Nook Ereaders for Tweens

If you are looking for a touchscreen ereader for a middle schooler, Nook is a good fit.  Most recently available is the Nook Touch, a totally touchscreen ereader for all ages, including tweens and teens.  The Nook Touch retails at $139, and has a 6" display.  The display size is bigger than that of an iPod touch, making it just a bit easier on your tween's eyes.  The Nook Touch incorporates lending capability, so your tween can swap ebooks with friends, as well.

If you have a bigger budget, Nook Color has a 7" display, and is currently the only popular ereader with a color display.  An augmented internet experience is incorporated into the Nook Color, making it similar in nature to many of the tablet computer choices.  Web browsing, email and applications are a sampling of Nook Color's options.


You can find a full selection of Nook Ereaders for tweens and teens, along with relevant accessories and cases, nook books, gift cards, and user reviews at Barnes and Noble.

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.

Digital Cameras for Tweens

Digital Cameras have become so much more affordable by the year, and photograph quality, as well, has improved exponentially.  Given the sale prices on the models available, digital cameras have become a favorite tween gadget gift for parents and relatives to give.  A more inexpensive model will generally serve the needs of a middle school student, or younger, without sacrificing on quality.  When your tween reaches high school, he or she may want to upgrade, at which point a more costly camera will also be more advanced, in all likelihood.  This was the case with my daughter, whose first digital camera was a Black Friday doorbuster, and which served her well for 4 years, at which point she requested something more advanced.

My daughter's new Nikon Digital Camera has twice the Megapixels of her starter camera.
Your tween will enjoy getting used to using, and caring for, a digital camera, and when older
will be ready for a more expensive model.

Colorful digital cameras are abundant, and for tweens, colorful gadets are well liked, whether computers or cameras.  Kodak Easy Share Cameras have been great performers through the years, and are available in assorted colors, at great prices.

Kodak EasyShare Sport in Red

EasyShare C143

Find green digital cameras, orange digital cameras, purple digital cameras, blue digital cameras,  red digital cameras, and pink digital cameras for your tween.

You can also check out Amazon's most gifted digital cameras list.

Tablet and Netbook Combined: Inspiron Duo

***Images are Clickable for current Pricing and Availability at Amazon

If you are torn between a netbook and a tablet computer for your tween, think about the Dell Inspiron Duo, a sweet little netbook, which converts to tablet.  Duo provides a keyboard, for traditional computer use, and touch screen, which flips over to function as a tablet PC.  For a tween, this should go a long way, through most middle school and high school educational needs.  Further, with 320 GB Hard Drive, it exceeds most cheap netbooks.  Costwise, the Inspiron Duo isn't much more expensive than a 16 GB iPad 2.

Read the latest user reviews at Amazon...
At this writing, customer ratings average 4 out of 5 possible stars.
Reviews are at the bottom of the page, linked through the image above.

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.