The 23 Best Gifts for Tweens

PetParty’s Customized Socks are undoubtedly silly. They’re also fun, adorable, and irresistible—especially for the tween who loves animals. Plenty of online stores offer personalized paraphernalia emblazoned with the face of a beloved pet or person, but we found PetParty’s shop very easy to use, and it has over 1,000 satisfied-customer testimonials. You can choose from five size options and more than 90 color and pattern choices (all in a nylon/poly-blend), and you can add up to three different faces per customized pair.

—Ellen Lee

When a trip to the nail salon isn’t in the cards, give your manicure-loving tween some of our favorite polishes and accessories for at-home manis and pedis. Start with the Star Nail Sani-Block for buffing, followed by a base coat, like this one from Essie. For eye-catching colors and an easy-to-use brush, check out JINsoon’s line of nail polishes—hues like Fab (multi-colored speckles) and Bijou (a cascade of gold) are particularly fun. Another favorite is Essie’s Gel Couture, which applies like regular nail polish but has the shiny, long-lasting consistency of a gel formula. Finally, seal the look with a formidable top coat, like Seche Vite’s Dry Fast Top Coat. Tuck everything into a travel case—we like the clear, 1-quart Lermende TSA-approved toiletry case, which is sold in packs of three.

—Ellen Lee

A portable Bluetooth speaker lets music-loving tweens amplify their favorite tunes wherever they are. The Tribit XSound Go (our budget pick) has a full, clear sound, and it outperforms other speakers in its price range. Compact and waterproof, it’s also easy to slip into a backpack and tote to a friend’s house. With a louder, fuller sound, the stylish (though pricier) Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3 is our all-around top pick, beating out 300 competitors. About the size and weight of an apple, this speaker is also the most rugged (and waterproof) speaker we tested; in our tests, it survived a 5-foot drop onto concrete with barely a scratch.

—Ellen Lee

When my animal-obsessed daughter received a pack of Epielle Character Masks as a gift, she couldn’t help but giggle. We can’t say for sure whether the masks (from South Korean beauty brand) purified or nourished our skin (as the label promises). Even so, the goofy animal prints—llama, otter, panda, mermaid, cheetah, and unicorn—thoroughly entertained us, and the sheets felt cool and soft on our faces. (Read more about what we think of sheet masks in general.) Epielle also offers several other sets of sheet masks featuring different prints, including a zebra, a cat, a blue narwhal, and a pink shark, to name just a few.

—Ellen Lee

My kids have always liked to borrow my sunglasses, the large frames overwhelming their tiny faces. Now that they’re older and nearing adult size, my children are ready for some nice (but not too nice) pairs of their own. Goodr’s The OGs—one of our picks for the best cheap sunglasses—are comfortable to wear, durable, and versatile. Complementing a variety of face shapes, they look a lot like the classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer but cost a fraction of the price. Similarly, the Sungait Vintage Round Sunglasses call to mind the Ray-Ban Erika, but the Sungait glasses are among the least expensive pairs we recommend. Bonus: They come with a lifetime warranty that covers accidental breaks.

—Ellen Lee

An enduringly popular party game for adults, Cards Against Humanity is known for its naughty—and occasionally offensive and off-color—humor (not everyone is a fan). The Cards Against Humanity Family Edition is (somewhat) cleaner, but there are plenty of poop jokes and edginess to entertain a young crowd (moms, dads, grandparents, school principals, and Dora the Explorer all get to be the butt of jokes). Cards offer prompts like “The aliens are here. They want …” and “Where do babies come from?” Players compete by picking a card from their hand that they hope makes the funniest statement (such as “The fifth-graders,” “Big butt cheeks filled with poop,” or “A bird pooping on the president’s head”), so this game is somewhat similar to Apples to Apples. Note that some card combinations may go over the line (for example, other possible cards include “Jesus,” “Nipples,” “Illegal drugs,” “Oh, that’s my mom’s friend Carl. He comes over and helps her with …”). But, if anything, this made the game even more appealing for our tweens.

—Ellen Lee

Some shoes manage to appeal across generations, and that’s certainly the case with classic kicks like Blundstones and Dr. Martens. Cool, sturdy, and timeless, a pair of Doc Martens or Blundstones can be a sweet, durable investment for a tween’s shoe collection. One stylish tween raved that her Docs match everything she wears—plus they add a little height. Slip-on and lightweight, Blunnies are likewise beloved. And they can be as comfortable as sneakers while also conveying a slightly more-polished, mature look. Yet if sneakers are more your kid’s style, they may like putting a personal spin on a pair of Classic Slip-On Vans, which we recommend in our gift guide for 10-year-olds.

