Electronic Gift Ideas for an Artistic Tween

If you have a tween who is very artistic, it may be hard to imagine electronics as a good choice in birthday or Christmas gifts. However, there are some popular electronic crafting tools that can be put to prime use by the imaginative tween. My tween daughter seems to take to almost any art medium, so art supplies always migrate to the top of her wishlist, though she also enjoys common tween interests such as video games and iPod. Nevertheless, I love to keep an eye out for great tech tools that will tap into that artistic side.

Cricut Electronic Paper Cutter

The Cricut paper cutter, shown above, is a fun way to encourage paper crafting, providing a venue for your tween to work with shapes, fonts, and varied sizes, to create all sorts of pieces that can then be put together to make cards, scrapbook pages, pictures. In my daughter's case, sewing is a favorite artistic and crafting outlet, and Cricut can cut fabric pieces for applique. Likewise, wrapping paper can be cut for decoupage and altered art projects for the tween. There are a few versions of the Cricut, and even a Cricut cake machine, which can cut food items, fondant, and help the artistic cake decorating tween explore an interest. You can explore Cricut Machines and Cartridges for your tween at Amazon, and read customer reviews of specific selections.

Electronic Drawing Tablet

Another interesting electronic gift idea for the tween who loves to express himself or herself artistically is an electronic drawing tablet. My daughter enjoys creating designs on the computer, but the limited tools available in the basic paint programs frustrate her. This puts the electronic tablet for a computer well within my range of Christmas gift ideas. Pen and paper control with a stylus provides for greater attention to detail. If you are thinking about exploring your tween's artistic options in computer graphics, this is a way to provide an introduction. There is even a ">drawing studio for Wii.

UDraw for Wii

Portable Video Gifts for Tweens

Ipod/Iphone Video Dock Player

Many electronic gifts for tweens and teens center around making their mp3 players and other gadgets more useful in varied ways. For example, the Nyrus video dock player, displayed here, serves to give a slightly larger video display to iPod and iPhone video content. If you aren't ready to move into the cost range of an iPad, this is a good way to provide your tween with viewing options that equate to less eye strain.

Price Drop on Nintendo 3DS

If your tween's wishlist includes Nintendo 3DS this year, then you will be thrilled to know that beginning August 12, 2011, Amazon will have the handheld gaming system priced at $169.99, an $80 drop from the introductory cost of $249.  This is great news in a tough economy, and given the trends of Nintendo over the past 2 decades, when a newer system is decreased in cost, there is often a trickle down effect seen in less high tech gaming systems.

For example, the entrance of Nintendo DS into the market coincided with lots of great Black Friday sales, many door busters, in fact, of the Gameboy systems.  Popular tech gifts for tweens, since my early teaching days, I've seen the adjustment of price to coordinate with cutting edge alternatives being made available, and really appreciate this.  If you need a less expensive type of Christmas gift, watch for some great prices on the already lowered DS Lite, and perhaps on other Nintendo DS products as well.  Check out the latest on Amazon's Nintendo pages.

Electronic Game Gifts for Tweens

While many tweens have their eyes on handheld electronic computing devices and video game systems, an aunt or uncle may need some fun gift ideas in a lower price range.  There are several handheld electronic games that serve the purpose as inexpensive, yet electronically fun.  Classic board games, turned into handheld electronics, are great.  As well, those electronics that challenge the memory of the tween are quite fun.  

20Q is a trivia game, contained in a convenient,
handheld electronic device.  Great as a tween stocking stuffer, or
as a Christmas present for a tween to take to a gift exchange party.

Tetris is an outstanding game for
developing visual and spatial understanding.
It's also quite fun!  Great for tween stocking stuffers,
or as a gift for nieces or nephews.

Yahtzee in Electronic Format

Electronic Handheld Battleship

Bop It is a great combination of skill and memory
activity, in the form of an electronic game. 
This is a big hit with tweens, especially those who are kinesthetic learners.

Tween and Teen Earphones

Are you constantly dealing with a kid whose earphones need to be replaced?  Does your tween leave earphones in odd places, then wonder why they are broken?  Does your teenager have issues with the quality of the cheap set you picked up at the checkstand? 

