Holiday Gift Ideas for Dancers

If you’re anything like me, the holidays bring a sense of both excitement and dread.  On one hand, I love finding special gifts that I know that I know my kids will like.  And I can’t wait to watch them open up their presents on Christmas morning.  But the guesswork and legwork that are necessary to make it all happen makes me a bit apprehensive, and adds to the thick layer of mom-guilt that I already suffer from.  

With my girls, though, almost anything dance-related is sure to be a hit.  So if a big-ticket item needs to be purchased, I usually wait until the holidays if I can.  

By no means is this an exhaustive list, and you will find multiple places to buy the same item.  These are just suggestions to help you fuel your imagination!  I’ll be updating this list as I come across new items and ideas, so check back often!  

*As an Amazon Affiliate, I might make a small commission if you make a purchase using one of these links.  This comes at no additional cost to you!  

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Find something fun and unique here for your favorite kid, tween, or teen!

Pivo Auto-Tracking Phone Mount – Perfect for content creators (TikTok-ers, YouTubers, and more)! This amazing mount pivots all the way around to help your child create professional-looking videos.

Bedside Lamp with Bluetooth Speaker – This colorful light can act as a nightlight and Bluetooth-compatible speaker.

Portable Inflatable Lounger – This is so neat! Perfect for virtually anywhere, this fun “sofa” doesn’t need a pump to inflate. You get a pouch to fit it into, so you can take it with you wherever you go!

Skin Care Mini Fridge – Skin care fans love their specialty products, many of them requiring refrigeration. This popular mini fridge is the perfect size for a bedroom, and comes in a variety of colors!

Portable Photo Printer – This adorable Fujifilm Instax Mini Link Printer allows anyone to print right from their free app!

Portable Mini Projector – Let your Smartphone turn a wall into a movie screen virtually anywhere! This Amazon’s Choice portable projector is getting rave reviews. Kids of all ages (and adults!) will love being able to view videos with ease!

Boba Tea Kit – Boba (or “bubble”) tea is all the rage with the tween/teen set. This #1 best-selling kit features 10 servings with different flavors. The tea will be ready in just about one minute!

Bucket Hat – Bucket hats have come back with a vengeance! This one is available in 43 fun prints, most of which are reversible. It also features a healthy discount on occasion, so check regularly to see if it’s on sale.

Karaoke Microphone – Kids (and adults, let’s be honest) will love busting out a tune with this 3-in-1 Bluetooth karaoke microphone! Also a speaker, MP3 player, and recorder, you can connect the microphone to a cell phone with an app. This Amazon’s Choice is available in 13 colors, is easy to use, and wildly popular this year.

Life Skills for Teens – Grab this #1 bestselling book to teach your child those necessary skills (how to cook, manage money, fix a car, perform first aid, and more)!

Lighted Letters – Great for decorating your child’s room or at-home dance space, these lighted marquee letters bring a little something extra to the view!

3D Professional Printing Pen – Watch your child’s imagination spring to life with this amazing 3D printing pen!

Hair Claws – My girls are forever “borrowing” my hair claws – the non-slip coating holds the hair in place pretty well, yet they’re comfortable to wear.

Kinetic Sand Zen Garden – I seriously want this! Your child can immerse themselves in a soothing and mesmerizing sensory experience.

Gooseneck Phone Holder – Your teen can watch or create videos virtually anywhere, hands-free, with this handy, versatile mount!

At-Home Practice and Fitness

Tumbling Mat – Whether it’s an air track or traditional paneled gymnastics mat, providing your dancer with a safe surface to practice their acro tricks is a great motivator!

Barre – We can’t expect our dancers to work on their technique at home if we don’t provide them what they need.  We bought our used Vita-Vibe barre from Facebook Marketplace, but there are countless places you can get one new.  Decide whether you want a portable or mounted barre, and if you’d rather have a single or double.

