The trends and hypes from America still frequently cross the ocean to nestle in Europe, and the rest of the world. In this case, it’s the sweet sixteen birthday party, celebrating a girl’s sixteenth birthday. Supposedly, this marks the transition from childhood to adulthood, although in the some countries, the emphasis is more on the 18th birthday. Nonetheless, this party is often celebrated by young ladies, and there’s a good chance your 16-year-old girl wants one too. A suitable gift for a girl of that age with such a party can be found in this blog. In fact, there are even twenty gifts!
Straight to the best gifts? Click here
Developmental Stage of a 16-Year-Old Girl
In love? No. Thoughts about sexual activities? Ew, no! And yet, you’d be surprised how much a 16-year-old girl is actually preoccupied with these topics. Appearance and health are important, and gradually, the contact between boys and themselves is restored. Because, when you’re sixteen and meet up with a boy, it’s automatically a date. And if you look at a boy for too long, you’re automatically in love. Wow, it’s tough being sixteen.
There’s nothing false about that last sentence. During their ongoing cognitive development, they also deal with physical changes and maintaining friendships is almost the number one task of the day. As a parent of a 16-year-old girl, you’ll notice some remarkable changes. Where your opinion once had some influence, you now seem to be 10-0 behind before a discussion even starts. Questions that explore the boundaries of adulthood fly at you frequently. At least, when it comes to drinking, vacations with friends, and intentionally not doing schoolwork. As you might understand, romantic feelings are not included, although that would be very beneficial for the girl’s development.
The physical characteristics will be in the final stages of development by the seventeenth year. Whether the 16-year-old girl is currently involved in sports or not will certainly influence the final look. Someone who is very athletic will maintain this physique for many years. These final changes undoubtedly come with insecurity, tantrums, sad moments, moments of euphoria, pride, and much more. The 16-year-old girl has a lot to endure with the fluctuations of her emotions, also due to other circumstances. As parents, this might be unpredictable and sometimes quite annoying, but know that this will be under control again later.
Dont’s (Types of Gifts You Shouldn’t Buy for a 16-Year-Old Girl)
Well, you only turn sixteen once, just like every other age. Since organizing her birthday is a big undertaking for your 16-year-old girl, you want to do your best to make it as memorable as possible. So, we’d like to point out the types of gifts you’d better not buy. Examples? How about a bottle of liquor she’s too young for, a creativity kit she won’t make time for, an outdated clothing item, or a pretty bra she’s not ready to think about (or doesn’t want others to think she’s thinking about), etc.
What is a Suitable Budget for This Age?
Choose which category you belong to, consider the budget, check the top 20 list, and buy a gift according to your wish (or rather the wish of Miss 16-Year-Old, of course).
- Parents/Guardians: £50.00 to …
You might consider giving a more special gift since at least one person finds this birthday very special (your 16-year-old daughter). - Immediate Family (Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents): £20.00 to £50.00
Combine your budget with that of her parents, buy something yourself, organize an activity for the 16-year-old girl, or put the amount in an envelope. - Neighbors/Acquaintances: £10.00
Wow, you’re actually invited to a sweet sixteen. Or wait, yes, only friends are invited to the evening party, the rest of the day is as usual, with lots of family and other acquaintances. - Friends: £10.00 – £15.00
While friends will probably bring a heap of cash, girlfriends will put in a lot of effort in their own way.
Further Tips
Experiences like concert tickets, a day out, or workshops can be great. Consider her style and preferences and choose something that encourages her self-expression. But beware, something can quickly be seen as boring, outdated, or lame, so only choose such a gift if you’re sure she’ll appreciate it. A personal touch or a handwritten letter makes the gift extra special. Finally, if the party is celebrated in a specific theme, she’ll appreciate the gift being wrapped in that style. ‘Did you really do that for me?’ is the reaction you’re hoping for.
1. Sweet 16 Gifts
Just like you only turn fourteen, thirty-five, eighty-three, and five once (or can), you only turn 16 once. But since Americans seem to have a big influence on our world and they celebrate the sixteenth birthday of girls exuberantly, we do too nowadays. And for such a birthday, of course, necessary decorations are needed. Think: balloons with ‘Sweet Sixteen’ on them, flags with the same, streamers, cups, sashes, plates… well, you get the point. It might be fun for friends to give this on her birthday so it can be used at the later big party.