It may be worthwhile to invest in a slightly more expensive set of earphones, if it means you won't have to buy a set for a good long while, and having been through this situation, I can say that it has eliminated a lot of silly stress in the household, as well.

JBuds J2 Premium Hi-Fi Noise Isolating Earbuds
This is the set my daughter has, and they work well, and have lasted for nearly a year.

****Images are clickable, for current pricing and availability.

I actually selected a set of Jbuds for my daughter, and they have held up beautifully for nearly a year.  Whereas it was a monthly issue of one of my teens or tweens complaining, the problem of ruined headphones has disappeared in our household.  The bonus is that these more costly earphones come in a variety of colors, so they appeal to the fashion sense of the tween and teen.


The selection shown above is a representation of the J2 JBuds, and as you can see, there are many cool tween and teen color choices. These are perfect stocking stuffers!

Slightly more expensive, the J3 JBuds are sleek, and include a travel case, a helpful addition for the absent-minded or careless tween or teen who has trouble taking care of his earphones.



The J3 Earbuds pictured above will appeal to tweens and teens because of the colors, and to parents because of their durability.

Skullcandy INK'd Earbuds are another popular earbud choice for teenagers and tweens.

The cost for INK'd earbuds is slightly less than that of JBuds, which helps the parent whose budget is a little stretched.

Tween Electronics: Should I Buy the Extended Warranty?

My tween son saved for two years, and found a deal on his Sony PSP.  We suggested strongly that he pay a little extra for the extended warranty.  His friend had already encountered mishaps, so it didn't take much convincing.  Nearly two years from the purchase, his device started to have problems.  When we returned to the retailer, they replaced the PSP with a comparable model, free of charge.  We even had the opportunity to warranty the new device.  My son thought it was going to be sent away and repaired, so he was elated at the way this turned out, and he learned the value of getting that extra bit of insurance on his electronic device.

If you've spent time around tweens, you know that they can be absentminded, and you know that they can be careless.  Has your tween lost a cell phone?  Or worse, washed it?  One of mine has done both.  Has your tween misplaced a gaming system?  More than one of my tween kids has done this.  Has your tween accidentally (or purposely) slammed the lid of a laptop shut?  Or dropped it?  If it's portable, electronic, and/or fragile, trust many tweens to find the limits.  Warranties are wise with tween devices, if the cost is reasonably high.  With cell phones, insurance policies are potentially wise investments, but there are some alternative thoughts.  Read more about cell phone insurance alternatives.

Tweens and Television

Television is a parent's nemesis, at times, as it is a favorite source of entertainment for parents, and children alike, but can also cause a huge lack of activity, as family members become entranced with the offerings.  With streaming movies via Netflix, Amazon, and others, there are more and more options for family viewing, and my own tweens glean a great deal from educational programming.  It's still important for a parent to monitor tween television viewing, and I am not a fan of personal tween television set ups for their rooms.  A family television area provides a better oversight of programming and use, and further, such an area promotes family unity through a common activity area.  It's nice to have a couple of such areas, if possible, but allowing your tween to create a cave-like atmosphere in a bedroom tends to be more isolating.

Electronic Music Gifts for Tweens

The tween years are prime for developing a tween's interest in musical instruments or vocal music.  Middle school is generally the point at which band and chorus become elective choices in school, and private music lessons, as well, become more productive.  For the tween who has an aptitude for, or interest in, music, there are some great ways to allow some exploration with electronics.

Electronic keyboards have been available for a long time, and a decent beginning keyboard is affordable, for providing the opportunity to tinker a little bit.  Likewise, electronic drum pads are available for the child who seems to constantly move in rhythm.  Parents can appreciate the opportunity for kids to explore, and practice, while using earphones!  The tween who is interested in guitar can find an inexpensive acoustic guitar, but there are also electric acoustic guitar sets, sold with amps and instructional materials, which can provide an interesting way to explor the guitar.  For the tween vocalist in training, there are karaoke systems which range greatly in price from ultra-affordable, to elaborate.  For the tween who just loves to play music there are some DJ type systems available in the $50-100 price range.

