Welcome to our 2021 Christmas Gift Guide for Teens. We hope you will be inspired by our gift and stocking filler suggestions.
** Some (not all) of these products have been gifted to PackThePJs **
Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of SH1FT3R for Xbox Series X
Let’s start our gift guide for teenagers with something that most teens have lots of – games for their consoles. In our case, we have an X-Box Series X-playing son, and a Playstation 4 (will soon update to 5)-playing daughter. Most of their games are way too complicated for the likes of me to play with them – and they are just too good to compete against. But this isn’t the case with racing games, which I’m quite good at. So this newly released Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Rise of the SH1FT3R for the Xbox Series X (£34.99) was sort of purchased with myself in mind (!) He does love racing games too though, so this is a game we can play against one another. He’ll like the fact that it also has multiplayer with up to 5 other people.
The reviews of this game are awesome, so I can’t wait for him to load it so we can start racing!
L’Occitane en Provence Trio of Perfumes
The teenage years are when our children start to experiment with their styles. They push boundaries, developing their personalities and image. Hair changes colour as often as traffic lights. What’s cool today is ‘urgh’ tomorrow. That ‘must have’ jacket last week soon becomes forgotten under a heap of others. One constant though, however much we might pretend otherwise, is the never-ending quest to control their body odour! So, with that in mind, I thought this L’Occitane en Provence Trio of floral-scented perfumes ticks a lot of boxes. These three miniatures each have their own distinct scent. There’s enough in each bottle to truly try each one out too. It’s a fantastic stocking filler for £19.00.
Of course, there are lots of other wonderful gift sets available direct from L’Occitane too. Go ahead and take a look (it’s one of my favourite brands!)
VEGAN Happy Apres Beanie hat
Every teenager needs a bobble hat for the winter. I always pick ones for Toby and Millie-Mae that I can also ‘borrow’ – and this is a case in question! I LOVE VEGAN Happy. They came to my rescue earlier this year when I faced losing my hair during chemo. Their headwear is so soft, it didn’t irritate my scalp, unlike other hats I bought. I already own an Apres beanie, or should I say my daughter does … It is so warm and comforting. It was tried out when it snowed in the Spring. We tend to travel to cold destinations, so a trendy warm beanie is a must-have in my teenagers’ wardrobes. This particular VEGAN Happy Apres beanie (£23.00) is Oxford Navy with Fire Red, so is unisex. It has a soft fluffy forehead band that helps keep the heat in. It covers the ears too.
VEGAN Happy source their clothes ethically and they are all 100% vegan. A lot are PETA Approved, FairWear, or FairTrade too. Any embroidery is animal-thread free and man-made threads are used. Vegan-friendly inks are used when printing. Also 10% of profits go back to help fund animal rescue 😊 So fabulous products (not just hats, go and take a look), and you’re helping animals too – what’s not to like?
Air Hogs Super Soft – Jump Fury
The Air Hogs range from Spinmaster are always a hit – for teenagers young and old! This Jump Fury (£40.00) is a brilliant new addition to their range. It is a remote control truck with a difference. It is very lightweight, which means it goes FAST. Not only that, it can launch into the air up to 22”. The tricks you can do are epic! It has a 100 feet range and because it is lightweight with soft wheels, it can be used indoors without risk of damaging anything. A brilliant fun gift this Christmas.
Waboba ‘Ugly Sweater’ Wingman
It’s time to talk Stocking Fillers … So what constitutes a good stocking filler? Well, it shouldn’t take up too much room. It shouldn’t cost much, but it SHOULD entertain and be fun. Ok, slippers and socks are more functional – but I’m thinking about the gifts a teenager will get a kick out of. You never know, it might even make them crack one of those rare smiles!
This Ugly Sweater Wingman from Waboba (from £6.00) ticks the boxes in my opinion. Though I have to say there is nothing ugly about the sweater print on the disc – I’d happily wear a jumper with that design on it! This is a Limited Edition Wingman, so nice and festive. It is made of flexible silicone and is about the size of your hand. It’s a frisbee … it flies up to 40m (130ft) – so a cool portable gift for taking out on walks, or to the beach etc. You can throw it indoors too, though I’m not so keen on that option!
Wingman (Wingmen?) are collectible. They take up very little room in a bag/suitcase so are very travel friendly and can provide hours of active fun.
GEOMAG Mechanics Gravity Elevator Circuit
Just because a child reaches teenagerhood, they still like to receive toys. It’s just that the toys need to be more grown up, and appeal to their inquisitive mind. At school STEM are much-loved subjects, so to find a gift that encourages a teenager to apply their school-taught theory to a fun activity is a brilliant thing. That’s why GEOMAG is so good – and specifically GEOMAG Mechanics Gravity sets. This one, ‘Elevator Circuit’ (£49.99) contains 207 pieces and is suitable for ages 8+. Using gravity and magnetism you build an elevator that is self-powered and that shoots metal balls around.
It is hours of engaging and educational fun.
Tony’s Chocolonely Christmas Chocolates!
Along with the socks and PJs, a teenager EXPECTS chocolate at Christmas time. A lot of festive chocolate tends to be aimed at younger children or adults – there’s a definite gap in the market for ‘cool’ teenage focussed branding when it comes to chocolates. I think Tony’s Chocoloney has pitched their festive range just right – not babyish or too grown up; it’s just colourful and happy.
