• Buy teens fun and educational gifts that hold their interest.a gift image by Sandi Chetwynd from Fotolia.com
  
  It can be a challenge to find appropriate gifts for young teens. You want to avoid gifts that are too mature, too expensive, too trendy or too technological, and finding gifts that appeal to both a teenager's sensibilities and yours can be difficult. Giving a teen "Moby-Dick" or an encyclopedia might sound good to you, but it's likely to gather dust. Focus on gifts that encourage learning and that are also entertaining.
  
  

Trivial Pursuit

• Trivial Pursuit is a classic board game that encourages kids to learn a wide range of facts from many different disciplines. There are several different editions of Trivial Pursuit available, from popular culture to music history, so you can find an edition that appeals to the interests of your teen. Board games also encourage social interactions and healthy competition, and you can play them as a family on Christmas Day and throughout the year.
  
  

Books

• Kids don't have to read the classics to learn from reading, according to the "New York Times." Any book that holds their interest will help them develop spoken and written language skills and become lifelong readers. Books that are part of a series are particularly appropriate gifts. Once a teen is hooked on the story, he will be more likely to follow along in subsequent books. Look for science fiction, fantasy and mystery books with exciting story lines and fanciful characters for the teen who loves these genres. For the animal lover, find books that feature horses, dogs, cats and other pets as main characters.
  
  

Retro Toys

• Today's gaming systems are expensive, require Internet hookup, and often feature violent games that may not be appropriate for young teens. Instead of giving in to your teen's latest electronic obsession, invest in an "old-fashioned" gaming system like the original Nintendo. Retro games have wide appeal today and are culturally significant. They are also unusual and will set your teen apart from his peers. If you played old Nintendo games as a kid, you will likely have lots of tips and suggestions, making this a gift you and your teen can both enjoy.