This is our BIG week here in Smartyland – our annual holiday toy gift guide, powered by Toy Mania in Cotswold, our absolute favorite toy store in Charlotte. Their toy experts know all the hottest trends and coolest toys. They’ll know just what your kiddos want, even if you’re not sure! Avoid the shipping costs and delivery uncertainty of online shopping and get the personal service of local toy gurus who greet you at the door of Toy Mania at Cotswold Shopping Center. We love supporting local, family-owned businesses like Toy Mania!
Today we bring you our Gift Guide for Tweens & Teens (these terms are totally interchangeable!), by our Smarty tween & teen team, we brought in the teen experts themselves for this bad boy!
To have a look at our Gift Guide for Ages 0-5, click here. To see our Gift Guide for Ages 6-11, click here.
Here are some fun tween/teen picks from Toy Mania – you’ll have to stop in their store to check them out!
Rolfie DIY Miniature Houses:
King Lizard Robot Kit:
Gears Model Marble Run:
Apple AirPods Pro – Apple AirPods are wicked popular among teens.
Magazine subscription – Let’s bring magazines back!
How about a new bike from our Smarty experts at Trek of CLT?
Springfree Trampoline. This gift never gets old, for any age:
ENO Hammock. So fun just to hang in the backyard, stacked one on top of the other, super fun and great for sleepovers!
Camp Under the Tree!
This is the best grandparents gift EVER. Whether it’s day/overnight camp like Camp Thunderbird, dance camp like Jami Masters School of Dance, an overnight camp like Camp Harrison, a sports/fun day camp like Queens University Athletic Camps and CPCC’s Summer Experience, or super popular teen adventure trips like Moondance Adventures; they will all be a hit!
Teen Boys
The.Party.Box. If Santa puts this under your teen’s tree, your house will be the hit of the neighborhood! But your neighbors may hate you for it:-)
UGG slippers, boys love UGGs too!
Flannels – nothing oozes cool like a flannel over a hoodie!
Chubbies shorts & swim – with built-in undies, need I say more?
And Birddogs shorts – same as Chubbies, you pick!
A new snowboard – we’re so close to Beech Mountain!
Sports: Speaking of sports, you can’t go wrong with sports equipment. A jersey or any merchandise from their favorite player or team will be sure to put a smile on their face! If he is an athlete, ask him if he needs any new equipment (odds are he will, teenage boys tend to be rough, regardless of the sport). Any boy would also love tickets to a professional sports game to see their favorite team. We have the Panthers, the Hornets, the Checkers, the Knights, Charlotte FC and Independence all right here in the QC!
On-Demand TV: Apple TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBOGo are all great subscriptions for teens on your list.
Gym: The Greater YMCA of Charlotte, put a Y membership in their stockings. Every teen will enjoy that all year-long.
REI: If he’s the outdoorsy type, a trip to REI will do you wonders. Camping, fishing, or hunting equipment can make a great present! You could also plan a trip to take him on where he can try out his new gear!
For his stocking:
Ca$h and food gift cards, boys are always starving: Chick-fil-A, Cookout, Chipotle, McDonald’s, Starbucks – you get the idea!
Teen Girls
LED Lights with Remote – She will love lighting up her walls.
This new spin on Chuck Taylor’s– is the hottest trend this year!
Drybar The Baby Brush Crush: Heated Straightening Brush – What every teen girls wants/needs on rushed school mornings.
Jo Malone Perfume – just like mom, she’ll enjoy any fragrance you pick for her!
P448 Sneakers – like Golden Goose, but cooler and less expensive (but still pricey :-0)
Make-Up Eraser Cloths – These cloths remove the toughest makeup with just warm water (including waterproof mascara!)
Crossbody bag – just the right size to carry her phone, keys and a lip gloss
Slippers – Ugg’s are the best!
Workout Clothes: Lululemon shorts – all teenagers wear these:
Gift Cards to her fave boutiques and restaurants:
Sephora, Boem, KKBloom, Ivy & Leo, Vestique, Bakersfield Tacos, Paco’s Tacos, Bricktop’s, Brixx, Hawker’s, Tupelo Honey, Superica, Jeni’s Ice Cream, and more!
Fitness: A membership at the Y, her favorite yoga, barre or cycle studio – our faves are Pure Barre – SouthPark | Myers Park | Ballantyne, Barre3, Cycle Bar – Midtown | Waverly, and Yoga6. Or find one close to your house! Make sure you ask for the student rate!
The 2022 Smarty Holiday Toy Gift Guide is sponsored by our favorite local toy store, Toy Mania in Cotswold. Find everything on your child’s wish list without having to worry about shipping costs and delivery dates! And guess what? They will wrap every gift BEAUTIFULLY and oh-so-expertly – so you don’t have to pull an all-nighter on Christmas Eve!
Cotswold Village Shops
242 S. Sharon Amity Road
704-910-2001
Hours: Monday -Saturday 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.; Sunday 12 p.m.- 6 p.m.
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