Your Child, Ages 12-18

Dear Parents,

Stumped for a last-minute gift idea? Our toy finder can help you pick out the perfect gift for kids of all ages and interests. Plus, see our picks for the top ten books, movies, and video games to give.

Observing holiday traditions can be especially important to teens. Reclaim your holidays with classic Christmas traditions, or create some new ones this year.

Has your senior finished applying to college? If not, get tips on finishing applications, writing winning essays, and overcoming application stress.

Happy Holidays from the Editors at FamilyEducation.com

Last-Minute Gift Ideas
Never fear -- there's still time to pick up a great gift.

	Toy Finder
	Top 10 Holiday Gift Books
	Top 10 Movies to Give
	Top 10 Video Games
	Top 10 Board Games
	The Perfect Last-Minute Gift: Food Never Fails

	Top 10 Homemade Gift Ideas
	Christmas Ornament Keepsake Box
	Homemade Gift Wrap
	Gift Bag Ideas
	More Ideas for Making Gifts

Holiday Traditions
Keep alive the true meaning of the holidays.

	Teens and Holiday Traditions
	Creating Holiday Traditions
	Menorahs, Mistletoe, and the Meaning of Holidays
	Beginning New Holiday Traditions

	Celebrate an Interfaith Holiday
	Reclaiming the Holidays
	Quiz: What's Your Holiday Personality?
	How Christmas Traditions Got Their Start
	More on Holiday Traditions

Finishing College Applications
The deadline is right around the corner.

	Nailing the College Application: Tips for Your Teen
	Dealing with the Stress of College Applications
	College Application Schedule
	Common College Application Mistakes

	How to Motivate the Reluctant Applicant
	Revealing Personal Problems in a College Application
	Top 10 Tips for a Winning Essay
	College Essay Tips
	More on Applying to College

Holiday Place Card Creator
Spruce up your holiday table with custom-made place cards! Our Holiday Place Card Creator can help you add that festive, personal touch.

Find the Hottest Toys of the Year
Get last-minute shopping ideas with our searchable Toy Finder -- you're sure to find the perfect toy for everyone on your list.

Poll: Crunch Time

Where is your senior in the college application process? Vote now!

44%   Not there yet.

19%   Just started filling out
  applications.

13%   Still working on the essays.

25%   It's all wrapped up!

Top 5 Tips for a Green Christmas
The 2.65 billion Christmas cards sold each year in the U.S. could fill a football field 10 stories high, and more than 33 million Christmas trees are cut down, sold, and discarded each year. What's an eco-minded person to do?

What's new in the FamilyEducation blogs:

"The one major pitfall with waiting to do all your holiday shopping the week before Christmas, I thought to myself as I wandered around an evil super mega store yesterday, is that spending lots of money over a short period of time makes you feel, in Junie B. Jones' words, kind of greenish and sickish."

--Aliki McElreath, Professor Mom

2010 Fun Facts Calendar
Check out our interactive calendar with links and activities for each day that the whole family can enjoy. Or fill in your own events with this blank 2010 calendar.