ION Audio iCUE3 Discover DJ System
Image is clickable, for current Amazon pricing and availability

For the musically inclined middle schooler who wants to try all sorts of music, there can be an inexpensive solution via Wii Rockband, with electronic drums, guitar, and microphone coordinating with Wii's activity based video gaming.

Wii Rockband System

Cost Effective Computers for Tweens

Things have come a long way in a decade, when it comes to computer choices for families, and to computer prices for families.  In the early days of personal computing, a decent system cost a pretty penny...we spent well over $2,000 for our first system, with a 3GB hard drive!  That's laughable, now, as even the simplest mp3 players surpass the storage of that early device.  4 years later, the expenditure for a much better system was half as much.  In the most recent years, great deals abound year round, with the very best coming at back to school time, and on Black Friday, where the relationship between price and hard drive space are even better.


Whether you are searching for a cheap computer for your tween, or just trying to keep your costs low as you find a durable, quality computer, it's good to have this perspective on the improvements that have been seen over the years.  The next thing to keep in mind is the goals for that computer.  Are you looking for an educational computer for your tween to use in doing school research, learning games, and word processing?  Are you looking for something that will adapt to complicated gaming?

As a parent, I don't like to encourage much computer game play, and so our household needs won't entail the kind of memory needs that some of the popular pc gaming entails.  I do like to allow puzzle games, and a little bit of free time on the computer, but my preference for gaming is in the context of educational venues.  At this stage, a slightly outdated pc still handles the needs of the kids in the house, including the tweens.  The low cost systems sold during a Black Friday or Back to School sale are sufficient for most educational needs.  Look for bundled deals which include monitors and printers, to make the most of sales, as both of these components have a tendency to wear out within a couple of years of use.  If the cost is affordable, keep the upgrades in mind, as bigger screens, more memory, and such features are most likely to be big draws.

A desktop system is a good choice for a computer system to be shared by a family, including a tween, and is a great way to curtail activity, while keeping tween computer time to a limit.  Parental oversight, not the favorite of the tween, is important, and much easier to handle with a centrally located desktop pc for tween and family. ( Read through the list of Amazon's best selling desktop computers, and find customer reviews.)

All in One systems are space savers, and still provide a central computing experience.  Again, the deals are going to be best on these during the post-Thanksgiving shopping of Black Friday, and during the Back to School promotions of July and August.  It's wise to spend extra for extended warranties on such a system, as the failure of one component affects the entire unit. The HP Omni, shown at left, has outstanding reviews at Amazon, and the space saving design, along with the serious work environment the desktop creates, are great features, whether in a tween pc, or a family pc.  Comparing the cost of a desktop and monitor, sold separately from each other, this example is very cost efficient.

Touchscreen computers for tweens are attractive, for the additional interactivity, but may be on the pricey side, if you are looking for a cost cutting tween computer choice.  Tablet PC's for tweens are great as an additional educational tool, but as a main computer, not the best selection.

Laptop computers are popular for all who use computers, and give a mobility that a desktop does not.  If you are interested in a cost effective tween laptop, then keep the size of the laptop in mind.  A 17" laptop has a great screen size, but is awkward for a tween to handle.  Fortunately, the relationship between price and size is usually comparable, and as screen size decreases, so does the price.  14-15" is a better handling size, if your tween will be moving about with his or her computer.  With electronics for tweens, sometimes the small sizes cause concern for parents, with regard to eye strain, but in this case, smaller tween electronics are less likely to be dropped or damaged.  Beyond this, a laptop usually includes a dvd drive, perfect for educational disks to be incorporated into tween learning.  Again, there are frequently great deals all year long, with plenty of drive space and memory.  Watch for some especially good deals during Black Friday sales and Back to School promotions. (Find Amazon's list of current bestselling notebooks and laptops.)


