AGE GUIDE 12+

By the time they're 12, they'll tell you they're no longer into "toys," although they totally are — it's just that the toys themselves have grown up. Tweens of this age are into tech toys, party games, things that help them decorate their rooms and other fun fidgets they can use to keep their hands occupied. And while that all sounds very expensive, it doesn't have to be:  you can still nourish their interests, engage their brains, get their bodies moving and help them express their personal styles without spending a whole lot.

Our picks for the best toys and gifts for 12-year-old boys and girls are specially curated, best-sellers and favourites from tweens themselves, so you don't have to put in much guesswork when shopping for those inscrutable 12-year-olds.