Mirror – One of the best investments I made into our at-home dance space was a mirror.  It truly helps for dancers to check their alignment, placement, positioning, and more.  You can contact The Mirror Company (where we got ours) for more details, or buy a smaller one online.

Bosu Ball – I was surprised when our studio required each dancer to purchase a Bosu ball, but am glad we did.  It’s one of the most versatile pieces we have, and are fantastic for conditioning and strength training. Need a more budget-friendly option? Try this one.

Balance Equipment – Balance is one of a dancer’s most important core competencies, and there are many products that help to increase it.  My favorite new “find” is the Stunt Trainer (don’t let the “cheer” vibe fool you); it’s lightweight, portable, and clips right onto your dancer’s bag! We have a KNK springboard; there are other more affordable options for your dancer to use as well (wobble boards and balance beams, for example).

Yoga Blocks – Perfect for strength and flexibility training, a pair of yoga blocks is worth its weight in gold.  Google “dancer exercise yoga blocks” or some variation to get a wealth of ideas.  Definitely worth bang for the buck!

Yoga Mat – Yoga mats provide that extra bit of cushioning to add another layer of safety to your dancer’s workspace.  Don’t forget the strap, too!

Flexibility Strap – These come in so many options (over-the-door trainers, “looped” bands, etc.).  You really can’t go wrong with any of them; it’s just knowing what your dancer is capable of using on his or her own.

Turning Boards – Some dancers love these while others find them useless.  We’ve experimented with both long and circular boards, and found the circular “dots” to work better for proper technique.  If it’s too “slippery,” have your dancer use it on carpet or a rug to increase the friction.

Ankle/Wrist Weights – Adding extra weight (safely) can increase your dancer’s muscular strength.  Cheap ones tend to break (and leak sand all over your car, as one poor dance mom found out the hard way), so it’s worth it to buy a quality product.

Portable Dance Floor – Having a dot2dance or other well-made portable dance floor can be a game-changer!  Be prepared to spend some decent dough; you don’t want to risk your dancer’s safety to save a couple of bucks.

Aerial Silks – If you’ve got the room (and your dancer can get some training), a set of aerial silks makes a fun, unique gift!

Electronics and Accessories

Fitness Tracker – Even though my girls are in amazing physical shape, Thing 1 requested a Fitbit this year.  When I asked her why, she said she was curious about how much activity she actually gets in a typical week.  There are less expensive options, of course, but the Fitbit is the top name in fitness trackers.  Check out their offerings for both kids and adults.

Earbuds – To rehearse their routines without disturbing others (think about rehearsing in crowded spaces), sports earbuds are indispensable.  Be prepared to pay top dollar for name brands (like these Bose earphones), but you can find less expensive options as well (like these).

Portable Speaker – We have a JBL speaker for our basement dance space, and it works great.  It pairs with my kids’ cell phones, so they can practice in virtually any space.

Phone Accessories – Tripods, selfie lights, cases, stands – all things phone-related appeal to today’s kids.

Wireless Charger – Rather than tripping on cords, it is far more convenient to charge your electronics wirelessly if your devices are compatible.  

Power Bank – With long convention and competition days, I want to be able to stay in touch with my girls via their phones if we need to separate.  Giving them a backup battery pack allows me to have some peace of mind.

Competition Day Essentials

Rolling Dance Bag with Garment Rack – Dance moms hotly debate what the best dance bag is (Dream Duffel, Pack2Rack, Glam’r Gear, and more).  The truth is that there is no one “best” bag – it’s whatever works best for your dance family.  If you’re new to dance, are leaving soon, or only have a few outfits, you can buy one of the off-brand options to save some money.  Otherwise, think of a quality bag (like this Grit DT2 Dance Tower) as an investment. We’ve had our Dream Duffel for eight years, and haven’t had any real issues.

Garment Bags – I love functional gifts!  I love these from Elite. You can always personalize them for an added touch.  Amazon offers these and others as well.

Makeup Case – Whether it be a sturdy, hard-sided rolling train case or a softer, padded case, finding a print that your dancer will like helps to make it a more individualized gift.

