Christmas Appeal 2022: What are the right gifts to buy teenagers this Christmas?
Our 2022 Christmas Appeal is in full swing, and we are requesting gifts for children and young people aged 0-16 years old. We typically find ourselves gifted many beautiful items, toys and clothing for babies and younger children. However, it’s important to remember those older children and teenagers who would benefit from a lovely unique gift at this challenging time of year. Therefore, we wanted to give some ideas, thoughts and wish lists for gifts you can donate that are suitable for teenagers but still come under our recommended budget of £20.
You can easily get involved with our Christmas Appeal 2022 by donating, volunteering or simply gifting kinds of toiletries, vouchers or gadgets suitable for a young person this festive season.
Finding the right Christmas gifts for teenagers are pretty hard to come by. Even if you think you know what is deemed 'cool' or 'trendy' to a young person, you will still struggle to find that perfect gift, especially if working with a strict budget! Teenagers have their fingers on the pulse regarding social media and the latest popular culture, with most having their own phones, tablets and computers to access everything at the touch of a button! They're addicted to Instagram and TikTok and have probably watched everything three times over on Netflix, so a simple pair of socks or a traditional board game isn't going to cut it. Their wish list is particular, so our best advice is to be as broad as possible with your gift idea and try not to overthink it.
Check out our list of five items below that we think will be a failsafe way to gift an item to a teenager this Christmas.
1. Toiletries Packs
Every teenager is probably into their image and looks by the time they start secondary school, so gifting packs of toiletries is an easy way to help them with their grooming and self-care needs. Boots offer fantastic deals on giftsets and toiletries that you can mix and match. For example, you can gift this Pillow Spray or Ted Baker Bodycare set for under £20. Teenagers may not be as instantly grateful for these items, but they will soon find themselves using them in their daily routines, which means they can save money for more bespoke or expensive items.
Other great toiletry gift set items may include aftershave/perfume, shaving kits, body scrubs and bath salts!
2. Gift Vouchers
If most teenagers could request a gift, they would probably act savvy and ask for the money! Therefore, a gift voucher is the next best thing where the item has a monetary value but is also a thoughtful gift rather than putting cash in an envelope. Gift vouchers can be paper or digital, and you can get them from most retailers.
Teenagers are leading the digital age, so we advise buying a gift voucher for a streaming or music platform such as Apple Music or Spotify. Alternatively, the likes of Amazon, Asos and Boohoo are trendy online retailers with young people, especially those between 14-16 years old, so they are very likely to appreciate receiving a gift voucher from one of these stores.
3. Headphone and Phone Gadgets
Teenagers, especially boys, love gadgets and gizmos, so you won't go wrong buying small tech items under £20. Our top gift choice is a pair of headphones, either plug-in or wireless. Curry's has a great choice of headphones for under £20 that teenagers can use with their tablets or mobile phones.
Other gadget gift ideas include portable speakers, charging devices and interactive keyrings. You can also keep an eye out for fun and cool interactive games that make a great gift, such as this Thumbs Up Basketball game from Robert Dyas.
4. Bedroom Trinkets
Typically a no-go area for parents and carers is a teenager's bedroom! Their personal space and chill-out room to sleep, unwind and generally leave a mess! Small bedroom items to decorate or make their own are a great gift for both boys and girls. We love this Dream Neon Sign from Dunhelm, as it adds a touch of flair to any bedroom. Other great items to gift for bedroom decorations include plants, candles, rugs and wall art.
5. Skincare Items
Potentially more suitable for teenage girls than boys, skincare items such as face masks, face washes and under-eye pads make for great little gifts at reasonable prices. Most girls (and some boys!) take their skincare routine very seriously in the early teenage years and want to prevent or treat any signs of acne or breakouts straight away. So gifting a skincare item or set will go down extremely well as teenagers love to pamper themselves, and it will promote practising self-care. For example, Argos has some fabulous Face Mask Gift Sets that are all under £20!