Right now it’s the #1 question we’re getting asked via messages to our Facebook page and Facebook group: what are the best Christmas gifts for teens? We’ve had aunties, family friends, grandmas, mums and dads message us. Surely, they all say, a gift voucher isn’t the only present?
I’ll be honest with you. Gift vouchers are most definitely great Christmas gifts for teens. At this age, their preferences are very specific and anything outside of those very specific boundaries is, like, OMG, literally, what even is this?
So, by all means, get them cash or a gift voucher. I’d even go so far as to ask them in advance exactly where they would like that gift voucher to be from. I know, I know. There’s just no fun it it, is there? You may as well hand over cash.
{Here’s a great round up of gifts for tweens too}
It’s a cash win (sadly)
Which brings me to say that no, gift vouchers actually aren’t the best gifts for teens. Let’s face it, cold, hard cash is the best present and the more the merrier. I’m sorry! It’s true!
Go ahead, give cash in a Christmas card and you’ll be loved forevermore.
You’ll also feel cheated and flat and maybe just a little bit like an eftpos machine. It won’t be any fun. It’s just… not Christmassy. The joy is in the giving!! It really, truly is.
So, here are loads of Christmas gifts for teens to go along with a gift voucher or cash or just stand alone and be awesome. We promise they will love them.
Please note that Mumlyfe may use affliliate links at no cost to you. Click here to find out more. Gifts marked * are gifts that support a charity or small business affected by flood or fire.
{More awesome gift ideas for everyone in your life here}
Unreal Christmas gifts for teens for $10 and under
Personalised wire organiser
Unless they’re lucky enough to have airpods (that they haven’t lost), every teen has headphones that require careful keeping in the school bag. Even the Bluetooth ones need wrapping. This cute little leather wire organiser is just the thing. Good for any gender, it’s personalised with their initials to make it extra special.
Burt’s Bees lip balm
This brand has been around forever and is still the balm of choice for lip-parched teens. This is a cute pack that supports the bees – something your eco-conscious teen will appreciate.
*MY* Nutella
There will be no mistaking who owns the Nutella when this personalised spoon hits the house.
Handmade pencil case*
Your gift is made by and helps support artisan producers affected by leprosy and disability in India. Each pencil case is made by hand and therefore completely unique and thoughtful.
Buy them from The Leprosy Mission for $10
Nice hands
A sweet little hand cream, scrub and nail file gift pack for six bucks? Put it on the list!
Key to hearts
I reckon these personalised keyrings would make a fantastic gift tag!
Coloured hair chalk
A small, impermanent hair rebellion.
Censored@#$%
I should probably pop a language warning on these sweary affirmation cards, but many teens will absolutely love them. And so might you.
Harry Potter house banner
For kids who grew up on HP, this cute ‘lil drink bottle will be spot on.
Buy it *on sale* at Typo for $10
Animal highlighters
Pretty sure I’m buying a set of these for myself this year… I’m a sucker for a face on a pen and your teen is sure to be too.
50 Ways To Feel Happy
50 Ways To Feel Happy is a very practical, very fun way to improve the happiness levels of everyone around you. Especially YOU! You’ve gotta admit, happiness seems a pretty amazing gift for under 20 bucks!
Buy it from Booktopia for $6.25
Compostable lip balm*
Gorgeous zero waste balm by River Balms that delivers hydrated lips and a clear conscious.
Get it from Buy From the Bush for $9.95
{Remember: the gift giving formula helps a lot}
Fab Christmas gifts for teens for $20 and under
A Christmas chook*
Oxfam is a charity we’ve supported for a long time and their Christmas chicken is the ideal gift. Teens are remarkably charitable and they will feel proud to have contributed to such a worthy cause via your gift. There are birthday and ‘just because’ options too.
Tiny elephant earrings
These sterling silver tiny little elephants are simply too cute not to buy for the teen in your life.
Affirmation cards
Nine cards to remind your teen that they are enough. We try not to be gender-specific around here, but we’re pretty sure one of the cards says ‘girl’, so bear that in mind. You could always slip that one out if it’s not for your boy.
Millennial slang
This mysterious deck of cards is the key to your teen launching into even more language that you don’t understand.
Get a pack at Yellow Octopus for $19.99
Personalised air pods case
Cute and practical! The case itself is clear and you can pick from a few different fonts for the name or initials (not all of them are girly).
Engraved pencils
Remarkably, teens still take coloured pencils to school (see what I did there with re-mark-ably? I know!). Each pencil in this set of 12 has a unique joke, quote or saying and you can mix and match and build the perfect set for your teen.
DIY Letterboard
Create cool messages and reminders or even Insta memes with a letterboard.
