Best Gifts for Girls (ages 7-12)

If you know a 7-12 year old girl, they can have quite different interests. They aren't quite a teen and are likely to scoff at what we might traditionally think is age appropriate as a "baby toy". I discovered, by listening to my 8 year old and her friends, that the little girls of today do still play with baby dolls, but they also want more sophisticated toys. They just can't decide if they are teenagers or elementary schoolers.

We all want to ensure that we get a smile from our pre-preteen gift recipients so I've been listening to these girls to find out the presents that they really want. Now I'm going to share that information with you!

Here's my recommendations. Scroll down through to see the full descriptions and where to get these items.

• Mini hand sanitizers and rubber jackets
• Anything Bieber- accessories, CD's, pajamas,movies and more
• Wii- Just Dance 3 (also made for Xbox)
  
• American Girl Dolls and accessories
• "Shake It Up" line of clothing
• Accessories- feather clips, hair extensions, bracelets, makeup and more

Ok you're going to think I'm crazy here, but the hottest items out there right now are....wait for it...Hand Sanitizers. It took me by surprise too, but go check out any 7-12 year old's backpack and you will find them hanging, in their own specialized carrying case. They can't have just one, they need every scent and every "rubber jacket" (the official name of the carrying case).

The good thing is that they are cheap! You can pick up the mini bottles at any Bath and Body works for around a buck and the jackets run from three to five dollars. You can find the Purell version on Amazon complete with jacket as well. This one is a sure fire guarantee for Christmas. A stocking full of these will make you the coolest gift giver ever.

Teenager-wanna-bes that they are, this group of girls loves makeup, hair accessories and basically anything you see at those niche stores at the mall. You know the ones cleverly disguised as accessory shops for teens, but with the "Hello Kitty" and "Justin Bieber" sections conveniently placed by the check out.

I highly recommend stopping by one of these stores and observing where the girls huddle to determine the hot trends of the day...yes I said day, because one day they'll swarm the Justin Bieber display and the next day he'll be so yesterday. Luckily for us right now the "Bieb" is as hot as it gets.

Basically anything Bieber is hot! Choose from bracelets, hair ties, socks, and just about any accessory you can think of....because in the Bieber section you can find anything and everything with the Bieb plastered on it...and it's all good.

Now that you have your Bieber accessories, it's time to grab that Bieber doll. There are many to choose from, but the one they want is the singing Bieber. A Bieber without a song is just not acceptable and will surely disappoint your little pre-preteen.

Need to add a little more, consider adding the ever popular Bieber CD, Movie or countless number of books about Bieber. I like to choose a book, just to trick the little buggers into reading.

You cannot go wrong with "Just Dance 3" for Wii. Our pre-preteens love it and frankly so do I. It's great exercise and the kids will actually let you play too! That is if you can get into the groove. Wii has become one of my picks lately with their interactive games they've won my heart as one of the last few things this age group will allow parent participation. Hooray for a game unit that brings families together with some fun options.

On a side note, Just Dance for Kids, has been ruled out by our pre-preteens as for "babies".

Your pre-preteen does still want dolls. However their taste in dolls has changed, they are no longer satisfied with the sweet cooing babys who eat,cry and make some doo doo.

The doll of their dreams is the "American Girl Doll" and she's pricey! You're looking at dropping around $100, yep that's right $100 and guess what....they all have that friend who already has a collection of these. The "American Girl Doll", if you aren't familiar is a collection of dolls based on different times in American History. They are great quality dolls and they each have their own story, from the point of a girl in your pre-preteen's age range. You can choose dolls from any decade or you can order one that resembles your pre-preteen.

If you purchase the doll, you may want to purchase some accessories. Hold onto your purse strings though because just like the dolls themselves, the accessories prices are jaw dropping. But if your pre-preteen's Christmas wish is your command you can't go wrong with anything labeled "American Girl Doll".

You can only purchase these through the American Doll catalog or website, so order early.

You may be tempted to choose an outfit for your pre-preteen. Proceed with extreme caution here. If you know your preteen's current favorite star, you may be ok. If you don't you could make the gaffe of the season. Just a hint absolutely nothing with Dora is hot. Hannah Montana is out these days, the girls prefer the unique stylings of shows like "Shake It Up", available through KMart or Sears. "ICarly" is slowly fading and "Hello Kitty" will be met with an eye roll. Unless you really know your 'pre-preteen' I would avoid clothing at all costs.

While diamonds may be a girl's best friend, flashy, sparkly accessories are a pre-preteen's best friend. Thank goodness because between the Wii games and American Girl Dolls, I really can't afford much else!

So if you want a surefire way to bring a Christmas smile to your pre-teen, what better way than a big gift bag full of the froo froo she's been longing for. You can find these at any boutique, seems they all cater to little girls these days. Again just to be clear these girls will not be happy with 'Dora' or 'Hello Kitty'...we are talking sophisticated pre-preteens here.So what do they want, they want sparkle, they want things for their hair, they want teen themed jewelry and lots of it!

Here are there most popular requests:

• Bieber accessories, jewelry, hair paraphernalia, socks, slippers and anything with Bieber's face plastered on it.
• Feather hair clips and as many as they can clip onto their little heads
• Hair extensions...think Jacob's coat of many colors here..they want all the colors of the rainbow
• Bling!!! rings, bracelets, necklaces...they want everything that sparkles and if it's teen themed that's even better.
• Boot Furries (If you're not familiar, they are kind of like boot muffs, they go over the outside of their boots) Trust me they love them!
• Boas--a tried a true accessory for all ages and our pre-preteens agree.

And if you can put this all in a fantastic bag or purse that's even better!