T-shirts to go in shoe boxes for needy kids at Christmas time

[Scobey Peterman]

There is a church in my town that fill about 1000 shoe boxes for needy children in other countries. 

Last year I donated abiout 350 shirts of different sizes.

Now this year they want to concentrate on just one age group.  Like 12 year old boys & girls.

They are asking me what size would a 12 year old wear?    My answer.........I have no clue.

When my son was 12 he wore and adult Med.  Now his 12 year old daughter wears a youth large or adult small.

Do you see my problem???

Suggestions / commits.

Thanks
 

[Sbrem]

Go larger, they'll grow into it. That's much better than too small...

Steve

[Frog]

Always a problem, and not limited to kids age/size relationship.
Often asked, "how should I size this order"? My answer, if a soccer crowd, mostly small and medium with some large and and a few XL. NASCAR folks, L-XXXL.
With kids, btw, we have found that the average youth large is actually bigger though shorter than adult small. But like Steve suggested, always error to the larger choice.

[Northland]

There is a church in my town that fill about 1000 shoe boxes for needy children in other countries. 

Last year I donated abiout 350 shirts of different sizes.

Now this year they want to concentrate on just one age group.  Like 12 year old boys & girls.

They are asking me what size would a 12 year old wear?    My answer.........I have no clue.

When my son was 12 he wore and adult Med.  Now his 12 year old daughter wears a youth large or adult small.

Do you see my problem???

Suggestions / commits.

Thanks

For 12 years I printed Phy-Ed t-shirts for a middle school that consisted of 7 & 8 grade only. So, the age group you asked about (age 11-13).

They ordered shirts sized from Youth Small to Adult 2XL.
But, the highest point in the bell curve (every year) was Adult Small and Adult Medium (probably about 65% of the total order).