Manufacturers and retailers know a secret: Tween girls like to share. Many popular craft kits let girls indulge in their favorite activities with their favorite friends. The following are the most popular sharing toys for tween girls, based on TDmonthly Magazine’s survey of 28 specialty retailers throughout the country.

Fashion Charms Jewelry by CREATIVITY FOR KIDS

Girls can make one set of jewelry for themselves and another for a friend with this all-inclusive kit. Contained are 8 silver fashion charms, including sunglasses, ring, purse, comb, mirror, flip flops and shoe. The kit also includes 2 premium enameled charms with rhinestones, 2 charm bracelets, 2 silver jewelry chain necklaces, gel cord, jump rings and a sparkling bead assortment.
— Friendship bracelets were the top-selling tween sharing toy at four of the retailers surveyed.
— They’re a big deal with little kids at the Village Toy Shop in Castro Valley, Calif., said owner Jonathan Berman.
— Girls like bracelets they can “make together,” remarked Carolyn Smolski, manager of Fire Fly’s Toy & Book Shop in Valencia, Calif.

Build a Better Bracelet by FASHION ANGELS

Girls first choose the type and color of the band for their bracelet. Up to 5 letters are included. Letter styles range from clear rhinestone letters in silver tone, clear rhinestone heart in silver tone, red rhinestone heart in silver tone, faux pearl letters in gold tone and faux pearl heart in gold tone.
— “Girls come in and buy a bracelet with their friend’s name on it,” said Daniel Janoska, manager of Talbot’s Toyland in San Mateo, Calif.
— Kids can buy extra letters for $2.49 each.
— The Bead Shop sells some of the most popular craft kits for tweens mentioned by surveyed retailers.

Jumbo Buddy Bracelets by NEX PRODUCTS INC.

Girls will have hours of fun weaving their favorite buddy bracelets on a loom, using colorful glass beads and floss. Contents include an easy-to-use loom, 6 colorful floss packs, 2 spools of thread, 1 needle, 1 spool of nylon cord, lots of colorful glass beads and easy instructions.
— Jonathan Berman, owner of Village Toy Shop in Castro, Calif., said that Nex friendship bracelets do well with tween girls at his store.
— Friendship jewelry was the most popular tween sharing toy among retailers surveyed.
— “This kit is selling really well and we’re putting it in our catalog,” said Pat Schmiesing, owner of The Learning Express in Omaha, Neb.

It's My Life Scrapbook Kit by CREATIVITY FOR KIDS

Girls can keep their special memories in scrapbooks they design. This spiral-bound scrapbook with a hard cover comes with decorative paper, vellum stickers and mini envelopes, scalloped-edge scissors, stencil, glue stick and marker.
— Scrapbooking was one of the top-3 most popular sharing craft kits for girls, according to retailers surveyed.
— “We've done very well with this. We’ve had it all year," commented Kelly Smith, owner of The Learning Express in Carlsbad, Calif.
— “I got one for my niece last Christmas and she loved it,” noted Robin Hillier, manager of The Learning Express in Carlsbad, Calif.

The Too Cool 4 School Scrapbook by FASHION ANGELS

Scrap booking for tweens is all about school and best friends. The Too Cool 4 School Scrapbook is the perfect tool to keep track of friends across four years of school. Using the enclosed supplies, each friend is highlighted on an individual information card that includes a picture and an area to add fun facts about that friend. The beautifully designed 3-ring binder also contains school year report cards summarizing the four years covered in this scrapbook. This scrapbook won an iParenting Media Award for 2005.
— Scrapbook kits are among the top-selling craft kits for tweens at Teri’s Toy Box in Seattle, said owner Teri Soelter.
— Scrapbooking is one of the favorite crafts girls like to do together, said Katie Culotta of Victoria’s Toy Station in Baton Rouge, La.
— The Fashion Angel’s Too Cool for School Scrapbook was already sold out at the Learning Express in Las Vegas, said owner Sarah Kim.

Me and My Friends: The Book of Us by KLUTZ

This write-right-in-it book is full of irresistible all-about-us activities: funny quizzes, fill-in-the-blanks, doodle how-tos, messages in code, compatibility tests, lists of favorites, secret identities and more. The book comes with special envelopes and 78 plastic stickers in cool shapes and translucent colors. It’s written by the editors of Klutz.
— Klutz craft books are popular with tween girls at The Wizard’s Chest in Denver, Colo., said owner Kevin Pohle.
— “Me and My Friends, A Book About Us” is one of the best selling shared tween girl toys at Terri’s Toy Box in Seattle, noted owner Terri Soelter.
— The book comes with a spinning perpetual birthday calendar so girls can always remember their friends’ special days.

Knitting by KLUTZ

Knitting is simultaneously trendy and traditional. “Knitting” takes kids from step zero (how to hold the needles and yarn) to finished projects they can show off shamelessly. The book comes complete with yarn, knitting needles, a crochet hook, two buttons and a sewing needle. They’ll learn to knit a long skinny scarf, a cozy hat, a sunglasses case, a cell phone sock and more. The book is written by Anne Akers Johnson.
— “Knitting” is one of Klutz’s Top 10 favorites on its Web site.
— “This has been selling well since January,” said Kelly Smith, owner of The Learning Express in Carlsbad, Calif.
— “Knitting” is one of the best-selling girls sharing crafts at Victoria’s Toy Station in Baton Rouge, La., said owner Katie Culotta.

I Knit This Poncho So Can You! by FASHION ANGELS

Here´s a chance to learn to make one of the year’s fashion "must haves" ... a poncho. With easy to follow instructions, kids will be able to wear their new poncho in about four hours. Included in the kit are a pair of wooden knitting needles and yarn.
— “Girls like to knit together,” noted Katie Culotta of Victoria’s Toy Station in Baton Rouge, La.
— “We’ve had this kit since March and it’s sold okay, even though it’s been hot outside,” said Pat Schmiesing, owner of The Learning Express in Omaha, Neb.
— This is the #4 best-selling knitting toy for kids on Amazon.com.

Nail Art Fun Party Pack Craft by CREATIVITY FOR KIDS

Great for parties, the Nail Art Fun Party Pack Craft comes in a cake-shaped box that opens to reveal all the accessories for six at-home manicures and pedicures. The kit includes 6 colors of nail polish, 6 sets of fake nails with adhesive, 6 sheets of adhesive-backed glittery nail art, 6 foam toe separators, 6 flower-shaped nail files/buffers, and 6 drawstring tulle bags for taking supplies home. It comes complete with 6 thank you cards for the guests.
— Little girls like tea parties, but big girls prefer craft parties, agreed retailers.
— “This is fun done by groups of girls,” said Elaine Hackney, owner of J.P. Boing!’s Toy Shop in Jamaica Plain, Mass.
— Craft activities for birthday parties do well for girls 8 and up at Teri’s Toy Box in Seattle, said owner Teri Soelter.

Writer's Bio: ALISON MAREK is an award-winning writer, director and cartoonist whose work has been published by Fairchild Publications and DC Comics (Piranha Press), broadcast on Showtime and other cable networks, and viewed worldwide in film festivals. See her short films and print work on www.alisonmarek.com. Watch her nefarious villains in the web series www.MuggsMovers.com. Get inspired by her cartoons "Daily ARFFirmations to Unleash Your Inner Fido" at www.ARFFirmations.com. Phew! And then ...  Read more articles by this author