Lighted Mirror – One of the most useful items I’ve ever purchased was a travel-friendly long mirror.  Now, manufacturers are offering lighted mirrors!  These are particularly useful for dim dressing rooms.

Folding Stool – We always bring one of these with us in our dance bag.  My girls can give their feet a quick break between dancers, have an off-the-floor place to eat, and apply makeup without trying to maintain their standing balance.

Pop-Up Tent – For the more modest dancer (or to execute a rapid quick-change), a pop-up tent can be a lifesaver.  

Dance Day Survival

Meal Bags and Boxes – We need to fuel our dancers for those long convention, competition, recital, and rehearsal days, so having a high-quality meal bag or box is a must.

Water Bottles – A dehydrated dancer is a tired, cranky kid!  Keep the water flowing with a bottle (stainless steel, personalized, flip-top…the sky’s the limit)!

Massage Tools – Spiked roller sets, massage sticks and guns, cold massage therapy rollers, and other tools can help your dancer work the kinks out of their bodies after long dance days.

Entertainment – With potentially long breaks between dances, having some low-maintenance entertainment items (decks of cards, puzzles, coloring books, travel games, etc.) can help to pass the time and break the monotony.  

Dancewear – I mean, can you ever really have enough (judging by the look of my girls’ closet, yes)?! While you can plunk down some serious scratch at Lululemon and other boutique brands, check out websites like discountdance.com and dancewearsolutions.com for great deals to save some dough. We’ve found some really reasonable legging sets on Amazon as well (like this one).

Team Basics

Company Wear (warm-ups, t-shirts, slides, sweatshirts, etc.) – Each year, our team has some required apparel for all members.  Part of my girls’ holiday gift load consists of items from this list.  Our studio also offers optional items with the studio logo, and I have purchased some of those in the past as well.

Gift Cards/Certificates for the Studio – When friends and relatives ask what they can get for my girls, I include gift certificates for their studio.  This way, we can tell their supporters that they helped fund their solos, duo, and select routines.

Dance Stories and Experiences

Biographies – Whether it be a book, video, or movie, sharing the biography of an accomplished dancer that overcame the odds is a great way to inspire your dancer.  One of our favorite dance biography books is the young readers’ edition of Misty Copeland:  An Unlikely Ballerina.

Shows – If you have the opportunity to take your dancer to a live show, my advice is to do it without thinking twice!  We are lucky to live near NYC, but you can look to your local theater for fantastic productions.  

Extra Conventions and Classes – Doing pop-up specialty camps or a convention as an independent can be a great experience for your dancer!  It’s also one of those awesome gifts that don’t require wrapping paper.

Gifts from the Heart

Personalized Gifts – Bright Side NJ offers personalized jewelry boxes, frames, ornaments, and so much more! Kelly tailors so much to the dance, cheer, and sport communities, so you’re bound to find something you LOVE! Let her know that I sent you in the notes section of the cart 😉

Awards Displays – Over the course of the years, your dancer may accumulate pins, medals, trophies, and other awards.  What better way to celebrate them than to display them proudly?  Banners and cases are great for pins, and racks work for displaying medals and trophies (if it’s personalized, even better).

Dance Jewelry – There is no shortage of options if your dancer likes bling!  Bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and more can make the perfect gift.

Dolls – Ranging from poseable ballerinas to soft, squishy lovies, young dancers will delight to find a new dance doll in their holiday gift load.  

Dance Blanket – For the past few years now, both of my daughters have asked for fun, comfy blankets. This one features a sweet design, while this one can be personalized and customized. If you want more options, click here.

I hope you were able to find something to spark your imagination!  Please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments as well, or send me a message on my Facebook page.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday!

Need gift ideas for that special dance teacher? Check out Dance Teacher Gifts!

PS – If you want something for yourself, do a little self-care and check out Great Gifts for Dance Moms (no judgment)!