by Joy Cooke

Created on: July 31, 2010

Tween girls are an awkward age to buy for; they are often past the teddy bear stage but still love soft toys - whether to play or sleep with or just to display around their bedrooms.  I have two grown up daughters and three granddaughters; one of whom is past the 'tweenage' stage while the other is in the midst of it at eleven.  The golden rule to follow when deciding upon a stuffed animal for a tween is to make sure it's not blatantly a 'kiddy' toy, this may sound obvious but a lot of stuffed toys are so geared towards the younger market that it's easy to lose track on the more refined tastes of your tween.

TY Beanie Babies will usually be well received; these you can find fairly cheaply and the range of animals available is excellent.  These toys can be found quite cheaply and make an excellent gift when buying for a tween, the selection available is overwhelming and helping a child build a collection of bears over time can be extremely rewarding.

Another option is the Build-A-Bear Workshop, here you can visit and make your own stuffed animal.  There is always a decent selection of animals to choose from and the bears can be accessorised with outfits, shoes and other props.  Most tweens will be overjoyed with a visit to Build-A-Bear and an occasion can be made of it by allowing your tween to bring a friend - although if this happens do make sure you have a plentiful supply of money because this place can work out rather expensive once you've added a few optional extras to your bear! An advantage of Build-A-Bear is that the animals are large, the Beanies Babies mentioned above are quite small in comparison and in Build-A-Bear you are buying a stuffed animal which is crying out to be played with rather than displayed on a shelf.

Wild Republic has some fabulous stuffed animals, ranging from wackily patterened wild animals to realistic plush replicas of turtles, lions and other such animals.  They are wonderfully designed and very well made, perfect for a tween who wants something in the grey area between a child's toy and a more grown up display stuffed animal.

Don't forget Disney either as their range of soft toys is excellent, and by searching the internet you can purchase the stuffed version of the majority of Disney characters - animal or otherwise!  Classic Disney animal characters are available, most tweens will have a favourite and by searching for Disney stuffed animals you are guaranteed

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