For the household on an extremely tight budget, a netbook is a great tween pc choice, as the memory and storage are reasonable, while prices are also reasonable.  Come Black Friday, many people speculate that there will be huge deals, even $100 netbooks, featured in the sales circulars.  However, the only ones that have broached these low price levels in recent years have had very low memory and hard drive capacity, and have been off brands.  Though price is important, it's not a great investment to purchase such a deal if it won't serve your needs.  Comparatively speaking, most brands of netbooks have basic models at the $250 price range, with plenty of memory and hard drive space.  These won't serve the needs of the pc gamer, per se, but will be more than adequate for a tween's base educational use, including the ability to incorporate Microsoft Office software, and to handle other relevant research.   The ASUS featured at left has 250 GB Hard Drive, and 1GB memory, expandable to 2 GB...equal to the capacity of my 4 year old desktop, and a fourth of what the desktop cost at the time.  If you are looking for the most cost effective computer for your tween, a netbook is going to save quite a bit of money, and should last through much of the child's public school education.  It's wise to invest a little bit of the savings in an extended warranty, as accidents can happen with any tween electronic device, more so if it's a portable gadget.


If you are looking for a supplemental computer for your tween, a tablet pc for your tween may be a great choice.  For my thoughts on tween tablet pcs, check out the following posts:

Pros and Cons of iPad for a Tween

iPad for Kinesthetic Learners

Alternatives to iPad:  Tablet PC Choices for Tweens

iPad for Tweens: Pros and Cons

As a parent, it doesn't take much of an internet search to recognize that tweens love tech gifts and tech gadgets, and that iPad is one of the top tech gadgets for tween wish lists.  Some of us may look and think that it's a pricey toy.  Others of us, fans already of iPhone and other touchscreen devices, may think more in terms of the educational value.  No, it's not likely that our middle schoolers are thinking that their tween iPad is going to help them excel in school.  However, if the tween thinks that this argument will achieve the end result, don't be surprised at their pulling it out!

Apple iPad 2 Tablet:  Newest Model
16 GB WiFi, White
Click Image for Further Detail

On the positive side, iPad, and other touch screen tech gadgets, incorporate multiple learning modalities:  tactile, or kinesthetic learners have a hands on device, which taps into their active learning style, one that is very difficult to teach to in traditional classroom settings, and even more so in upper grades.  Auditory and visual learners, as well, are able to use the iPad in ways that work with their preferred means of learning.  If any educational device meets all of these modalities in one place, it's the iPad. 

Apple iPad (first generation)
32 GB Black, Wifi
Click Image for Further Details

App development for touchscreen devices has multiplied monumentally, and whether your child is interested in the solar system, or in learning Spanish, the iPad has apps for these areas.  Math quizzes, strategy games, graphing calculators, and more...there are a multitude of inexpensive, or free apps that meet educational needs, both generally and specifically.

Apple iPad 2
64 GB Wifi and 3G
Click image for further details.

iBooks provides access to ereading, and Kindle and Nook both have apps for iPhone and iPad, as well.  The iPad provides access to multiple ereader formats, and though much more expensive than a Nook or Kindle for a tween, is much more versatile.  If you were to purchase an iPod, a netbook, and an ereader, you would easily spend as much, or more, than you would for the most basic iPad.  From that perspective, iPad can be an outstanding investment.  Refurbished versions of the early generation iPads can be purchased at prices that take some of the sting out of the investment.  Newer versions are great, as well, and Apple has a track record for continually improving and re-defining already successful technologies.  Tween iPad use is a good means of getting some informal education into your middle school student's recreational activities.

On the down side, tweens can be somewhat irresponsible with technology items, and you really need to evaluate your tween's behavior and responsibility.  An iPad in a tween backpack is scary enough (the abyss of the middle school backpack is downright frightening!)...but when a tween takes a tech item to school, trouble is bound to happen...anything from confiscation by a teacher, to theft by a classmate, to damage in mishandling.  You must set groundrules with a tween iPad owner, and you must be prepared to impose consequences for infractions. 

Otterbox iPad Defender Case in White/Blue
Click image for further information.

Protective enclosures are advisable for the tween iPad owner, and Otterbox is a very good choice, in terms of their protective covers.  Double protection, with a silicone outer shell to absorb shock upon impact, combined with an inner hard case, makes Otterbox doubly protective.  Tweens can be a little clumsy with belongings, and if another iPad isn't affordable, you want to go out of your way to assure the safety of the one you select.

Be sure to check out user reviews of iPad 2, with a variety of insights into the use of the popular tablet pc.