The Teen Guide to Buying Gifts for a 17 Year Girl

Buying gifts for loved ones can be nerve-wracking experience as you want to get something that will make them happy. But shopping for teenaged girls can be tricky if you are not part of her inner circle of friends and know exactly what she loves. What if you end up picking a gift that is considered totally uncool and she hates it? Shudder.

Bespoke gifts are a safe bet as personalising even the simplest everyday things for her will please her no end. Find out what she likes, you may need to get a little nosy to do this, go through her social media pages, take a peek into her room, flip through her magazines, keep an eye on things she enjoys and you will get a fairly workable understanding of what are good gift options. Look for things that can be customised to match her tastes, get her name monogrammed, etched or printed on gift items, anything to make her feel special.

If you are a woman, you know how much girls of all ages love to be pampered; if you are a man, you have probably done it yourself or seen enough evidence. Get her things to make her feel cosy, small treats for daily use, girly treats like a pedicure or a spa treatment. Pampering means going beyond things she needs, giving her things that she can do without, but are great to have - a luxuriant bathrobe, perhaps monogrammed, getting her nails dolled up, a beautiful mug for her daily dose of morning coffee, and pretty room decor for her room are just a few of the options to consider.

Do bear in mind that indulging her doesn't have to translate into spoiling her. Pampering gifts don’t have to be extravagant or come with massive price tags.

They sure do, and who can blame them. They are children of such an exciting digital age where there are tons of cool gadgets, fascinating apps and endless possibilities. Her smartphone and the internet are probably deeply entrenched in her life. If she doesn’t already have a smartphone, this is when you turn into the awesome parent by gifting her one. Gaming consoles, tablets, laptops, headphones or portable music speakers, smartwatches and accessories for any of these devices will all be happily lapped up. It is not even difficult to zone in on the coolest gadgets for kids her age - the internet is filled with updates on the latest offerings, or you could walk into a store and simply ask for what is popular for someone her age.

Magazines are a good way to encourage her to read as they are easier to read and for many, are more enjoyable than books. Buying single issues of her favourite magazines each month can be expensive, but they are almost always significantly cheaper through subscription. Fashion magazines and teen magazines are a good choice if that is where her interest lies. You can also consider sports, news, and other informative magazines if she is keen on any particular subject. Or you could mix things up with perhaps one girly magazine and another serious one, but only if she will enjoy it. Remember it is a gift, and she may be put off that you are trying to turn a gift into an educational supplement.

Seventeen magazine is a popular choice for girls this age. It has real life stories, beauty tricks, celebrity scoops and style ideas. A year long subscription to the US edition is priced at Rs.2,293 and includes 5 issues. Order it at indiamags.com.

Pretty jewellery that compliments her own personal style is a good gift to give. Choose pieces that she favours - either bracelets or wristbands, earrings, rings, toe rings or pendants. Pay attention to the style she wears most often and keep them in mind when selecting a design. Trendy jewellery is ideal, but if you want to buy something more expensive, you can consider gold or silver earrings in traditional designs that she can use for special occasions.

We suggest a personalised birthstone pendant necklace. They usually come in simple delicate designs that are suited to daily wear, and a birthstone necklace will be special, something she will hang on to long after the other trinkets in her jewellery box are gone. Personalised name necklaces are also a good option, but at 17 she would perhaps like slightly more mature jewellery.

These personalised necklaces by Natasha Custom Jewelry feature a Swarovski birthstone and a hand stamped disk that can have her initials, name or a small message. You can select the type of chain as well. Made with Sterling Silver, it is priced at Rs.5,209 on Amazon.

She loves her phone, there is no doubt about that, so why not give her something to play with on her favourite gadget? Described as a battle of smartphone skills by its makers, Game of Cards is an addictive, fun and silly card game that teenagers will adore.

The pack of 100 cards has a set of unique prompts that turn her smartphone into the subject of a scavenger hunt between her and her friends. Best played with at least 3 people, and as many as would like to join in, they each take turns to pick a card and act as judge. The rest have 60 seconds to scramble to complete what’s on the card. The person with the maximum score wins. So what exactly are the prompts making them do on their phones? Sample this: find a picture that you should have deleted, find the weirdest Google Image result for your name, create an emoji masterpiece, text a random number. First reply from a human wins. There is also an expansion pack available for 30 cards. Buy it for Rs.1,297 from Uncommon Goods, two variants of expansion packs are priced at Rs.324 each.

She is grown up enough now to appreciate a fine perfume. Sure she may still have her body mists that she likes to coat herself in, but she will treasure a special perfume like Miss Dior by Dior. It will easily be one of her most prized possessions. She will be thrilled by the features of an expensive perfume, like how it is long lasting, its fresh and unique fragrance which is a blend of strawberry leaf, patchouli, violet, mandarin, musk, jasmine and caramel popcorn! The vibrant and fruity perfume is perfect for a young teen. Buy a 30 ml bottle of Miss Dior Eau De Parfum for Rs.11,810 on Amazon.

Interesting gadgets that combine utility with additional fun features are a good gifting ideas for teen girls. She likes when a product can serve more than one purpose and likes trying out new and interesting things. We liked this scribble writing alarm clock. She probably uses her smartphone as alarm clock to wake her up on time for school but she would enjoy using this table clock. Besides, it’s good to have backup in case she forgot to charge her phone before drifting off and it died somewhere in the middle of the night.

