The Best Gifts And Toys For 12 Year Old Girls In 2023

For parents who enjoyed a relatively smooth time of it raising a daughter to the age of 12, the transition in personality that can take place in any young girl between the ages of 11 and 13 may feel more like the eye of a hurricane than the smooth seas that accompanied that first decade. There’s plenty of blame to go around for this natural metamorphosis: environment, biological maturation, peer pressure and what some parents call the bane of their existence: social media. In this ‘volatile’ time, it can be quite a challenge when buying gifts and toys for 12 year old girls.

Best Gifts And Toys For 12 Year Old Girls – Comparison Table

Product	Features	Star Rating
Funko Advent Calendar: Harry Potter 2020	Includes 24 mini Funko figurines Modeled after Harry Potter characters Each figure is sealed	4.8 out of 5
Sphero R001ROW Star Wars BB-8 App Controlled Robot	BB-8 app-enabled Droid A tough and waterproof polycarbonate shell Bluetooth Smart connection	4.5 out of 5
Capture the Flag REDUX	Includes 25 light-up game pieces 12+ hours of batteries, 12 different ways to play	4.6 out of 5
Jaxx Bean Bag Gaming Chair	Filled with finely shredded polyurethane foam Provides the perfect amount of support while remaining soft and comfortable Includes removable and machine-washable Micro suede cover	4 out of 5
Flashing Cube Electronic Memory & Brain Game	Colorful LED lights Four-in-one game system Volume and light controls	4.5 out of 5
Hasbro "Hearing Things" Game	Lip-reading challenge game Take turns wearing speech-cancelling electronic headphones Includes 150 cards with 600 phrases	4.5 out of 5
BONNYCO Cinema Light Box	16 light colors Comes with 210 letters and 90 emoji symbols Customizable cards	4.6 out of 5
Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa	1.3 GHz quad-core processor Up to 10 hours of battery life Hands-free with Alexa, including on/off toggle	4.4 out of 5
ALEX Toys DIY Wear I Heart Charm Bracelets	24 beads you customize and create yourself Add metal beads and charms to your bracelet Great way to make one of a kind accessories and gifts	4.4 out of 5
Fuzion Z300 Pro Scooter Complete	Easy To Put Together The Envy Of The Skate Park Built Tough For Rough Kids	4.8 out of 5

The Change

This transition–from girl to preteen–is no walk in the park for parents, thus shopping for gifts takes on a whole new dimension as that 12th birthday looms. The best way to describe the gift and toy market for this age group is eclectic. From creative kits to gear that encourages preteens to stay active, you’ve got lots of choices. Your task is figuring out which gift pick makes the most sense within your budget.

To help you make that choice, it helps understand how girls in this age group are developing and what products are most likely to appeal to their sensibilities. There is no shortage of scholarly studies devoted to understanding this age group, thus we thought you’d be interested in a few revelations we unearthed before you consider the 10 gift ideas we present for your consideration.

1) This period of “adolescent egocentrism” deeply impacts the way girls ages 11 to 13 feel about themselves.

2) The imaginary audience of childhood morphs into questions of how peers think and “see” her at this age.

3) At around age 12, identity vs. role confusion issues arise to challenge the way preteens think.

4) Mood swings become a fact of life at this age as parental resentment heightens.

5) Influence shifts from adults to peers while girls try out newly-acquired independence.

6) Spending time with friends supersedes time spent with family.

7) Social cruelty and bullying can take a toll among preteen girls as they try to find emotional footing.

8) Friendships play a critical role in the development of self-esteem and self-worth.

9) Getting adequate sleep is critical; sleep deprivation can lead to destructive, impulsive behavior.

10) As 12-year-old girls’ moods increase, diversions like music, sports and books become critically important.

The Ten Best Gifts And Toys For 12 Year Old Girls

Funko Advent Calendar: Harry Potter 2020

This Harry Potter advent calendar from Funko is a great way to count down the days until Christmas. It includes 24 different collectable and awesome gifts that your twelve year old girl will love. With this being an advent calendar, she gets a new toy every day of December up to Christmas Eve. They’re all sealed inside a beautifully designed box that portrays winter at Hogwarts. Each day, your recipient can open the sealed compartment to reveal a miniature Harry Potter figurine. Fans of the franchise will have much fun and anticipation of which character they will get each day.

The figures take on Funko’s iconic style. Funko Pops are popular with kids of all ages, and these make great gifts for 12 year old girls that are Harry Potter fans. Because this advent calendar is a limited edition model for 2020, these collectibles will make a great addition to anyone’s existing or new Funko collection.

