$15 chinese gift exchange gift for 6th grade girl

[havaneselover]

My dd's Girl Scout troop is doing a Chinese gift exchange on Friday. It's supposed to be something nice that costs about $15. Dd lives in a different world than most of these girls (she's a year younger and at a different middle school and one of the few who doesn't have a phone). She also has her own unique sense of what's cool which is fine with me but I want to help her pick out something these girls will use. I'm thinking of going the gift card route (iTunes?). Any other suggestions? She wanted to do an infinity scarf but some girls may not wear those is what I'm worried about.

 

[FourBees]

Do you have a Joann fabrics near you? Fleece is 70%off today and if you get two yards of two different kinds you can make a tie blanket. Kids around here love them as well as teenagers. Should cost you about $14.00 if you do one print and one solid. The Joann's near me is open until nine. Good luck!

 

[ldo]

we give headphones (Earbuds type), fuzzy socks, EOS lipgloss/chapstick (very cool, even for teens), anything from Bath and Body works (insert gift receipt, in case she wants a different scent), Michaels giftcard, TArget giftcard. We do not like ITunes--sometimes my CC gets charged instead of the ITunes.
for the fleece--give the fleece with printed out instructions how to do it and let her do it. DD12 loves to make these.

 

[Sunnywho]

I would let her do an infinity scarf. They're pretty popular.

 

[havaneselover]

Thanks for the ideas. Dd has made a fleece blanket before and that might be fun.

And good point on the iTunes gift card. I'll stick to target or maybe Barnes & Noble.

Now that I have some ideas I'll talk to her and see what she would like to do.

 

[tarheel618]

A gift card to Claires

 

[StitchBuddy]

Bath and Body Works, nail polish, a gift card to American Eagle or Hollister, Both of those also have inexpensive bath products that the girls will love. I wouldn't do Barnes and Noble for that age, they might not think it was a very fun gift. A scarf can be iffy, my DD wears them a lot and got one last year at a gift exchange and it wasn't her taste.

 

[havaneselover]

Bath and Body Works, nail polish, a gift card to American Eagle or Hollister, Both of those also have inexpensive bath products that the girls will love. I wouldn't do Barnes and Noble for that age, they might not think it was a very fun gift. A scarf can be iffy, my DD wears them a lot and got one last year at a gift exchange and it wasn't her taste.

That's my concern with the scarf. My DD's taste is very different from most of these girls. But maybe with a gift receipt.

When does Barnes and Noble become not fun (unless you hate to read)? They have everything. I'm probably out of touch but my kids are constantly begging to go.

 

[DawnM]

What is a Chinese gift exchange? It has to be made in China?

I don't get it.

My dd's Girl Scout troop is doing a Chinese gift exchange on Friday. It's supposed to be something nice that costs about $15. Dd lives in a different world than most of these girls (she's a year younger and at a different middle school and one of the few who doesn't have a phone). She also has her own unique sense of what's cool which is fine with me but I want to help her pick out something these girls will use. I'm thinking of going the gift card route (iTunes?). Any other suggestions? She wanted to do an infinity scarf but some girls may not wear those is what I'm worried about.

 

[ejcraft]

usually a chinese gift exchange implies, the gifts get passed around. one way is everyone gets a number, then No.1 gets to pick a gift. then No> picks and she can exchange her gift with No. 1 and so on, so the later your No. is the better off you are , as less people to "steal" your gift. it's usally lots of fun as people "fight " for the 1 or 2 giftd everyone wants.

 

[Luvchefmic]

What is a Chinese gift exchange? It has to be made in China?

I don't get it.

I get impatient when I don't know something and have to go looking around apparently it's the same as a Yankee Swap..yeah I never heard of that either. It's like a game, and seems like the Chinese reference is the gift you end up with is destiny.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5568471_rules-chinese-gift-exchange.html

 

[havaneselover]

What is a Chinese gift exchange? It has to be made in China? I don't get it.

First I had heard of it too. I guess it's like white elephant but supposed to be something you would actually want???

 

[3boymthr]

Girl Scouts - so I'm assuming they go camping or hiking at least once in a while. If yes, a great gift is an inexpensive water bottle (figure about $8) filled with holiday candy (hershey's kisses are always popular) and a $5 gift card to starbucks or dunkin donuts or some other fun place. Make it a transparent water bottle so all the other girls can see what's inside.

 

[havaneselover]

Girl Scouts - so I'm assuming they go camping or hiking at least once in a while. If yes, a great gift is an inexpensive water bottle (figure about $8) filled with holiday candy (hershey's kisses are always popular) and a $5 gift card to starbucks or dunkin donuts or some other fun place. Make it a transparent water bottle so all the other girls can see what's inside.

Yes, once a year they camp.

That's a great idea!

Thanks everyone for the creative ideas. I'm terrible at this stuff.

 

[DawnM]

Why would they call it Chinese?

First I had heard of it too. I guess it's like white elephant but supposed to be something you would actually want???

 

[Dawnlight]

I'd go with a gift card to a local teen-friendly establishment, something like a frozen yogurt (Orangeleaf) or burger place.

 

[elaine amj]

Candy always went over well. Thats what we are doing this year for our kids gift exchanges. Actually I'm doing candy for work too - a big box of fudge. I'm in a candy frame of mind this year.

 

[LovesTimone]

Chinese, White Elephant, Greedy Santa, Santa Swap, they are all basically the same thing, everyone get a number then you can pick from the pile of gift or steal someone else gift, it goes on until everyone has a gift. We had to add in a gift could only be stolen 3 times, or else you could be there all night...:

For middle school girls, they are super picky and fussy about what they like. When my girls were this age they were at different ends of the spectrum. ( one wore cowboy boots & camo and the other leaned more to the preppy side. So I would keep it simple, GC for American Eagle, Old Navy, Hot Topic, Pac Sun, Starbucks, Cold Stone ( ice cream or Yogurt place) Movie GC etc.... I would get a basket or some small container ( those little milk crates were my favorite dollar store finds) throw in some holiday candy... Wal-Mart always has some fun little item, MM's in a container, a big Reese bell, a Big Hershey Kiss and of course candy canes.

 

[DawnM]

So you just pick an ethnicity and assign it to a tradition that has nothing to do with that culture. Unless you know for sure that it is practiced in that culture and has some sort of meaning in that culture, don't use it.

Chinese, White Elephant, Greedy Santa, Santa Swap, they are all basically the same thing, everyone get a number then you can pick from the pile of gift or steal someone else gift, it goes on until everyone has a gift. We had to add in a gift could only be stolen 3 times, or else you could be there all night...:

For middle school girls, they are super picky and fussy about what they like. When my girls were this age they were at different ends of the spectrum. ( one wore cowboy boots & camo and the other leaned more to the preppy side. So I would keep it simple, GC for American Eagle, Old Navy, Hot Topic, Pac Sun, Starbucks, Cold Stone ( ice cream or Yogurt place) Movie GC etc.... I would get a basket or some small container ( those little milk crates were my favorite dollar store finds) throw in some holiday candy... Wal-Mart always has some fun little item, MM's in a container, a big Reese bell, a Big Hershey Kiss and of course candy canes.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

So you just pick an ethnicity and assign it to a tradition that has nothing to do with that culture. Unless you know for sure that it is practiced in that culture and has some sort of meaning in that culture, don't use it.

I agree completely!