What to get a 14 year old I don't know!?

FutureGirl

So over Christmas at work we buy presents for children that are in lower income families where their parents are financially unable to buy presents for their children. We pick a tag from the Christmas tree, then buy that child a gift. We do this in conjunction with the Samaritans.

I chose a 14 year old boy, and a 14 year old girl. That is all the information I have to go on!

We get no other details about the children and I'm finding it really difficult to pick something to buy. What if the girl is a tomboy and I get her make-up? What if the boy likes nothing but basketball and I get him a skateboard?

I don't have children, and don't have many children in the family so I haven't really had to buy for someone this age before.

Does anyone have any ideas on what a good kind of gift to get would be, where it wouldn't matter what you were into you'd still like the gift?

balletshoes

do you have a budget?

FutureGirl

I was thinking about £20/£30 each.

balletshoes

FutureGirl wrote: »

I was thinking about £20/£30 each.

you can get some seriously decent headphones (for tablets, mobile phones etc) for that, and suitable for just about every 14-year old, whether a girly girl or a skater dude .

Mrs_Honey_Badger

Headphones are a good idea!

iwannanicerlife

This is a great idea!

betterlife

but what if they don`t have a mobile phone or tablet, if there parent can`t afford to buy them Christmas presents, there`s a possibility there haven`t got those items. what about a voucher for argos, so they could get something themselves.

balletshoes

betterlife wrote: »

but what if they don`t have a mobile phone or tablet, if there parent can`t afford to buy them Christmas presents, there`s a possibility there haven`t got those items. what about a voucher for argos, so they could get something themselves.

i know 12-year olds without mobile phones or tablets, but I don't know any 14-year olds without at least one of those items (and I live in whats considered to be a "deprived" area of the country).

shopaholicz

What about makeup/perfume/aftershave?

FutureGirl

I got the girl a digital camera, with extra batteries. I think girls like that kind of thing she can then take photos with her and her friends / family etc and won't matter if she's a tomboy or girlie girl they'll like it.

I'm just confused about the boy now. I was going to get something like headphones but then they might not have a phone that has music capability or any kind of music player. So I thought of an MP3 player, but they might not have a laptop/computer!

The problem is that I don't know any 14 year olds haha!

Spendless

My kids aged 12 and 15 have to take headphones into school for certain lessons. I think finding a teenager who doesn't use them at all would be rare and I say this having a son who barely uses a phone and doesn't has any music devices.

If you are sure you want something generic, I bought my son a rucksack with toiletries in, as a practical present. The offer has gone now at Boots but you could look round some of their gift sets.

What about a gift card for the cinema or Nandos (assumming these places are in your area)