Fun Gifts for Tween Sports Fans
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/floating-soccer-ball-1509397-1600x1200-56c112b25f9b5829f867517c.jpg)
Julie Elliott-Abshire / freeimages.com
Finding gifts for preteens isn’t as easy as it was when they were younger. Preteens can be a tough crowd to please, and the best way to proceed with gift-giving is to consider the child’s interests, passions, and hobbies. If you know a preteen who is a sports addict, either as a player or a spectator, gift-giving just got a little easier. Consider the items below when shopping for your sports-minded preteen. They'll help you stuff your tween's Christmas stocking, or make his birthday a special event. They're also thoughtful gifts to end a great sports season or start another.
Gifts for Tween Athletes (Or Sports Fans)
- A couple of insulated water bottles to take to practice
- A sports towel with your child’s initials
- Deodorant for the locker room
- Tickets to a local sporting event that you can attend together
- New sports-specific equipment for practice or play
- A subscription to a sports-themed magazine
- A new gym bag with your child’s initials
- A new warm-up suit
- A new toiletry kit for the gym
- Locker decorations with the logo of a favorite team or sport
- Hand warmers or toe warmers for outdoor winter sports
- Chapstick
- A small notebook for taking notes at practice or writing down plays or tips from the coach
- An exercise ball, hand weights or other items to help improve performance
- Books about your child’s favorite sports
- Sports memorabilia such as vintage sports magazines, baseball cards, posters or equipment
- A fitness or sports journal or diary
- An autograph book that your tween can fill with signatures of his teammates, coaches or his favorite players
- A small insulated soft-sided cooler to take to practice
- A gift card to a local sports store
- Workout clothes such as t-shirts, socks, athletic shoes, and shorts
- A jump rope for training
- A gym membership
- A manicure in team colors
- A gift card to a local spa for a sports massage
- Sports-themed game for the computer/game console
- A consultation with a personal training coach
- A gift certificate to a week at a local sports camp
- Sports-themed items for their room, such as pillows, posters, bedspreads, and accessories
- A jersey from your child's favorite team
- A new digital camera or video camera for documenting season and interviewing teammates
- A picture of your child’s team, framed and ready to hang in his room
- A sports-themed calendar
- An air-freshener for the gym locker
- A scrapbook or bulletin board to display newspaper clippings, ticket stubs or other sports memorabilia
Other Suggestions for Tween Athletes
- If you can't afford a pricey item, purchase two or three less expensive items, such as an insulated water bottle, hand warmers, and a sports magazine, and then make a sports-themed basket for your tween.
- To make it fun, wrap your gifts using the sports pages from your local newspaper, or use the pages of a glossy sports magazine. Or, stuff your gift items into a sports or athletic bag, tie with a ribbon and present it to your sports-minded preteen.
- If your present is for a birthday party, carry the sports theme through the party with invitations, activities, a sports-themed cake, and even sports-themed goody bags for all the guests.
- If your tween is interested in a yet-to-be-tried sport, consider taking lessons together. You could learn to ski, box, or take on archery or sailing as an extracurricular activity.