The sweet sixteen celebration turned out to be a tremendous success, and before you knew it, the girl was already on the verge of her 19th year. This birthday will undoubtedly be celebrated just as exuberantly. In fact, it’s like having two birthdays. All friends will come for a late-night drink, while the family will be unceremoniously sent home after a few hours. Perfectly fine, but what gifts go along with this? Find the answer to your question in this blog!
Straight to the best gifts? Click here
Developmental Stage of an 18-Year-Old Girl
We start with the developmental stage of an 18-year-old girl, which is incredibly interesting. At this age, she has probably developed a bit of her own identity, but that doesn’t mean she has finished developing.In most minds, 18 years old equals adulthood, but that’s not entirely true. At least, according to the law, you are an adult at 18, but when it comes to development, an 18-year-old is still in adolescence. The brain is still in full development, and the legality of drinking alcohol is not very wise.
An 18-year-old girl is no longer so focused on her parents. She probably still lives at home but makes her own choices and is mainly busy with her social life. These choices can sometimes be unwise. On the other hand, she can only learn from them if things go wrong once in a while. Choices are made about education, part-time jobs, and (romantic) relationships and friendships. The future outlook is often still somewhat idealistic and thus not very realistic. You might have opinions about this, but at the same time, such a worldview is intriguing.
If things are going well with the 18-year-old girl, you will notice it in everything. From behavior to mood: everything is approached positively. Unfortunately, 18 is also an age where things can suddenly go the opposite way. She might not feel well, think her identity is not what she envisioned, and see no possibilities. This makes the 18-year-old girl an incredibly interesting personality from whom you can also learn a lot. Read: someone who doesn’t take no for an answer and is just beginning her adult life.
Dont’s (Types of Gifts You Shouldn’t Buy for an 18-Year-Old Girl)
Now that you have an idea of how an 18-year-old girl stands in life, you might have some gift ideas. Before you buy them, we refer you to our top gifts, but also to the following information, which tells you that not all gifts are suitable for an 18-year-old girl.
For example, you don’t want to start with something that requires a lot of creativity from the girl. Yes, a bullet journal is fun. However, it remains fun only if the 18-year-old girl makes time for it. And if the average 18-year-old has to choose between being creative for two hours or watching TikToks and hanging out with friends, you can guess what she’ll choose. It’s better to ask about her activities instead of her interests.
What is a Suitable Budget for This Age?
Children get older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the budget increases. It might go up slightly, but it doesn’t have to. Consider the following amounts as possibilities, not advice.
- Parents/Guardians: £50.00 to ..
Since the 18th birthday is seen as a ‘special’ age, the budget might be larger than other birthdays. They might give a new double bed or a budget for a driver’s license. - Immediate Family (Uncles, Aunts, Grandparents): £20.00 to £50.00
A dear aunt might give a gift around £50.00, while grandparents might stick to a standard amount of £25.00 for all grandchildren, regardless of age or gender. - Neighbors/Acquaintances: £10.00
Just a fun contribution to something she’s been thinking about for a long time or to buy some fun accessories. - Friends: £15.00
An amount you can definitely buy something nice with, to decorate the gift or combine into a larger, joint gift.
Further Tips
We ‘end’ with some final tips before you dive into the best gifts for an 18-year-old girl. Read: choose something that is of high quality. From this age on, it’s better to choose something that lasts a long time than small gifts that are not very useful. For example, a beautiful leather bag instead of a plastic cup with a straw.
Furthermore, we recommend choosing a gift that will be remembered. Something like ‘remember when I turned 18 and got xxx from you?’. Think of something timeless rather than trendy.
1. 18th Birthday Decorations
We remember the day we turned eighteen well. At least, those memories are slowly fading deep into our memory, but after some digging, they resurface. In any case, the moment you actually turn eighteen is incredibly memorable. For the party you throw for your friends, you want everything to be perfect. How fun is it then for you, as an outsider, to give all kinds of special ‘18th birthday decorations’ as a gift. Think of banners, balloons, cups, streamers, and plates with this age printed on them. Or, if you know she’s having a themed party, give all the decorations in colors that match the theme, as you can imagine.
2. Handbag
Nowadays, this girl is starting to look more like a lady. A few years ago, only a mobile phone was needed when the family went visiting, but now she brings a whole handbag. And that’s necessary, because besides her phone, she carries perfume, a cardholder, powder, some sanitary pads, a mirror, and some loose change. As you can imagine, one handbag isn’t enough. At least, not on its own, because not all handbags match every outfit. So, buy her a handbag in her favorite color and a handy size. Consult her friends for advice, although the eighteen-year-old girl will surely tell you what her wish is.