Pros:

Includes 24 mini Funko figurines
Modeled after Harry Potter characters
Each figure is sealed
Comes in winter-themed box
Limited edition
Unique Christmas gifts

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Sphero R001ROW Star Wars BB-8 App Controlled Robot

Description: Is it possible to outgrow Star Wars? We don’t think so–which is why this app-controlled robot landed on our gift pick list. This droid is whimsical, entertaining and sturdy, crafted of polycarbonate, a tough, waterproof material engineered for long life and hours of entertainment. With a 60-minute battery life, induction charging station and free iOS and Android-compatible smartphone apps, your tween girl recipient will enjoy using the Adaptive Personality feature and Bluetooth Smart connection that keeps this droid moving and gesturing nonstop.

How she benefits: Fortunately, today’s preteen girl lives in a world where math is fashionable, engineering careers are more likely and girl coders are seen as brainiacs. Giving her gadgets like this droid that tickles her imagination and furthers her interest in all things mechanical encourages her interest in math and science while diverting her attention away from those mood swings and social worries. It is the perfect gift for your 12 year old girl to engage with alone, with friends or with the whole family.

Key Features:

BB-8 app-enabled Droid
A tough and waterproof polycarbonate shell
Bluetooth Smart connection

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Capture the Flag REDUX

Description: This nighttime, outdoor, glow-in-the-dark adventure game has been known to put a grin on the face of the most petulant preteen girl. She can gather friends and challenge them to a traditional game that’s been around for decades–but this version is the ultimate in futuristic fun. It comes with 33 game pieces and at least 12 hours of battery life so the action never stops. Capture the Flag has been designated “cool” by kids who love lawn games and you won’t find a better ice breaker if your 12-year-old gift recipient is working hard to make new friends.

Teams are distinguished by the different color wrist bands, so you know who to chase or run away from. This really is one of the coolest gifts for encouraging teamwork and social interaction between family and friends. It is one of the best gifts for 12 year old girls that like sports, or could do with remembering how nice it is to put devices down once in a while.

How she benefits: Peer pressure and acceptance is paramount to a preteen, which is why giving your girl the tools to host friends (that also get them out of the house and away from game consoles) benefits a 12-year-old in myriad ways. Gather the gang and watch how she becomes the master of her environment as teamwork, camaraderie and plenty of laughs help your gift recipient gain acceptance while improving her social skills.

Key Features:

Includes 25 light-up game pieces
12+ hours of batteries,
12 different ways to play

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Jaxx Bean Bag Gaming Chair

Description: One way to tell that your gift recipient is officially a preteen is by the number of times she craves being alone in her room to study, chat up friends, read or fantasize. That’s why having her own bean bag gaming chair has the potential to become her favorite piece of furniture. This roomy navy chair offers years of comfort because the machine-wash suede cover stands up to snacks, spills and wear. Filled with shredded foam that offers support and comfort, expect a personal thank-you note if you choose this gift for your 12-year-old.

The Jaxx beanbag gaming chairs make great birthday gifts or Christmas gifts. They make a great alternative to your usual gaming chairs too, and can take a lot of punishment.

How she benefits: “Alone time” becomes a priority for the typical 12-year-old lost in thought as she navigates the world of middle school intrigues. Having a chair to call her own so she can post to her diary, read, talk on the phone and listen to music gives your gift recipient a place she can call her own. Of course, she can use this as a gaming chair, if that’s her thing, but it’s the girly-girl activities that dominate her life that make this chair such a terrific gift choice.

Key Features:

Filled with finely shredded polyurethane foam
Provides the perfect amount of support while remaining soft and comfortable
Includes removable and machine-washable Micro suede cover

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Flashing Cube Electronic Memory & Brain Game

Give your kid the ultimate mind challenge! This toy looks like a standard Rubiks puzzle cube. But when you turn it on, the lights come to life and give you the opportunity to play something fun.

On one side, you’ll see a control panel. There, you can select the game, adjust the volume, and change the lights.

The cube comes with four games in total. These include Chase Me, Follow Me, Catch Me, and Remember Me. The games challenge the mind and test your kid’s reaction, memory, and more.

Key Features:

Colorful LED lights
Four-in-one game system
Volume and light controls
Small and portable design

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Hasbro “Hearing Things” Game

Description: Are you seeking the best toys that will delight a 12-year-old but won’t break your gift budget? Count on America’s first name in games, Hasbro, to solve your dilemma. This is a lip-reading challenge game that guarantees laughs and challenges everyone in the room as a gaggle of girls take turns wearing noise-canceling headphones to guess what another player is saying. Nobody will get bored with this party game: there are 600 phrases on 150 cards plus a timer, just to make sure each lip reader in the circle gets a turn.

