Hot Holiday Gifts for Tween and Preteen Girls

I racked my brain for what to get for my tween stepdaughter this Christmas. Did she still want toys? Was she into more grown-up stuff? Was her greatest desire an iPod MP3 player or did she want dolls? I had absolutely no idea. The answer, I soon realized, was to ask her myself. Here are some of the results of asking my daughter what she knew about what preteen girls all want this year.

The first and most obvious gift idea is a Nintendo DS. Your tween daughter may already have one, but for those moms and dads out there who are not exactly electronics savvy, you may not have heard of this great little item. The Nintendo DS is a miniature video game console that can fit into a purse or pocket. This neat little device has a touch screen inside and can play a variety of games. The price is right at about $120-$175, games are about $20 each, and the consoles even come in pink.

The following NDS games are what I have been informed are the most desired by tween girls. Nintendogs is a fun game where you get to have your own make-believe pet puppy which you can feed and care for. Girls get a choice of several kinds of dogs. Girls who love Hannah Montana may like her games which include mystery adventures and skateboard games. There are also games for Pirates of the Caribbean, fashion designer games, Are You Smarter Than a 5^th Grader, as well as a collection of other pet games such as Horsez, Catz, Hamsterz, and Dogz.

Speaking of horses, many young girls are horse fanatics. This year, my stepdaughter is going to get a gift certificate either for horseback riding lessons or for a day of horseback riding. Some stables will let you pay in advance and present your child with a gift certificate. Little girls who love horses will be thrilled.