This year, their Christmas range includes their Dark Chocolate with Mint Candy Cane bar (£3.98), their Milk Chocolate with Gingerbread bar (£3.98), and a Christmas Mix pouch (£5.99) containing three of their popular bars (Milk Chocolate Hazelnut, White Chocolate, and Milk Chocolate) in their Tiny bars.
Of course, when you buy Tony’s Chocolonely you are supporting their mission to end slavery on cocoa plantations, which is a very real problem within the industry. Great chocolate, great cause – perfect gift.
iPhone Disco Light
Do you know a teen who wears headphones 24/7? We sure do … and they are mostly listening to ‘music’ (I say loosely!) If they happen to have an iPhone (sorry Android users) then this is a fabulous stocking filler that they are bound to get a kick out of. You simply plug the Disco Light (€10.00) into the charging lead socket of the phone and the ball flashes in time to the beat of the music! It’s like taking the disco around wherever you go! Because it lights up too, it is particularly effective after dark!
ORB Finger Dance Machine
If you have a teen that is permanently attached to their mobile phone (isn’t that the definition of a teenager?) then this is an excellent stocking filler to consider. The ORB Finger Dance Machine (£17.99) is a small version of the arcade disco/dance machine (the ones that make me tired just watching someone on it!) You download an app on your mobile, set up an account using the username and password hidden under a scratchcard on the provided card, and connect it to the machine via Bluetooth. You have two dance finger pads (two players, though you have one-player mode too) that detach from the main body of the machine – and there’s a clip to hold your mobile (the screen). There are several tracks to choose from … I have to say I was useless at all the ones I tried! But if your teenager loves their phone, loves music and dancing – great gift this Christmas!
Stand4Socks Paris Baby Blue Socks
Everyone buys socks at Christmas time. Whether it’s a multipack with the days of the week posted on them, or a single fluffy pair with sticky pads underfoot to replace slippers. But here we have a brand with a difference … For every pair of socks you purchase from Stand4Socks, they’ll give a pair to a homeless person. Socks are the number 1 requested item by homeless shelters, because they are rarely donated. Not only does the purchase of these socks help keep the feet of those less fortunate warm and healthy, but they are really high quality socks. These Paris Baby Blue Socks (£9.99) are 60% bamboo, 30% polymide, 8% cotton and 2% elastane – they are very soft. They feature seamless toes (Seam3Toe™), a comfortable foot arch (Comfit Arch™) and a reinforced heel and toe.
Science Mad! Planetarium Star Globe
Forget the teenagers, this year I’ve been learning all about stars and trying to work out what all the constellations are in the clear night skies. That’s why I really like this rotating Planetarium from Science Mad! (£24.99). It’s suitable for kids aged 8+, and you’ll need 6 x AA batteries to fuel the planetarium and the pointer that comes with it. It’s a brilliant STEM product – while winding down for sleep you can watch the constellations move across the ceiling, learning the star configurations that make each one up. Then, when outside on a clear night, you can proudly point upwards and say “I see the Big Dipper”! A must for any budding astronomist!
Tomy Greedy Granny game
Now this is more a family game than one aimed at a teenager … it’s a kind of Buckaroo-like game, but in this case you don’t want to wake up granny. Greedy Granny (£17.99) is fast asleep in her chair, holding a tray of biscuits. You spin a dial to be told what biscuit you need to carefully take from her tray … when she wakes she throws the biscuits everywhere, and her teeth shoot across the room! It’s very funny, especially as we have a food-obsessed granny coming for Christmas, lol. That’s Boxing Day entertainment sorted!
Spinmaster Tech Deck
Skateboarding is as popular now as it was back in ‘my day’ (a long time ago, when BMXs were new on the scene!) So this Ultra DLX Tech Deck kit (£9.99) from Spinmaster is a great stocking filler. In each set you get four boards, trucks and wheels, bearings, stickers and a tool to build them. You can design them any way you like, so fully personalise them to your own style. And once you have four fully functional mini-skateboards, you can perfect finger boarding – the top of the boards (like on the full-size versions) have grip tape too. The range can be extended by adding additional boards (there are loads to collect), as well as ramps, pipelines … build your own course! After the success of skateboarding at the Olympics in the summer, I can see these being very popular stocking fillers this year!
Fonz Reversible Infinity Tube Scarf from Trendhim
My son, well both children actually, are terrible with scarves. How they manage to lose so many that just ‘accidentally fall’ from around their necks, is beyond me. Last year I refused to buy any scarves at all – no point! Then during lockdown I noticed people wearing scarves across their face, instead of a face covering, and I realised it wasn’t a long scarf but a snood. You can’t lose a snood as it fits over your head; you can wear it around your neck as a traditional scarf, pull it up over your nose, ears and mouth to keep your face warm, and even pull it up and over your head to give your head more protection from the cold weather. This Fonz Reversible Infinity Tube Scarf (£45.00) by Fawler, and available from Trendhim, is a very (very) nice scarf. As the title says, it is fully reversible – grey one day, navy the next. There are other colour combinations too, so you can match them with your winter coats! Designed in Denmark, is it 45% cotton and 55% acrylic. It has a lovely soft feel too. A lovely gift (for anyone who has a habit of losing scarves!)
