With Christmas less than a month away, we in the Media Office thought we could help you with the gift-buying process this year! We sent out a survey to all students in grades 6-12 and asked them a series of questions regarding Christmas presents so that we could point out the trends and brands that are most popular right now. Whoever you’re shopping for–your son or daughter, your friend, your sibling–we hope that this article provides some ideas!

Not sure if you want to buy a few gifts or just one special present? Our survey revealed that most students prefer to receive many small gifts opposed to one large gift, so you might want to purchase a few items we point out below. Here are some results from our survey that show you this year’s most requested items. 

Most girls like to dress up, and the answers to our poll substantiate that! Many girls grade 6-8 picked jewelry as their top option. Some examples include the E Newton Classic Beaded Bracelet and Kendra Scott necklaces. Another favorite among the same age group of girls is the Sol De Janeiro 62 perfume. 

As for clothes, the most popular brands for  all ages were Lululemon and Nike, and the most requested shoes were Ugg boots, Golden Goose sneakers, and On Cloud sneakers. Some other items include skincare and makeup, and room decor, including candles and cozy blankets. If a senior girl is on your shopping list, it might help to know that our twelfth-grade girls are already preparing for college and hoping for things like new laptops, dorm decorations, and comfy clothes for classes next year.

Our poll revealed the boys are interested in a wide range of “guy things”–everything from video games to hunting paraphernalia to sports equipment. Among the Middle Schoolers, the most popular game was Madden 24 and several students requested a new Xbox or Oculus Quest 3 –a VR headset. 

For Upper School, hunting gear is at the top of the list. Many students asked for a new hunting rifle; Sitka, Burlebo, and Drake gear; and turkey and deer calls. If we are talking about gifts related to sports, boys of all different ages asked for baseball gear, footballs, tennis rackets, and something that won’t fit under the tree: basketball goals! It seems many RMA boys are interested in sports and fitness right now since a theme among the 8th grade boys was workout-related things such as protein powder and at-home weight benches. 

Although RMA students seem to have a pretty good idea of what they hope Santa will bring, you might be interested to know that some students had trouble listing just five items they wanted for Christmas. Others pointed out the fact that they enjoy giving more than receiving or that they are most looking forward to spending time with family and friends over the holidays. 

Whether your Christmas break includes lots of presents or just a few–or whether the best gift you give this year is your time–we in Media Office hope this article was helpful and that everyone has a wonderful Christmas!