Unique Gifts for Tweens and PreTeens

Buying for tween / preteen ages can be difficult and scarey. Here are four of this year's most talked about gifts for both girls and boys.

(1) iFish, the musical pet - Remember iDog that was made for your iPod? Well, this Sega iFish accessory has the same concept but with more features! The iFish is clear white in color and shaped just like a fish. Its head, fins, and tail are "whole," but the body is bones. An iPod (or other MP3 player) plugs into the iFish and the fish dances to the music that's coming from its own built-in speakers. The movements look so real as if the fish were really swimming underwater! When it moves, it also shines bright tropical LED colors. The iFish responds to light, touch, and audio.

The Sharper Image is selling this iFish for $19.95 this holiday season. It was $59.95, so this iFish would make a fun, affordable gift for your preteen!

(2) Nike iD Customizable Shoes - Let your preteen design his/her own Nike shoes! If you don't want to guess at what they'd like, then give them the Nike Gift Card so that they can visit Nikeid.com and make their own. The site starts off asking what type of shoe they want to customize - running, walking, etc. Then they start with a "blank" pair of shoes or a pre-started shoe which has a few customizations already done that they may like. After they choose, the preteen is taken to the first page that asks for their shoe size. Step 2 is to add color to all 7 parts of the shoe. This part is interactive, so the preteen can see the color on the shoe and can change the combinations until they are satisfied. Once all the colors have been chosen, the preteens can proceed to step 3, which lets them personalize the shoe with words or a graphic. In step 4, the preteen previews the shoes they created. The next thing for them to do is buy the shoe. It will take 4 weeks to arrive at their door. I'm sure the wait is well worth it though considering these are unique shoes they made themselves that no one else has!

(3) Guitar Hero III Bundle - As seen on a funny South Park episode recently, Guitar Hero is one awesome game for the PS 2 &3, Xbox360, and Wii platforms. Players use a somewhat life-like, wireless guitar controller. When a note shows up on the screen, the player must strum the bar while hitting the matching key on the guitar. In Guitar Hero III, there are over 60 rock songs to play to. Points are scored with each correct note the player gets. The game can be played alone, or with a friend, or even online against other people!

(4) Laptop Schtickers - Your preteen probably has a laptop, right? I'll bet your preteen would love to have schtickers to really add color and character to their computer! Schtickers and skins are basically stickers that go on the outside top half of the laptop. You can buy a pre-made design such as a leopard print, flower, waves, car, camo, etc. just to name a few of the hundreds! If you or your preteen don't like those, you can make your own design! These skins come in different sizes, are very affordable, and durable. They are easy to stick on and removable.