—Ellen Lee

The Book Drop—one of Wirecutter’s favorite book subscription boxes for adults and kids—is run by an independent bookshop in Delaware, and it delivers a surprise paperback each month. The Middle Grade subscription—available on a month-to-month basis, as well as in three-, six-, or 12-month prepaid commitments—targets readers ages 9 through 12. The picks, selected by bookstore staff, are usually titles from indie publishers, rather than the big names that typically populate best-seller lists. (The Book Drop has made a commitment to feature more-diverse books, too.) Past selections include Any Day With You, by Mae Respicio, and Efrén Divided, by Ernesto Cisneros. Advanced readers can opt for the Young Adult subscription, meant for teens 13 and older, though the picks may include more-mature themes. There’s also the Graphic Novel option.

—Ellen Lee

When my daughter was 12, pineapple was her favorite fruit. So when we hung a neon pineapple on her bedroom wall, she happily declared, “This is so me.” Room decor—such as a bright, colorful Isaac Jacobs LED Neon Wall Sign—can be a fun way for tweens to make their bedroom feel like a space that reflects their interests and tastes. (In addition to the pineapple, the collection includes a rainbow, a unicorn, a cactus, a popsicle, and a rose, as well as the words “hello,” “love,” and “dream.”) The USB-powered signs are actually LED tubing mounted to a clear acrylic plate; to plug one into an outlet, you’ll need a separate USB wall charger. Another distinctive (but pricier) option: Brite Lite Tribe makes custom LED neon signs, with over a dozen fonts and 20 colors, which you can mix and match to write a name or message of your choosing.

—Ellen Lee

Our pick for the best smart strip lights, the TP-Link Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Light Strip L930-5 will give your tween’s room a cool yet electric vibe. This particular strip light is easy to install (the learning curve is negligible), and it produces an array of bright, brilliant colors. Especially fun for tweens, it features several special effects: Sync-to-Sound, for instance, makes the light strip dance along to a tween’s playlist, so it pulses to the beat and creates a custom light show. Paired with a smartphone app, the lights can be easily adjusted to suit a kid’s mood—whatever it might be.

—Ellen Lee

When it comes to wall decoration, scratch-off posters add an extra layer of fun. They offer a way to, for example, track all of the destinations a tween has visited, along with the ones they look forward to checking off their list in the future. We think Pop Chart’s Scratch-Off Prints are particularly artistic and charming. Sports fans can begin a quest to visit all 30 Major League Baseball stadiums or 29 basketball arenas. And outdoors enthusiasts can make plans to check out 62 national parks, from the Grand Canyon to Michigan’s Isle Royale. (The Every Kid Outdoors program gives fourth-graders and their families a free one-year pass to more than 2,000 federal parks and water sites.) It’s exciting to scrape off each square like a lottery ticket—but if your tween is feeling impatient, they can uncover them all and enjoy a lovely poster.

—Ingrid Skjong

Even the most discerning tweens are likely to melt at the sight of a box of ice cream appearing on their doorstep. Jeni’s Best Sellers Collection—a pick in our guide to the best gift baskets—arrives packaged in dry ice (cue the “oohs” and “aahs”). And it comes with a slew of unique, extra-rich flavors such as Wildberry Lavender and Pineapple Upside Down Cake. (You can order one of several prepackaged collections or select your own flavor combos.) Want to sample the wares before you pick? Find out where Jeni’s is available at a store near you—all in the spirit of altruism, of course.

—Ellen Lee

My daughter loves a good project—and she can handle it all on her own, thank you very much. Like its subscriptions for younger kids, KiwiCo’s craft boxes for tweens and teens come with everything your young one will need to assemble a project (which is one of the reasons it’s a pick in our guide to the best kids craft subscription boxes). You can choose from four styles, depending on your tween’s interests and skill level: Doodle Crate (art and creativity, ages 9 through 16), Tinker Crate (STEM projects, ages 9 through 16), Eureka Crate (science and engineering, ages 14 and up), and Maker (art and design, ages 14 and up). If you don’t want to commit to a subscription, individual boxes and packs of three or five kits are also available. Not all of the boxes hit it out of the park, but KiwiCo’s crates have higher-quality materials than those I’ve purchased at big-box retailers, and they’re infused with thought and creativity. For instance, the Electric Pencil Sharpener (one of the Eureka Crate projects, meant for ages 14 and up, mostly because there are lots of small pieces) includes a booklet with a behind-the-scenes look at how the sharpener was designed, the science of switches and circuits, and the history of pencil sharpeners and pencils. The finished product now sits on our school-supply shelf and gets used regularly.

—Ellen Lee

As the name implies, Lipstick Queen Blue By You comes out of the tube in a shimmery shade of purplish blue. But, like magic, on lips it appears as a rosy-pink hue. The color-changing formula makes an entertaining gift for tweens with a burgeoning interest in beauty products, and it’s one in a series of “shade shifting” lipsticks. As a parent, I appreciate how it moisturizes the lips and reads more balm-like than a classic matte lipstick (the ingredients include shea butter and sunflower seed oil). I also appreciate the sheer, subtle, flattering hint of color it adds. In fact, I liked this lipstick so much that I bought one for myself, too.

