Tech gift ideas for teens and tweens???

[Aliceacc]

My kids each have their own tablet, thanks to Santa last year.

They each have a 5ish year old IPOD... not fancy, but it does the trick. Any reason to update to a Nano?? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchp...201009##0##7&list=y&usc=All+Categories&nrp=15

The older 2 have phones. (Not smartphones, but we're not willing to go there yet with them.) My youngest will get a phone when she graduates from elementary school in June.

There's a TV in each of the bedrooms, not a flatscreen, but a functional TV hooked up to cable.

So.... can you think of any tech gifts in the under $100 range I can get them?

 

[lauradis]

sorry thought this was another thread, wow I need more coffee.

 

[JanaDee]

My kids each have their own tablet, thanks to Santa last year.

They each have a 5ish year old IPOD... not fancy, but it does the trick. Any reason to update to a Nano?? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?&id=pcat17071&type=page&ks=960&st=Select_Apple_iPod_nanos_20130912&sc=Global&cp=1&sp=-bestsellingsort+skuid&qp=q53656c6563745f4170706c655f69506f645f6e616e6f735f3230313330393132~~cabcat0200000%23%231%23%23e~~cabcat0201000%23%232%23%23e~~ncabcat0201009%23%230%23%237&list=y&usc=All+Categories&nrp=15

The older 2 have phones. (Not smartphones, but we're not willing to go there yet with them.) My youngest will get a phone when she graduates from elementary school in June.

There's a TV in each of the bedrooms, not a flatscreen, but a functional TV hooked up to cable.

So.... can you think of any tech gifts in the under $100 range I can get them?

I would update their ipods with new ones or get smartphones.

 

[stsomewhere]

I would update to smartphone.

 

[jgreco]

A Roku box? They can watch Netflix and Hulu. Lots of other neat games and apps as well.

 

[hsmamato2]

probably the only 'update' they would want at this point is to a smartphone which basically negates the ipod touch..... it's kind of an all in one gadget....

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

What do they want?

I'd upgrade them to smartphones but that's just me. But I noticed you said you weren't ready to do that yet for them.

I don't like the nano. I had one and ended up getting the Ipod 4 and selling the nano when those first came out.
I still like my Ipod 4.

At 16 is when we got my oldest an inexpensive laptop so he could do his homework, youtube watching ect. without having to fight with his sister because they both needed the desktop for homework.
But that was more than 100.00.

If you don't come up with anything else, maybe upgrade their TV's to flat screens for Christmas. My kids love their flat screens.
My son is wanting to take his with him to college for his dorm room along with his blu ray player and Dvd's. We shall have to wait and see on that once he gets a college picked out and finds out what he can and can't have.

 

[Random Ninja]

I'd go with noise-canceling headphones, iTunes gift cards, and special flash drives with their favorite animal, sports team, or video game character on them.

 

[luvmy3]

probably the only 'update' they would want at this point is to a smartphone which basically negates the ipod touch..... it's kind of an all in one gadget....

Not necessarily. My dd has a smartphone but its an android so she uses her ipod touch to imessage most of her friends because they have iphones. She also likes the camera better on the touch than the one on her phone.

OP, I'm not sure I'd upgrade them to a nano especially if they just use the ipod for music. If their older ones work fine, then there really isn't any point other than them having the latest and greatest. My dd also still uses her nano strictly for her music, its the old sqaure one and still works like a charm

I'm not sure what you could get for under $100. If you could get flatscreens for their rooms that would be a nice tech gift.
Do they each have a collection of DVDs, maybe a DVD player for their rooms.
I don't know your reasons for smartphones, but what about ipod touches? My kids love theirs and they use them for apps but mostly for communicating with the friends.

 

[mjkacmom]

Pretty much every 7th grader on up has an iphone here - does the trick. Ds10 and dd10 don't have phones yet - they will get iphones next year, so they have them going into middle school. Ds15 WAS literally the last kid in one of his classes to get an iphone last year (teacher let them use them in class).

 

[HM]

I also suggest the noise cancelling headphones. My son has some from Razer (Best Buy sells them).

I'd also think about accessories for what they already own. Covers/carriers for the Tablets, arm bands for holding the iPod if they go out running, fun phone covers ( http://society6.com/cases ), etc.

 

[wiigirl]

I would update to smartphone.

 

[MomToOne]

I guess I'm not normal, because I haven't given DD13 a smart phone, and have no intention to do so (much to her dismay). I don't think at 13 she "needs" one, and I have no intention of paying for a data plan for her - she can get a smartphone when she can pay for it. Until then, she has a texting phone in order to get in touch with me when necessary, and calls and text work just fine in that regard.

I am also a believer in using electronics until they break or outlive their useful life. I don't think you need to get a new version of a gadget just because there IS a new version. If your kid's existing iPods still work fine, and there is no feature on the newer ones that you feel is critical for your kids, then there is no need to get new ones. Same thing with the TVs.

If you want to give a tech gadget, how about something like a laptop? A laptop is really much more useful for school work - typing papers on a tablet stinks. Or how about an eReader? They are much easier to read on than a tablet.

 

[vikster1]

So.... can you think of any tech gifts in the under $100 range I can get them?

good head phones
new controller for game systems
games for game systems
100 gift card to game stop/walmart/best buys

That's all I can come up with for under 100.00

Maybe you have an upgrade to get a smartphone where you pay a minimal fee. As far as the data plan, it wasn't much a more a month. That can be part of the gift, or having to do xtra chores to work for it every month. My kids are allowed to use it in school for a calculator and apps for the classroom.

 

[Jajone]

Apple TV?

 

[mjkacmom]

I guess I'm not normal, because I haven't given DD13 a smart phone, and have no intention to do so (much to her dismay)..

Does she need an ipod? Does she need a laptop? Does she need an e-reader? Does she need a cell phone? Does she need a smart phone? The answer to all of these questions is probably no.

 

[Aliceacc]

OK, so my answer is pretty much what I expected: my kids have plenty of technology and there's nothing on the market that will fill any hugs void for them.

Again, we've decided against the smartphones for the time being. Everything else is simply a newer verison of stuff they already have.

So I'll start exploring other avenues for Christmas.

Thanks for your help.