Emergency tech kit
A handy one for the school bag.
Get it at Yellow Octopus for $17.99
Bluetooth speaker
Take the disco wherever you go – especially during the Black Friday Sales when this baby is under 20 buckaroos (usually around 60)!
Get it at Dick Smith for $19.99
Customised gamer socks
They will see these socks as more encouragement than we probably want to give… and they’ll love them.
Would You Rather? card game
Teens love playing games that explore truths and this one is a good one. It’s the kind of game kids play anyway, but this official version has some truly fascinating dilemmas for them to sort out.
Buy it at Yellow Octopus for $14.99
Books galore
We bloody love a book around here. Our picks for a happy teen at Christmas include:
The Man In the Water by David Burton – $17.50
On his first day of Year 10, Shaun sees his first dead body…
The Fire Star by Allison Tait – $15.25
A maid with a plan. A squire with a secret. A missing jewel. A kingdom in turmoil.
The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim – $16.25
A nourishing tale about the crevices of culture, mental wellness and family…
{Click here for loads more great book gift ideas}
Fab Christmas gifts for teens for $40 and under
A little sunshine every day
Yup, heeeello sunshine!
Axe throwing
Yup, axe throwing is a thing but luckily this set is made of foam and velcro! I love their slogan: give boredom the chop.
Buy it at Yellow Octopus for $24.99
Yiwarra Kuju jigsaw*
I think we all forget how wonderfully absorbing and calming jigsaw puzzles are until we get one out and days go by and all you’ve done is put together 11 pieces. But they were good days.
Buy it from Welcome To Country for $35
Large and squishy bean bag chair
A teen loves nothing more than to throw themselves onto something and not move for hours. This is that something.
DIY ceramics
I love kits and I’m pretty sure there are lots of teens in your life who love them too. This one is great for all genders.
Beary Christmas
This one is also adorable.
Try these craft kits for teens too:
Envirocask drink bottle*
The Aussie Hydroflask (and much nicer in my opinion!). Made local by a small family business.
Buy it from Spend With Us for $30
Leather bracelet
You can get their name stamped, or a fave quote, or whatever you like. There are six leather colours to choose from too. I think any gender would like to wear this.
Safecracker wooden puzzle
This handmade puzzle is based on a 1911 design. The object is to get each of the 16 columns of numbers to add to 40 at the same time. It’s a wonderful gift for Maths-lovers and puzzle-solvers.
Say no to plastic
A personal set of cutlery in a go-anywhere tin is just the thing for eco-conscious teens. We’ve also found that as kids get to high school, they are more likely to eat a salad or leftovers than a sambo. So this set is perfect for their school bag.
Buy it at Yellow Octopus for $29.99
Wookieeeeeee
When a card game comes in a plush wookiee you know you’re going to love it. The object of the game is to stop the wookiee getting too angry and it’s harder than you think!
Get it at Yellow Octopus for $26.99
For wannabe writers
This book by Allison Tait (my sis!) and Valerie Khoo is packed with everything an aspiring author needs to know about writing a book and getting it published. Teen voices have never been in stronger demand, so inspire them to have theirs heard!
Buy it at Booktopia for $28.25
Awesome gifts for teens for $50 and under
Pro lighting for vids
This will up their Tik Tok / Snap / BeReal game. It holds both the smartphone steady and the key to good looks online!
Get one at Yellow Octopus for $36.99
Drawsome game
A fun game to gather the friends over (or the family on Christmas day) and yep, it’s totally drawsome!
Buy it at Yellow Octopus for $39.99
Tonic Revive Heat Pillow*
A really lovely gift to help a teen relax and pause for a moment. The pillow is filled with barley, rosemary, cinnamon, peppermint, sandalwood and lemon-myrtle for a refreshing, relaxing way to ease tension.
Beach blanky
It’s more blanket than beach towel and who doesn’t love an oversized pizza on the beach?
Buy it at Yellow Octopus for $63.99
Floating along
Who wouldn’t want to glide around the backyard pool on the back of a Sunnylife swan? I know I’m up for it!
Get it at Gifts Australia for $89
Kombucha crazy
My son is mad for kombucha and we brew our own at home. This kit has everything your teen needs to get started and keep the booch coming. Highly recommended as a healthy alternative to soft drinks this summer!
Buy it at Yellow Octopus for $42.99
Amazing Christmas gifts for teens for under $100
Music always
Whether they play guitar or not isn’t the thing. The thing is it’s surprisingly easy to learn and it’s a bloody wonderful thing to know. Check the tutorials out here:
Buy it at Dick Smith for $75.99
Lazing away
Teens and hammocks are great companions. This one is super easy to string up in the backyard or out camping. It comes in this gorgeous blue, or pink or orange.
