Do you have a teen birthday coming up? Are you tempted to give money or vouchers as a gift? Surprise them with one of our 11 Alternative Birthday Gift Ideas for Teens that Aren’t Money, you may even reap the benefits of some of these gifts too!

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#1. Open When……

I love this idea that I found on Pinterest. How about creating a set of open when….envelopes with different things inside each one? A few ideas to get you started

• Open when your feeling nostalgic – inside you could have a photo of your teen when they were younger.
• Open when you need a sugar rush – inside could be their favourite sweet treat
• Open when you need a hug – inside could be a cutout picture of your hands tied together with string or wool that they can wrap around themselves
• Open when you need a laugh – put in some cheesy jokes or a funny picture of them and their friends
• Open when you need a good read – include a book that you think they will enjoy
• Open when you need good music to listen to – include a usb stick of some of their favourite tunes

You get the idea. This can take a bit of time but it will show the teen in your life how much you care.

#2. Canvas Print

With so many images stored on phones or tablets, we often forget about printing out photos to enjoy every day. Whether you print an image of your teen or one of them with their friends or family, a canvas print makes a beautiful gift that they can treasure for years to come.

My soon-to-be teen has also created photobooks for her friends using up to 100 images and putting them together using an online company.

Look out for discount vouchers for both of these ideas on Groupon and Living Social.

Or, if you fancy having individual photos you could use an app like Foto Store to print out the images and have them delivered to your door.

Alternatively consider purchasing a camera that prints images out instantly. Good options include the Fuji Instax Mini 8, the Polaroid Snap range or a photo printer like the Polaroid Zip instant photo printer.

#3. Driving Lessons

Depending on where you live, teens from age 15 years upwards can start the process of learning to drive.

In most countries it is a requirement that you have a certain amount of lessons completed with a registered instructor. Gone are the days of learning on the beach or the local supermarket’s carpark after closing!

Giving your teen the gift of driving lessons is something that will equip them for life, as once they pass their test, they will keep their licence regardless of whether they drive or not, for many years.

#4. Cookery Lessons

Equip your teen with a lifeskill that they can enjoy forever. Learning a few simple recipes means that no matter where they go in the world they will always be able to create a good meal to share with friends.

You could consider booking a group lesson for your teen and their friends as a birthday celebration. It would be a fun experience to share together and they could impress each other with dinner parties afterwards!

#5. Lego

Lego has been around for years and is constantly developing new product ranges including Lego Technic, Lego Creator, Lego Mindstorms and Lego Architecture to name but a few.

For any creative teens a Lego set would make the ideal alternative teen gift idea. Or check out this great product from Arckit, the perfect gift for any would be architect or designers.

Check out the selection on Amazon UK and Amazon USA