3. Beerpong
Well, as a parent, you might not want to think about it, but it’s true. The time has come for the eighteen-year-old girl to drink alcohol, if you like it or not. At the upcoming party with her friends, you can expect some alcohol to be served. An essential game for this is beerpong. Buy it in a fun variant, for example, with all pink cups instead of red. Or one with an added challenge. For these things, it’s more about the idea than the actual quality, so don’t spend too much money. This gift might be better suited for friends (with a small budget) to give, rather than parents or other family members.
4. Wireless Earbuds
Imagine: an 18-year-old girl practicing her dance moves while streaming the latest hits. But when her moves get wild, her earbuds fly everywhere! Give her wireless earbuds – no more cables to limit her dance freedom, and she can still enjoy her music in peace! She’ll dance like a star without worrying about tangled wires. In other moments, wherever and whenever she wants, she can listen without the risk of tripping over her own cords. Think of listening to music while biking or walking. Not convinced? Well, it will also help her study better. The music aids her concentration, and without cords obstructing her books, studying will go smoother.
5. Instant Camera
An instant camera is a device that lets you print photos immediately after taking them. It uses instant film technology, where the photos come out of the camera right after being taken. This has been around for a long time, but since the introduction of Instax Mini cameras, it has become immensely popular again. It’s different from taking thousands of photos on your phone. Instead of a collection of thousands of phone photos, you’ll have a few dozen taken over the years. Owning one means investing in new film every so often, but that should be affordable for an eighteen-year-old. So, buy it!
6. Games
On a cozy evening with friends, when you don’t feel like going out, it’s fun to organize a game night. Everyone brings snacks, and all you have to do is provide the games. While the girls might focus more on chatting than the actual game, it’s still nice if the game is enjoyable. We’ve listed some popular games below. These are generally easy to understand and fun to play multiple times in a row. Pay attention to which ones you choose, as it might encourage more home evenings. As healthy as it is to go out at that age, being safe under mom and dad’s roof will prevent a lot of stress for her parents…
7. Craft Supplies
She’s not eight anymore, so a coloring book, markers, some glue, and a new pair of scissors won’t be on her wish list. By crafting, we mean materials she might use for her bullet journal. A bullet journal is a kind of notebook with dots instead of lines. It’s used for organizing tasks, goals, notes, and appointments, often decorated with drawings, stickers, and hand lettering. Some girls put their entire agenda in such a journal, while others use it for specific habit trackers. Either way, it’s a fun way to let creativity flow and not be glued to her phone at this age.
8. Straightening or Curling Brush
Zzzzzzzzzzzz…. No, we’re not talking about someone sleeping, but rather the sound coming from the bathroom after the eighteen-year-old has showered. It’s the sound of the straightening or curling brush she’s using. The advantage of such a brush is that it’s much better for her hair. The downside is that it makes more noise. But to prevent the eighteen-year-old’s hair, which is likely also dyed, from getting even worse, this is a great solution. Look carefully at the different functions of the brushes and what the girl’s hairstyle preferences are. Based on that, you’ll undoubtedly buy the right one, making her look flawless every day. Where have the days of messy mouths, dirty nails, and torn clothes gone?
9. Makeup
A versatile eyeshadow palette with a range of colors gives her the ability to create different looks. High-quality makeup brushes ensure precise and professional application. A mascara from a well-known brand gives long, voluminous lashes. A beautiful lipstick in a color that suits her skin tone and style can complete her look. And we can go on and on. But, you probably have no idea what she already has, what she wants, and what suits her. So, you can choose to pick out her gift together with the eighteen-year-old. She might want a nice eyeshadow palette or be happier with a makeup mirror. She’s old and wise enough to know that sometimes it’s better to know what you’re getting rather than have people guess and show up with the wrong thing.
10. Cookbooks
Now that this young lady has turned eighteen, it’s time to prepare for living independently. In fact, she might already be doing so. How fun is it to give a cookbook as an addition to the things she probably already has? We don’t mean the most extensive cookbooks for gourmet dining but rather one with basic recipes. She might be a good cook, but she probably doesn’t have the budget to serve three-star meals every night. Find out in advance what cuisine she likes and if you can find a matching cookbook. It might be fun to organize a family evening where she tests one of the recipes. At least you’ll know if the rest of the book is likely to be a success, haha.
