A Gift Guide for the Generations: 16 Gift Ideas for the Teen Gen Alpha in Your Life

If you’re trying to find the perfect present for your favourite tween or teen, then look no further. We’ve rounded up some of the season’s best gifts for the Gen Alpha kid on your holiday shopping list.

Sweet Treats

1. Holiday Cookie Stamps

Encourage a love of festive baking with a set of three Nordic Ware gingerbread holiday cookie stamps ($45) from Crate & Barrel, which has a new flagship location in Vancouver on West 41st Avenue. The aluminum stamps have wooden handles and feature gingerbread children and a gingerbread house, ideal for stamping designs onto gingerbread, shortbread or sugar cookie dough. Consider pairing the stamps with a copy of 100 Cookies: The Baking Book for Every Kitchen ($40).

Clothing & Accessories

2. Puffer Jacket

The January girls’ puffer jacket ($399) from PAJAR stays cozy even when temperatures plummet as low as -20°C. Plus, this jacket is water-repellent and has a detachable hood. Founded in 1963 in Montreal, PAJAR is known for its cold-weather outerwear and footwear. Fun fact: The company name combines the first letters of the founder’s name—Paul Golbert—with letters from the first names of his family members, Jacques and Rachel.

 3. Toque

Made entirely from recycled fabric, the Oh Mega Fur Pom beanie ($40) from The North Face features an adorably oversized faux-fur pompom on top. This cozy hat is part of the company’s Circular Design initiative, which focuses on reducing pollution and landfill waste.

4. Butterfly Earrings

Ecksand’s shimmering butterfly stud earrings are available in 14K rose gold ($780), 14K yellow gold ($780) or 18K yellow gold ($895). Pair them with a matching butterfly necklace, either with diamonds or without. Each piece of jewellery that the Montreal company makes is handcrafted entirely in Canada using recycled gold and sustainable precious metals, along with stones that are either lab-grown or natural, traceable and ethically cultivated.

Pampering Products

5. Lip Treatment

The SoftServe pomegranate and shea butter barrier-building lip treatment ($24) from Three Ships is the perfect stocking stuffer. Taking aim at dry lips, this yummy-smelling lip treatment delivers hydration, clear shine and a natural vanilla scent. Three Ships is a Toronto company that makes all-natural, vegan-friendly and dermatologist-tested skincare products.

6. Bath Bombs

The Drop. Pop. Fizz. bath bomb trio ($22) from Rocky delivers deliciously scented pampering in a petite package. Encourage a stressed-out teen or tween to relax and enjoy the three different soothing blends of essential oils, rich butters and plant botanicals: lavender-calendula, oatmeal-honey and vanilla-coconut. Based in the Canadian Rockies, Rocky (formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Soap Company) is a sustainably minded business that crafts natural beauty products.

Electronics

7. Headphones

The outside world magically slips away for anyone wearing a pair of Bose QuietComfort noise-cancelling headphones ($480) from Canadian Tire. These over-the-head wireless Bluetooth headphones can toggle between two modes—quiet and aware—and a single charge offers 22 hours of battery life.

8. Digital Camera

The Fujifilm Instax Pal digital camera ($80) from Best Buy is the perfect tool for capturing special moments with BFFs, siblings, furry pet pals and more. This compact camera has a wide-angle lens, and it can shoot in mini, square and wide formats. Interval shooting allows the camera to take sequences of shots, which can then be turned into fun animations, while Bluetooth connectivity lets images be easily transferred from the camera to a smartphone and then enhanced with filters and stickers.

9. Smartwatch

Designed specifically for active kids—with a fibre-reinforced polymer case, chemically strengthened glass and an adjustable silicone band—the Garmin Bounce 2 smartwatch ($400) from Best Buy has GPS built in, so you can see your child’s location in real time. With an active subscription and LTE connectivity, the Bounce 2 can also do two-way calling and text messaging. This tough smartwatch boasts a swim-friendly design, and it’s made to track sleep, chores and rewards, and activities such as swimming, biking and skiing.

10. Game Console

Teens and tweens who love playing Mario Kart World or Donkey Kong Bananza will be clamouring for the Nintendo Switch 2 console ($630) from Best Buy, which landed on store shelves earlier this year. The Switch 2 has a vivid 7.9-inch touch screen, a built-in microphone and a dock that can support up to 4K resolution, so games look and sound amazing.

11. Alarm Clock

It doesn’t get much simpler than Lexon’s Flip Premium alarm clock ($80). When the clock’s “on” face is showing, the alarm is set. When the “off” face is visible, the alarm is off. To toggle between the two, just physically flip over the clock. Easy-peasy—and pretty darned clever.

Other Cool Stuff

12. Teddy Bear

BOSS and Steiff have teamed up for a whimsical capsule collection that pairs Steiff’s adorable teddy bears with BOSS’s sophisticated style. The resulting collection is just as delightful as you’d expect, with an array of covetable products ranging from a bear keychain ($49), stuffed bear ($139) and limited-edition teddy bear ($399) to a hoodie ($399), backpack ($549) and mohair-lined trainers in suede ($649).

13. Graphic Novel

Free Piano (Not Haunted) (hardcover $33, paperback $19, e-book $12) tells the story of a young songwriter who—hungry for both social media fame and parental approval—teams up with the ghost haunting her secondhand piano. The ghost just happens to be a deceased pop star. This fun middle-grade graphic novel was written and illustrated by Victoria-based Whitney Gardner.

14. Napping Cushion

What teenager wouldn’t enjoy being encouraged to sleep more? The soft napping cushion ($40) from Muji works equally well on a desk, sofa or table.

15. Multipurpose Toolbox

Manufactured in Japan from a single steel plate, the T-320 toolbox ($50) from Toyo can hold a wealth of small treasures, from candies to beauty products to school supplies—and, of course, tools.

16. Snowshoe Kit

Winter adventures start with an Outbound snowshoe kit ($97) from Canadian Tire. The kit includes a pair of lightweight but strong snowshoes with crampons, two adjustable hiking poles and a bag for carrying everything on snowy outings.