It's hard being a teenager in this modern world. Not only has social media likely taken over huge parts of your life, but you're probably also constantly striving for independence while also trying to navigate friendships, unrequited crushes, and looking ahead to the ever-intimidating notion of higher education.
As the parent of a teen, there are always going to be those teenagers who are perfectly happy with a foil-covered chocolate heart, but there are also some young adults out there who need a little something extra for their Valentine's Day gift this year in order to really feel the love.
Even though in our hearts we may want to give our teens the entire world, most of us have a budget we need to stick to. If you're looking for some cool and budget-friendly gift ideas you can give your teen this Valentine's Day, keep reading.
Get all of the ingredients for their favorite meal and make a fabulous dinner together.
Even though your kid is no longer small and super fussy, how often do you still experience difficulties getting your teen to truly appreciate the food and meals placed in front of them? It's probably more frequently than you care to admit.
If you're looking to get in a little quality time with your teen as well as build their cooking skills, you could always head to the grocery store and gather all the ingredients for their ultimate comfort meal and head home to make it together.
Even though everything is more expensive this year, if this is your sole V-Day gift to your teen, don't be afraid to splurge a little on the extra nice Italian pasta as a little treat. Be sure your teen picks out the recipe you're using because this gift is as much about fully treating them to good food that they love but also really putting the choice in their hands.
If your teen is crafty, get them a few balls of yarn and purchase a cool beginner’s pattern to help them get started with a fun new hobby.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, because knitting is always going to be a great life skill to pick up. It’s also really cool to be able to show off to the world the scarf or hat that you knitted yourself.
If you have a teen who is a little too obsessed with their phone and is looking for a new hobby to help keep both their hands and mind busy, a gift that includes a few balls of yarn to get them started along with an easy pattern or beginner’s book makes an inspired choice for a Valentine’s Day gift.
Also, knitting is supposed to be good for one’s mental health due to the meditative and repetitive actions that can work to slow down the nervous system, so there are multiple benefits you’re giving your teen when you go with this V-Day gift.
Grab a few packs of Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelet-making gear and spend an entire evening eating chocolate and making jewelry together.
Whether or not you have a Swiftie living in your house — hey, we didn’t say it had to be your kid as it could very well be you who loves belting out “Cruel Summer” at the top of your lungs — it’s safe to say that they’ve likely been thinking about the art of making friendship bracelets for quite some time but maybe haven’t taken it upon themselves to get the goods for achieving their bracelet goals.
A fun and inexpensive Valentine’s gift for your teen this year could be a friendship bracelet and jewelry-making kit that can provide literally hours of hands-on fun that you can absolutely partake in with your teen.
Heck, why not throw on their favorite Taylor Swift album, get out the Valentine’s Day chocolates, and just go to town together as you both design the cutest colored bead combinations to ever grace anyone’s wrist?
For teens who are into their skin care routine, grab a few calming face masks and a nice scented candle or even make your own lip scrub with some coffee grounds.
Every young adult should be encouraged to take time for themselves and indulge in some weekly self-care because before they know it, they’ll be full-fledged adults who experience anything from job- to relationship-related stress, and it’s just so important to learn how to slow down and give yourself a moment.
The teenage years are often a time when the world of skin care really becomes a major component of their everyday life, so why not gift your teen a true-blue, slow-it-down spa night at home with a few skin care-related goodies for Valentine’s Day?
If you want to keep things super inexpensive but still completely fun and light, you could always attempt to make a DIY lip scrub out of coffee grounds with your teen. There’s also something to be said about gifting them a multi-pack of quality face masks and a nice scented candle that they can light during their next bath for a little me time.
If they’re getting into taking hot drinks with them wherever they go, a $15 gift card to their favorite coffee shop and a cute reusable mug makes an inspired choice.
There usually comes a time for most teens when even if they don’t actually feel like adults just yet, they may start to pick up on some habits and mannerisms that allow them to feel more grown up. This is often where drinking coffee in the morning hours comes into play for a lot of teens.
Luckily for us, you don’t have to spend a ton of money nowadays to find cute travel mugs that will keep your hot beverage at a nice temperature for hours. For instance, this Meoky 40 oz. leakproof tumbler makes a great option for either coffee or tea and it’s available in a ton of vibrant colors.
As an add-on to this gift and to help your teen feel a little more independent, you could also gift them a $15 gift card to a local coffee shop for Valentine’s Day where they can head with their friends to grab a cup in their reusable new travel mug.
For avid readers, a cozy pair of heart-print socks and a gift certificate to your local bookshop makes an easy choice.
And then there are the teenagers who aren’t really into gaming or crafts because what really gets them excited is getting lost in a completely different world for a little when they dive into a great new book.
To stay on theme with Valentine’s Day, you could always gift your teen an adorable pair of heart-print socks that they can put on to get super snuggly on the couch while reading along with a gift certificate to a local bookshop where they can pick out an intriguing new read. With this one you're helping out your local economy and pleasing your teen. It's a win-win.
More from LittleThings: How To Actively Help Your Teen Deal With Their Skin-Picking Or Hair-Pulling Disorder
A new Bluetooth speaker won’t break the bank when paired with a $15 gift card to iTunes.
For those teens who are into music and always walk around the house with their earbuds listening to their latest musical obsession, you really cannot go wrong with a new Bluetooth speaker for Valentine’s Day.
There are a ton of affordable options nowadays that offer great sound for them while they’re doing anything taking a shower to lounging outside during the summer months. To go along with this V-Day gift, why not give them the gift that keeps on giving with a $15 gift card to iTunes or Spotify?
*Psst: if you choose to purchase an item from this post, LittleThings.com may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
