Ideas if you're looking for great birthday gifts for teens!
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2 of my teenagers have birthdays this month. Do you know what teenagers want for their birthdays? Me neither.
Just kidding. They want ca$h. All they want is cash and the more the better! :) They want the money to choose to spend on whatever their little hearts desire.
What to give Teenagers for their Birthday
I have learned my lesson. I have spent so much time and so much money on shopping for the perfect gifts over the years. I mean, they're my kids...I know what they like, right? WRONG!
Because they are my kids, whom I see and talk to every day, I get lulled into the false idea that I can buy gifts for them. And forget about finding the perfect gift for my nieces and nephews or kids' friends. I'm waving the surrender flag and will give them what they want from now on.
I know that you're thinking (because I have thought something similar) that cash is so impersonal. My son/daughter/niece/nephew will think I don't care about them because I stuck some cash in a card and called it good.
WRONG again. They don't care about personalized gifts. They care about cash. Believe me.
How to give Cash as a birthday gift
So we've established that teens want cash for their birthdays. And yes, you can place a few bills in a card. But if you want to do a little bit more than that I have some ideas for you!
Several years ago I made and gave Birthday Balloons for my nephew and they were a hit! I have repeated it in several ways with graduation gifts and Christmas gifts.
In the box or gift bag are small balloons. In each balloon is a rolled up bill. The birthday person gets to pop each balloon with the included safety pin, to get their cash out of the balloon. I sometimes fill the balloons with glitter or confetti to make it extra fun...aka messy and fun!
Another awesome way to give money as a gift is with candy gift. Get some of their favorite candy bars and wrap $1, $5, or $10 bills around them, place them in a cello bag and wrap it up cute with curling ribbon. Not that kids care about cute packaging, but I care about packaging so that's what I like to do!
Gift Ideas for Teens other than money
I know, I know I said I was only giving cash from now on. And that's probably what I will do for friends and relatives. But for my own kids... I think there are a few other ideas that will work.
Give the gift of Experiences
Do your kids like sports, concerts or live events? Get them tickets to see an NBA game or their favorite band in concert (once they resume) or a live event like a play or musical.
My son is a huge basketball fan. Nashville doesn't have an NBA team but Memphis does. And he loves the Utah Jazz so one year I got him tickets to see the Memphis Grizzlies vs the Utah Jazz at the Fed Ex Forum in Memphis, which is about a 3 hour drive for us. It was a gift that the entire family got to enjoy because we all got to go! The tickets were super cheap because we were in the nose bleeds, but it was a total blast and my son LOVED it!
Send a Birthday Celebration in a Box
Now that my older kids are in college or on a mission, they celebrate their birthdays away from home. And yes, it's just as terrible as it sounds! I cry every time that we can't do our birthday traditions! (sniff, sniff)
So what is a mom to do? I send them a birthday party in a box. That box includes:
- cake mix or even better a mug cake mix
- birthday banner
- birthday decorations
- birthday blowers and hats
- a pin for birthday girl/boy to wear
- treats and cash (of course)
