• A skydiving trip might be enjoyable for a college-aged teen.parachute image by sylvie BRELOT-FORMENTO from Fotolia.com
  
  If you need to purchase a holiday gift for a teen in your life, you are likely to be faced with a difficult decision. While you do not want to buy something that the recipient already has, you also may not want to buy something impersonal such as a gift card. However, there are a number of unusual items that you can select as a gift, and if you plan carefully, you are certain to select something that the recipient would greatly enjoy.
  
  

Adventure Trip

• Consider taking a college-aged teen on an adventure trip. For example, you might book a skydiving trip or schedule a lesson with a helicopter-piloting school. For a younger teen who is not yet ready for such adventures, consider a guided helicopter tour instead. In many cities, you can charter a helicopter for an aerial tour of the local landscape.
  
  

Tailored Suit or Dress

• Many teens have never experienced the exceptional fit of a tailored suit or dress, and high-quality clothing of this sort can last for many years. If the teen in your life has stopped growing, a tailored suit or dress can be a symbol of her passage into adulthood and increase her self-esteem. It may also serve her well at job interviews in the future.
  
  

Hand-Crafted Item

• One way to guarantee that the gift you purchase for your teen will be something he does not have already is to select something that does not exist anywhere else. For example, construct a wooden computer tower for a computer lover, or a silver or gold charm for someone who enjoys jewelry. Consider a custom bat for a baseball player, or a hand-turned mouthpiece for a trumpet player. If you do not have the skills or equipment to create the desired item, search online to find someone who does.
  
  

Car Restoration

• If the teen in your life owns a car that is past its prime, take it to a shop for a complete restoration while she is away for the weekend. Depending on the condition of the car and your budget, you might consider hiring someone to repair all of the dents, replace torn upholstery or apply fresh paint and clear coat. If the car is a truly special one and you can afford to do so, you might even consider having the engine rebuilt.
  
  

Food Tour

• If the teen in your life enjoys food, take him on a food tour and sample one small dish at several different restaurants in one evening. For example, you might sample one item at each sushi restaurant in town, or enjoy a burger at one location and an enormous sundae at another. Take his favorite foods into account when planning this gift.