How she benefits: Video games may dominate today’s market, but if you introduce the right non-video game to a preteen, she adds social skills to her repertoire and heightens her ability to interact with the peers she is trying to cultivate. “Hearing Things” uses just the right amount of technology (those noise-cancelling headphones) to spark the imagination, jump-start laughs and boost critical thinking skills within the confines of a group that promotes just the right pairing of competition and bonding. All things that help her when she’s all grown up.

Key Features:

Lip-reading challenge game
Take turns wearing speech-cancelling electronic headphones
Includes 150 cards with 600 phrases

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BONNYCO Cinema Light Box

Send whatever message your heart tells you! With the cinema lightbox from BONNYCO, your messages will be seen loud and clear! This box has hidden LEDs that flash between 16 different colors. The lightbox illuminates transparent cards on the front, which you can customize to say what you want.

You get a total of 300 different cards. They’re a mix of letters and symbols. The set also comes with blank cards to customize yourself.

Key Features:

16 light colors
Comes with 210 letters and 90 emoji symbols
Customizable cards
Includes remote control
Uses USB or battery power
Light enough to hang

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Fire HD 8 Tablet with Alexa

Description: Want to become the favorite person in the life of a 12-year-old? Give her a Fire HD8 tablet and the job is done. This Fire is a new generation of this popular device and it’s got all the bells and whistles a preteen could ask for. More durable than the iPad and featuring up to 12 hours of battery life, this Fire is loaded with storage capacity to hold endless selfies, and thanks to the clarity of Dolby Audio, her playlist can expand. The recipient of your gift also enjoys access to Kindle e-books, TV shows, apps, games, Netflix and Alexa.

How she benefits: One of the best features of this 8-inch HD display with 16GB capacity are the parental controls that allow parents to keep tabs on media to which their 12-year-old child is exposed. Tablets help preteens feel connected, serve as resources for schoolwork, and with helpful apps at her fingertips, she gains communications skills and confidence that only comes from learning to manage her life as she develops her independence.

Key Features:

1.3 GHz quad-core processor
Up to 10 hours of battery life
Hands-free with Alexa, including on/off toggle

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ALEX Toys DIY Wear I Heart Charm Bracelets

Description: One minute, she’s a savvy preteen. In the next, she’s giggling in a corner over a joke that only a child can appreciate. Such is the world of the 12-year-old girl who stands with feet in two worlds. Bottom line is that she’s still ready to have a blast making charm bracelets now that fashion plays a big part in her life. This kit is loaded with crafting supplies that include a molding tool, clay, jewelry hardware, charms, eyelets, glitter glue and more. A great activity for alone time or with friends, this gift idea appeals to introverts and extroverts alike.

How she benefits: Self-expression remains a critical part of the maturation process as girls become attracted to trends and fads that drive and define what she wears, what she favors and even her circle of friends. Because items in this kit aren’t complicated, it’s easy to achieve success by producing unique pieces of jewelry that not only satisfy the maker but serve as symbols of accomplishment, too. And you don’t have to spend a fortune to give your gift recipient all of this pleasure.

Key Features:

24 beads you customize and create yourself
Add metal beads and charms to your bracelet
Great way to make one of a kind accessories and gifts

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Fuzion Z300 Pro Scooter Complete

Description: If that hoverboard doesn’t cut it, but the idea of getting around on a scooter excites the 12-year-old recipient of your gift hunt, you’ve found exactly what you’re looking for in the Z300. There’s not much of a learning curve associated with this light scooter that’s outfitted with myriad features including oversize grips for safety and control. Engineering includes an IHC compression system, headset bearings, a one-piece steel fork, steel and nylon brake and aluminum wheels. Got a daredevil on your gift list? Tell her that this scooter is “ready to shred” right out of the box and she’ll leave you in the dust.

How she benefits: This scooter boosts eye-hand coordination, promotes balance and delivers a kind of freedom that only a preteen understands when the day is bright and being outdoors is the only way to fly. Of course, no “vehicle” comes without risk–which is exactly what some preteens love about everything on wheels. Worried? Don’t be. Add a safety helmet to your gift purchase and congratulate yourself on choosing a gift guaranteed to get your preteen girl out of the house and away from her electronic devices. For this reason alone, it’s one of the best gifts and toys for 12 year old girls.