2. Curling Iron
More and more, the weekend is all about which party is being celebrated. You go to that party in full glam. You make sure the outfit is perfect, the makeup is applied flawlessly, and the hair is tightly curled. For the latter, it’s handy to have a tool that can create that ‘tightness.’ You know, a curling iron. Looking at the range of curling irons, you’ll get lost. There are curling irons that work on hot air, curling irons that stick to the classic method, and curling irons with sixty different attachments. That’s why we’ve created a nice, affordable overview for you below. Choose one that you think will make the 16-year-old girl happy. You could also ask her friends for advice.
3. Facial Brush
The 16-year-old girl is in a time when her skin is probably doing everything she doesn’t want it to. From unwanted breakouts to bright redness, it’s not exactly what you’d call pretty. Some things can’t be prevented, but what might contribute to healthier skin is a facial brush. This brush is often used in combination with a special product that cleanses your skin. Think about removing dead skin cells, cleaning clogged pores, and much more. While not all ‘skin specialists’ are happy with the development of these products, they are generally considered positive. Let the 16-year-old girl read up on it before use, and everything should be fine.
4. Nail Set
Wherever you go, you increasingly see ladies with the most beautiful artworks on their nails. These nails are treated with varying gel nail polish, BIAB, or acrylic and come in the most beautiful patterns. But, you need the right nail stylist for that. So, money is needed. Money a 16-year-old probably doesn’t have. How fun is it to give her a nail set for her birthday, so she can make her nails beautiful herself? Check beforehand what her favorite colors are and what she already has so you don’t give duplicates. Alternatively, you could consider giving all the tools instead of the colors so she can practice. She might even earn a tenner by doing a marble pattern on her classmates’ nails.
5. Instant Camera
The Instant Camera might be the invention of the century. The century? Such a camera has been around much longer than that, right? Well, yes, but not the one we’re talking about. The cameras now come in a fun color, work like a charm, and are immensely popular with young people. Especially the young women among us. It’s quite an expense, but much more fun than just taking a photo with your phone. With this camera, since the photo comes out immediately, you have to think about your shot. You can’t take 60 in a row within 2 seconds, simply because that’s not possible. And, since each photo costs a euro, a 16-year-old will think three times before taking a picture. If several people want to give this gift, let one buy the camera, another buy a set of film rolls, and another buy a photo book to store the photos.
6. Makeup Set
Makeup is a popular and appropriate gift for a 16-year-old girl because at this age she often becomes interested in experimenting with different looks and exploring her own style. Give a makeup set with a range of colors and products, such as eyeshadow, lipstick, mascara, and blush, so she can try different looks. It’s important to choose good-quality makeup that suits her skin type and allows her to highlight her natural beauty without being too heavy. Alternatively, you could give her a gift card to her favorite makeup store so she can choose the products that suit her best.
7. Power Bank
A power bank, because ‘all day TikToking.’ Whether you’re watching videos or making them yourself, it drains your phone’s battery. And since the 16-year-old can’t be near a socket all day, a power bank is a great option to stay online. Maybe they should make a special TikTok phone designed for this, but then you’d deprive the 16-year-old girl of everything else she likes to do on her phone. Because indeed, it doesn’t stop at TikToking, and a power bank is useful for many other things as well. To stay online, we mean.
8. Wireless Earbuds
All the hits that need to be sung at the top of their lungs on the weekend must also be rehearsed. Nothing is more awkward than singing the wrong lyrics with conviction at the climax of a song. Well, you understand that the whole household/gym/school doesn’t want to share in your listened songs. A great solution is wireless earbuds. You can go wherever you want (within the range of the playing device) and don’t disturb anyone with your listening. Also useful for other purposes where you need to listen to something. Read: during calls, watching a romantic movie, etc.
9. Handbag
A phone, cardholder, keys, earbuds, makeup, (pocket) tissues, and menstrual products… Yes, it all needs to be carried around during the day. It’s handy to have a nice handbag to carry all that. A Dior handbag over €1000 might be asking too much. However, there are plenty of other affordable brands that sell equally beautiful, if not more beautiful handbags. You might choose a more neutral color like black to ensure it matches every outfit. Not that you can say that about a black color, but you get the point, right? Anyway, it’s a must-have item a 16-year-old girl can never have enough of.
10. Straightening Iron
Where curls can be made, straight hair can also be created. But you need a different tool for that. Well, that’s not entirely true, because you can indeed create curls with a straightening iron. Making straight hair with a curling iron is perhaps more difficult. Anyway, we’re talking about the straightening iron now, which a 16-year-old undoubtedly knows how to use. We hope you buy one of some quality, so she can use it for a long time. It might also be handy to give a glove. This prevents her from burning her hands and walking around with a scar for a while. Better be safe than sorry, we’d say. That’s also a message you can share elsewhere.
