    baypayments@yahoo.com

  15. Anonymous says

    I don’t have a tween myself, but my tween cousin wants the Tangled dvd and a wii fit.

    ~Heidi

    writeme at heidimail dot com

  24. Michelle says

    Oh wow…. the wish list includes:
    Anything and everything Star Wars. Star Wars AND Lego is a bonus.
    Anything Lego. See above.
    And books… we’ve recently discovered the Cabin Creek Mysteries and are devouring them.
    Did I mention Legos? Or STar Wars?

    @honestandtruly