This sleek digital clock has a piece of glass wedged in on top, and a pen to scribble notes on it. Instead of an annoying trilling sound, it has four alarm melodies that she can choose from, and the glass gets lit up with blue light when the alarm goes off. The clock will also illuminate when the top of the screen is touched. There is also a cool dot display for time, date, temperature and birthday reminder, so in one swift glance she is prepared for the day ahead. Buy it for Rs.1,206 on prezzybox.com.

A day of pampering at the spa or the salon is a great way to bond and spend quality time together. You also come away with glowing skin, bouncy hair and pretty nails and feelings of positivity. A girl fresh from the salon can accomplish just about anything she sets her mind on. Personal care is important too, and areas like hands and feet require extra attention in the cold months when dry air wrecks havoc on the skin.

Make a date with your 17 year old daughter, sister, niece or cousin and watch her excitement change to contentment and gratitude. You can either sign up for multiple treatments or just get your nails done and then head out to a nice brunch. She will enjoy every minute of it.

There is still another year to go before she can get behind the wheels legally but a head start will not hurt. You may or may not have promised her a car but she has made plans in her head (or with friends) for your car more than once and is anticipating the moment when she turns 18 and can register for a Learner’s Driving License. Driving is an important life skill to have, and even if you don’t plan to let her fly solo with your car anytime soon, teaching her, or helping her learn is a great idea. Learning any new skill requires attention and practice, driving more so, and it will instill the value of independence in her. Learning how to drive will also boost her confidence.

The best way would be to teach her yourself, provided you are a skilled driver and cam teach her the importance of safety and following traffic rules. Be patient, run her through the steps as many times as needed, and remain calm even after the engine has stalled for the tenth time. Every city has stretches of empty roads or wide open spaces that are favoured by learning drivers. Take her to the closest such spot and let her practice the basics. As she improves you can sign her up for driving lessons where she will be coached in the finer nuances of traffic rules. With enough practice and confidence she will be ready for the day she can take the driving test and earn her license.

There is such pleasure derived from trying on makeup and learning new techniques. Applying makeup is an art and every girl must possess these skills, no matter how often or rarely she uses it. Makeup is not only about vanity and looking good, it is an important aspect of grooming for women. The good thing here is that girls are naturally drawn to it. Even the most tomboyish of girls will at some point try their hand at it. She already has a decent collection of the basics, so why not sign her up for a class where she can learn useful tips?

No matter what the quality of makeup she uses, applied skillfully, it can transform her and give her confidence. Badly applied makeup though, no matter how superior the quality, can look horrible. If she is new to the world of beauty, then it would be even better as she can learn correct usage and application right from the start. Inquire about short makeup classes in your city. Many good brands also offer masterclasses and tutorials which she can attend.

Many girls at this age are fascinated by baking and like to try their hand at making at decorating cakes. Sign her up for classes to teach her new skills, learn new techniques and tips on cake decoration. If she is interested in another form of cooking, or baking, or likes to make chocolate at home, find classes for these instead. The idea is to encourage her hobbies and help her be better at them. The most important point here is it should be something she enjoys to do and wants to learn more about, not something you want her to learn. This is a gift, not a lesson. Is there something she has always wanted to learn, like baking bread for example. She may be following tutorial videos and taking help from cookbooks, If you are skilled in that area, go ahead, give her a helping hand. If she wants to learn still more, or needs someone to show her something she can’t figure out on her own, a class is a great idea.

Cooking, baking and cake decoration classes have got a shot in the arm thanks to the soaring popularity of television cooking shows - yes, we mean Masterchef! Long and short term courses as well as classes that teach specific skills have sprouted up all over the country. Find a good one near you. Discuss it with her and select one she will enjoy.

The star struck teenager will revel at the idea of getting a tour of the hot spots of Bollywood. Of course, this would also entail a trip to Mumbai. Either plan a family trip, send her to visit relatives you may have there, or organise a trip with her friends with a grown up as chaperone if need be.

Bollywood Tours offers several options for sightseeing tours of the city, of Bollywood, heritage walks and even trips to the infamous Mumbai slum Dharavi. Pick a tour she would like, or better yet, ask her and plan the trip with her inputs. A Half Day Tour of Bollywood would last for 4-5 hours, although if she is making a trip to the city specially for this, perhaps a full day tour would be more suitable. There are different time slots available through the day, though they do have to be booked in advance.

A half day tour includes pick-up from the hotel, a visit to a shooting sight where she will get to watch a live shooting scene, get a peek into behind the scenes activity, see technicians at work, look into a star’s makeup room, and if a star happens to be around perhaps get pictures with them too! The next stop is at the Bollywood Museum and a dance hall to watch a live Bollywood style dance before heading to the dubbing studio. Here she will get an overview on the workings of a recording studio, even try out her singing skills at the studio or dub famous scenes from Bollywood films. There is a break for lunch and then a drive past the homes of famous film stars before being dropped back at the hotel or drop-off location. For small groups of 2-3 people the tour charges are Rs.Rs.7,790 per person, larger groups of 9 or more people are charged Rs.7,145 per person. Charges vary for different tours.

Teenagers love the freedom that gifts of cash or gift cards give, but it isn’t a very creative gift hence we recommend you keep it as a last minute backup. That doesn’t mean you should not put any thought into what kind of gift card to give her should you choose to go that way. Gift cards for her favourite multi-brand stores, coffee shops, big e-commerce websites and bookshops are good options to consider.

Choose larger stores and retail chains so she has more variety to shop from when she decides to use her card. Read the terms and conditions carefully and check validity dates before paying for anything; you don’t want that money to go to waste. Most big retailers and service providers offer gift cards so you shouldn’t have trouble buying a suitable one. Alternatively, check giftcards.com as it offers a wide variety of gift cards.