Gift Ideas for Older Children- Navigating the Tween Transition
Last month my son turned twelve and we celebrated it by climbing Mount Teide in Tenerife. I had never travelled solo before and this trip was as much about my self-discovery as a parent as well as marking an intense shift in his intellectual sphere.
He has always been fascinated by the natural world, but everything feels magnified at this age-the ability for him to question everything on a deeper level and to test out his critical thinking of others was an experiment in independence for us both.
He had received the Black Scorpion Specimen from Our Earth Life for Christmas, and this gift was the inspiration for our trip-but also proof you don’t have to travel far or even at all to unlock these childhood curiosities. This was such a unique object featuring a real preserved scorpion and the opportunity to witness up-close a specimen in which the UK lacks any native species. Built to thrive in extreme environments you could say that a twelve-year-old and a scorpion have more in common that you might think! But perhaps the most mesmerising concept is the ability for its exoskeleton to glow under UV light. Fortunately, we had also purchased the Constellation Swatch Book from Kikkerland which came with a UV Flashlight so we could test this out.
The Swatch Book is another great gift idea that captivated my eight-year-old daughters’ interest in the night sky. It was received at a pivotal time as 2026 looks brighter than ever for Northern Lights Sightings. On the 19th of January 2026 we were treated to such a spectacle as the vivid hues of purples, reds and greens illuminated the skies in Cornwall and beyond. This natural phenomenon which features prominently in Norse Mythology connects children to natural rhythms and storytelling. The mystery of the Northern Lights can also be found in the latest issue of A Year & a Day, Issue No 24 Winter: Beyond the Polar Circles.
A Year & a Day Magazine | Issue No 24 | Beyond the Polar Circles – Conscious Craft
The Lyra Graduate range of pencils are the ideal gift for older children/teens to help bring their creative visions to life. Inspired by the power of colour found in nature and specifically created with them in mind they are excellent for technical and artistic drawing. These high quality art materials with their vivid and rich colours are perfect for a Northern Lights winter landscape.
The Beam Splitter from Stemcell Science is another fantastic product to bring a world of colour into your home and is a great science kit for older children. It even makes an interesting present for adults and was well received by my brother who is studying Natural Sciences at Bath University. It works by splitting a single beam of light into multiple beams and is just like the ones they use in experimental laboratories. To marvel at the intricacies of this glass cube we shone a light into one of the faces and watched the laser beams of different colours spill out onto the desk.
Another brilliant and inexpensive curiosity to try at home is the Human Powered Light Bulb from Copernicus Toys. This made a great stocking filler as my son is fascinated by electricity and how things work. The ability to generate enough static to light up this little bulb with just the power of your feet is mind blowing. It ignites a spark in their mind as well as their hands.
Perhaps the most wondrous thing of all is watching your children as they transition into early adolescence. It is a time filled with possibilities, and we can be quietly confident that we have provided the necessary tools for them to embark on this journey with a solid foundation. All the gift ideas listed above provide hands-on-learning and invite children to connect more closely with the world around them- just at a time when they need us the most!
Written by Emily Bendall
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