Christmas gifts for teens who genuinely want nothing

[nicolewi]

Experience gift? Things he needs, i.e. clothes, new shoes, sports equipment?

Gift cards to share with friends, I E for the movie theater or a dinner. Cash gift that he is allowed to donate to a charity of his choice?

[katespade]

If he just wants to be left alone to hang out with his friends, I would look at options for gifting him an experience that he can share with them that wouldn't require much/any parental supervision. Gift him enough to bring a reasonable number of friends along to whatever activity/activities they enjoy doing as a group but maybe don't get to do often because of the cost.

[turkletsmom]

You could wrap up cash in a fun way. Pinterest always has ideas for how to do this. Like tape a bunch of $1s end to end and put them in a tissue box so when you pull one out they come out in a long strand. (I would have thought this was hysterical at 15 lol).
Lottery scratch-offs
a bunch of his favorite candy or snacks wrapped up. Or like a Costco size box of his favorite snack.
A subscription box for something he might like? Like snacks around the world or something.

[ssmjlm]

Gift certificates for food with friends?

Do you all have any VR or gaming places? Maybe a gc there.

Escape room he can do with friends?

[devonpow]

DS1 is almost 15 and not into “things” very much. We are getting him his own debit card (maybe green light, maybe we will just set up his own account we shall see) and putting some extra money on it for him. I figure it’s a “fancier” way of giving cash plus gives him some extra freedom in going out with his friends.

I also got him a 1 pound Reese’s peanut butter cup lol

[sandandsea]

What about an experience with a friend? Movie tickets, fast food gift cards, indoor skydiving, go kart racing, museum, etc.

[krystee]

I would probably get a number of gift cards almost equivalent to the number of gifts the other kids are getting (even if they’re all to the same place) and wrap them in boxes so he has stuff to open. Maybe make one or two really big boxes for the fun of it. I’d add a game for the PS5 you got him and maybe a new shirt or two.

[orval]

I have the same issue. Last year I wrapped up a box of honey buns because he loves them! We have started doing a weekend trip for his birthday instead of a thing gift. He doesn't really like gift cards either or cash -- doesn't have anything to buy!

[CloudBee]

My teen nieces and nephews have really been enjoying gift cards to places like Dunkin, Dairy Queen, etc. Places they might get dropped off at or walk to as a group.

[Becca]

I agree with giftcards and experience gifts.

But that age is also old enough to LOVE “on behalf” gifts. For example, my daughter is a figure skater - if I told her that as part of her gift, I purchased a couple pairs of quality skates and donated them to an inner city skating program, she would be SO HAPPY.

We’ve also done RAK day. I bought a bunch of gift cards - target and Visa in various denominations. We went to the mall and just gifted them to people. Sometimes handing them off, sometimes leaving them somewhere with a RAK note.
She still talks about a young family we happened to walk past. The parents looked extremely young, and were discussing borrowing money to buy formula. We had one GC left - a $50 visa one, and the mom cried when my daughter gave it to her. My daughter will never forget that.

I think that kids can find great joy in giving to others. If your SS truly doesn’t want anything, ask him if he has any interest areas that he would be interested in funding. That’s a better use of money than buying something that’s going to sit in a closet.