Get it from BCF for $79.99 ($39.99 if you become a club member, which is free)
Give them the world
They might have a few landmarks they can scratch off already (one at least) and this poster will inspire them to visit many more.
Grab it at Yellow Octopus for $58.99
A few more good scratch posters:
Terrasphere Dartboard
A decent dartboard is a fine thing in any family. It will be useful for helping teens unleash their aggro, plus always a handy skill later when they’re ready for pub life…
Teen Breathe magazine subscription
A magazine may seem like a bit of an old fashioned gift for a teenager, but hear us out. Mags are the gift you give now for someone to enjoy all year. They are a slowing down, keeping for reference, non-screen way to catch up, be inspired, dream a little. In other words, the perfect gift!
Get it at isubscribe for $65.70
Camping freedom
Here’s the thing: camping with friends is beyond awesome for older teens. There’s just something so wholesome and bonding about being in the outdoors together (even if they sneak some drinks, etc along!!). This hiking tent makes things super easy – hike in, set up camp, enjoy, hike out.
Buy it from BCF for $104.99 ($69.99 club price, which is free to join)
Aroma-Mod diffuser*
Good smells are very important to have around teens… … … This Aussie-made fragrance diffuser will be welcome in any teen’s bedroom. Minimalist design that will appeal to kids of both genders.
Buy it from Lively Living for $53.95
Digital metal detector
There’s something really absorbing about hunting at the beach, bush or just the backyard for treasures. Keen teens could even make a buck out of this one.
Buy it at Australian Geographic Shop for $74.95
Double Helix magazine subscription
See above for why magazines make such a good gift for teenagers. This one is especially good as it’s science disguised as really good fun. Lots of practical experiments, intriguing facts and all the intelligence the CSIRO can pack into a mag.
Get it at isubscribe for $79.92
Noise cancelling ear buds
Sure, they’re not AirPods (see below), but they’re a fifth of the price, discreet and they work well. Might need to get a pair of these noise cancellers for ourselves 🙂 x
Get them at Dick Smith for $39.99
Neat and tidy gamer
Is there such a thing as a neat and tidy gamer? We can only try. This stand is personalised, so there’s an added impetus to use it.
Vans checkerboard slip ons
Trends come and go (VSCO, anyone?), but Vans shoes live on. You can’t go wrong with getting them a pair of these. They’ll wear them out long before they throw them out. AAAND Dick Smith randomly sells really good value Vans, so they’re affordable too.
Buy them at Dick Smith for $59.99
Cheeky chucks
Chucks are bargain 70 bucks!
Get them at Dick Smith for $69.99
Neon, neon
Their name lit up in neon. I can’t see any teen turning that down!
Extra-special Christmas gifts for teens $100+
Stand up and be counted
Exxy for sure, BUT the club member price on this BCF stand up paddle board is around $279 less than the RRP. So that’s something!
Get one at BCF for $579.99 (or $299 club price and becoming a club member is free!)
Walking on air
AirPods are the only ear buds to be seen dead in (apparently). Dick Smith sell them a bit cheaper than most, but be warned that it might be the even-more expensive AirPod Pros that your tweenie is coveting.
Buy them at Dick Smith starting from $185
Affordable Birkies
Dick Smith also randomly sells Birkenstocks… and we thought they were just for electronics. See also, ‘Vans’ above! I can’t stress enough that you should go to the Dick Smith store for a look-see. Bargains galore.
Buy them at Dick Smith for $114
Switched
Still the one the kids want this year. I like that it’s a ‘home’ and ‘away’ experience. It supports multi-player games really well, which is an added bonus. The more social the better!
Get it from Dick Smith for $469
What are you getting the teens this year?
Feature image from Unsplash+; all other images supplied
Zoe
Saturday 11th of December 2021
Bron! Where is your 2020 tween gift guide? I’m chasing the lip balm kit you had listed. Do you still have the details and would you mind resharing? Thank you x
Bron Maxabella
Monday 19th of December 2022
I'm sorry, I only just saw this! I updated the list as the lip balm was no longer available via the link I shared. BUT I think it was Burt's Bees and you can get a similar one here: https://www.bigw.com.au/product/burt-s-bees-just-picked-lip-balm-gift-set-4-lip-balms/p/196574 Merry Christmas!
Lisa
Tuesday 17th of December 2019
Thank you so much for including our Malibu Crush Soy Candle from #buyfromthebush in your round up. You are just to gorgeous Bron. Thank you x
Bron Maxabella
Tuesday 9th of February 2021
Pleasure! All the best for your company, Lisa.
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