12 Gifts for the Teen On Your List

Ask any parent who is the most difficult person to buy for on their list and they’ll most likely say it’s their teenager. With trends and fads that can come and go as fast as a winter blizzard, it can be downright dizzying to choose the right gift. That’s why, this holiday season, we handpicked some holiday gifts that any teen would love to receive this Christmas.

Turn Game Night Upside Down

We’re all home now more than ever and it’s easy to just dissipate to separate rooms and stare at our devices. Parents looking for ways to connect with their teens can do so with a good board game! This Upside Down Challenge from Giant Tiger is hilarious!  You wear the goggles that make everything appear upside down and then you have to complete a series of challenges like filling the water bottle or write your name! It’s so much fun! You could even up the stakes and make a fun rivalry out of it. “Winner gets out of shoveling the next storm that hits!” https://www.gianttiger.com/507239/p/507239

Get Your Zen On

We’re all stressed to the max these days — parents and teens included. While many would escape to the spa for some downtime, they might not feel comfortable right now doing so. So, why not grab your teen and have an at-home spa day?  This Life Brand Charcoal Set from Shoppers Drug Mart is great for detoxifying skin and leaving your complexion looking renewed and refreshed. The set includes a charcoal cleanser, facial cleansing wipes, four facial masks, and a bonus spa headband to match. And at $15, it’s a steal!! https://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/

Beautify Your Skin Care Routine

This year, Quo Beauty upped its holiday game. Its limited-edition holiday collection is completely revamped — it’s 100% cruelty-free and has a playful, modern look. Besides makeup, they have a ton of accessories and tools too. Some of our favourite picks include the super-soft pink headband and Satin Cat Eye Mask with embroidered lashes. They are perfect for nighttime beauty routines! And how about this cute holiday penguin blending sponge? You can find all these beautiful gifts online at shoppersdrugmart.ca

Give Back

If there’s anything this pandemic has taught us, it’s to be grateful for what we have. Let your teen help you find a charity to give back to because it really teaches them about the joy of giving back and making a difference. Covid-19 has really thrown a wrench in our teens’ learning schedules, but it has also shown them that they should be thankful for their access to education. That’s why this year, take a look at Children Believe because it helps support children all over the world overcome barriers to education. There are different options, depending on how much money you’d like to donate, but gifts include sending a girl to school for a year! There are so many awesome options you can choose from and you can check them all out at childrenbelieve.ca/giftsforgood

Get Cozy

We’re all spending more time at home now and the holidays is the perfect time to curl up and get cozy for those family movie nights! For the ultimate coziness, check out this Sunbeam Heated Electric Throw Blanket. It’s a reversible blanket that’s not only so plush and soft but also has three heat settings for added warmth!

https://www.bedbathandbeyond.ca/store/product/brookstone-reg-n-a-p-reg-heated-plush-throw-blanket/5492161?keyword=heated-electric-throw

Build It and Teens Will Come

Lego sets never go out of style and they have come out with some really fun ones this season like this Lego Marvel Avengers Helicarrier set. It comes with some of their favourite characters like Iron Man and Captain Marvel and some awesome accessories so tweens and teens can relive their favourite scenes and dream up stories of their own. This year, you can also do some good as the Lego Group is encouraging families to get creative and give the gift of play to a child-in-need, simply by making a Christmas/Holiday ornament out of Lego bricks they have at home, as part of its Rebuild the World campaign. For every Christmas/Holiday creation shared on social media using the hashtag #BuildtoGive, the Lego Group will donate a Lego set to a child-in-need. For more info on this, you can check out lego.com/buildtogive

If you have a teen nostalgic for his or her childhood, the 123 Sesame Street building features Bert and Ernie’s apartment, Elmo’s bedroom and Bert’s rooftop birdhouse, and is packed with authentic details and accessories to delight fans. To complete the iconic street corner scene, there is Hooper’s Store, Big Bird’s nest, Oscar the Grouch’s trash can and much more. This set includes Sesame Street character Minifigures Elmo, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, plus Oscar the Grouch and Big Bird figures, to spark imaginative fun.

Available at: https://www.lego.com/en-ca/product/123-sesame-street-21324

Cross this off the list

This year, because we’re all making smaller social bubbles, some parents will be on the lookout for games their teens can play virtually with their friends. The Nintendo Switch is an awesome console that’s portable, which is great if you plan on taking some holiday road trips! For more fun, check out the Animal Crossing: New Horizons game, which allows players and their friends to hang out virtually, as they visit each other’s islands. It also fosters creativity because players can explore, create, and customize their very own paradise.

https://www.nintendo.com/en_CA/products/detail/nintendo-switch-animal-crossing-new-horizons-edition/

Quality Binge

Sometimes, when you want to spend time with your teen, you just have to take one for the team and watch one of their shows! Throw in some snacks and this Roku Streambar and you’ll have yourself a viewing party. This Streambar is an affordable way to improve the sound of your TV while being able to stream your favourite shows in clear 4K quality. What’s also cool about it? You can control it with your voice, using Alexa or Google Assistant. https://www.roku.com/en-ca/products/audio/roku-streambar

Makes Sense

FitBit’s latest smartwatch, the Fitbit Sense™,  is a ground-breaking new health smartwatch that brings the most advanced combination of sensors and innovative technology available on a Fitbit device to give you the deepest understanding of your body and guide you to better health and wellness. The FitBit Sense is the world’s first smartwatch with an on-device electrodermal activity (EDA) sensor to help you manage stress, along with advanced heart rate tracking technology, a new ECG app and an on-wrist skin temperature sensor. Users can manage both their physical and mental well-being with this watch that is powered by 6+ days battery life and comes with a six-month free trial to FitBit Premium. $429.95, www.fitbit.com

Clean up their Act

Your teens might be more willing to clean up if they have something cool to do it with. Perfect for the older teen who might be moving into their own apartment or dorm, this  Pure One S12 Pro EX by Tineco is a cordless stick vacuum that features iLoop smart-sensor technology that detects hidden dirt and adjusts the suction power accordingly. It’s equipped with a 500W motor for up to 145W of suction power so it can handle messes on carpets, furniture, and hard floors for a full home cleaning. It has wi-fi and app connectivity, comes with two rechargeable lithium batteries and plenty of add-on accessories such as a direct-drive high-torque LED multi-tasker power brush, full-size LED hard floor soft-roller power brush, mini power brush, 2-in-1 dusting brush, soft dusting brush, crevice tool, flexible long crevice tool, flexible extension hose and a multi-angle folding tube.

https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/tineco-pure-one-s12-pro-ex-cordless-smart-stick-vacuum-grey-only-at-best-buy/14586082

Customized Cards

They’ll be armed and ready with something fun to do for the next lockdown with these fun playing cards. What makes them even more playful? They can be shuffling and dealing with their own face. These special playing cards come complete with your photo printed on the back of each one. The deck also includes a clear plastic case to keep your cards in top playing shape.

https://design.staplescopyandprint.ca/gift/photo-gifts/photo-gifts/playing-cards#/playing-cards

Inspiring New Scents

Inspire them with a fresh scent for the holiday season! These Body Fantasies Gift Sets come in top-selling fragrances such as Twilight Mist and Pink Vanilla Kiss. Each gift set includes full-sized body spray, body wash, body lotion and travel body spray. https://www.walmart.ca