—Ellen Lee

Give tweens who like to build the beginnings of a tool kit that can last them for years, if not a lifetime. We’ve found that the Stanley Click ’N’ Connect 2-in-1 Tool Box, one of our picks for the best toolbox, is easy to keep organized. Stock it with essentials, like the sturdy Estwing E3-16C hammer, the reliable and precise Channellock 8WCB (our pick for the best adjustable wrench), or the handy, well-rounded Megapro 211R2C36RD 13-in-1 (our favorite multi-bit screwdriver). If you’re looking for more options, our guide to the best tools and toolbox offers 22 recommendations culled from more than 350 hours of research.

—Ellen Lee

Not quite a purse and smaller than a backpack, the fanny pack—also known as a hip pack, a sling bag, a crossbody bag, a bum bag, and a waist pack—has been enjoying an extended moment. A fanny pack is an especially good gift for tweens and teens, since it’s a stylish, convenient way to stash essentials (phone, keys, lip balm) while keeping the hands free. The JanSport Fifth Avenue Fanny Pack—one of the picks in our guide to the best fanny packs—is a lightweight, 2.5-liter nylon-polyester carrier with two zippered pockets and an adjustable belt, so it can be worn across the body or around the waist. It’s sturdy and durable (with a limited lifetime warranty), reasonably priced, and available in a wide range of solid colors and prints.

—Ellen Lee

Introduce a crafty tween to a new way of creating works of art by giving them a 3D pen (see 3Doodler’s Instagram for examples and inspiration). The design device takes strands of hard plastic (known as filament) and melts them into a gooey string that oozes out of the tip and then solidifies. For beginners age 12 and younger, we recommend the 3Doodler Start+. The tip and the just-extruded plastic both stay cool—which is good news, since we’ve discovered younger kids can’t resist touching and molding the plastic as they create. However, the 3Doodler Start is slower and offers fewer features than most 3D pens. Older tweens—or those who have more experience with 3D art—may prefer the 3Doodler Create+, our top pick for the best 3D pen. We found it provides the best overall experience, with a comfortable grip and two heat settings (and you can purchase additional tip sizes).

—Ellen Lee

The FBSport Portable Badminton Set is a fun way to motivate kids—or just about anyone—to get outside and move. The lightweight plastic case (slightly larger and longer than a violin case) holds everything you need, including two badminton racquets, two birdies, a net, and poles. The poles snap together easily, transforming the plastic case into the base of the net. My then-11-year-old and her friend put it together on their own and, in minutes, were playing a game of badminton in our backyard. We also brought it on a camping trip and to a friend’s house this summer, for a side of friendly competition.

—Ellen Lee

There are depressingly few children’s books by and about Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders—and even fewer that delve into their history. Thankfully, that’s changing. As the parent of Asian American kids, I’m always on the lookout for new offerings, and one standout is Prairie Lotus by Newbery Medal winner Linda Sue Park. (Park sits on the advisory board for the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books; Park is also the founder of kiBooka, a website that champions children’s books by Korean American and Korean diaspora authors and illustrators.) Set in 1880, Prairie Lotus—which has been compared to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series—follows a young Asian American girl named Hanna as she journeys across the American frontier and starts a new life in a railroad town in Dakota Territory. This novel—a tale full of adventure, humor, and friendship—explores pressing issues, including race and prejudice, so it’s especially relevant given the rise in anti-Asian violence. For more reading recommendations, check out our guide to antiracist books for kids and teens.

—Ellen Lee

The Apple Watch SE + Cellular is one of the picks in our kids smartwatch guide. That is, it’s the model that our older kid testers deemed adequately sophisticated and not “childish” (like other kids smartwatches), and it’s the one parents found easy to use for keeping in touch with their child. If you’re already part of Apple’s ecosystem, you can seamlessly integrate the Apple Watch SE into your family’s communications, with the option to track your child’s location from your iPhone, as well as to exchange text messages and emojis (including group texts, something you can’t do on other smartwatches for kids). You can also manage your child’s use of the smartwatch through the Schooltime and Screen Time apps. We found that kids have fun customizing their watches from a variety of watch faces and Memojis.

—Ellen Lee

Whenever they have downtime, my kids whip up desserts—and each new creation is more elaborate than the last. They’ve made chocolate cupcakes with melted-marshmallow filling, rainbow shortbread cookies, and even pumpkin-banana dog biscuits (never mind that we don’t have a dog). For each delight, they relied on baking tools they could call their own, chief among them the Cuisinart Power Advantage Plus 9-Speed Hand Mixer (our budget pick for the best hand mixer). Dependable, powerful, and easy to clean, this mixer can knock out a bowl of frosting in seven minutes and help your tween prepare any number of delicious treats. A handy storage case makes this tool easy to pack up and put away until the next culinary challenge calls. Already have a mixer? Our recommendations for items to help you win any bake-off include more essential baking tools, such as cake pans and rolling pins.

—Ellen Lee

During a trip to the mall, our family became enamored with the ultra-sinky, super-soft modern bean bag chairs made by the furniture company Lovesac (known for Sactionals, its spin on sectional couches). Those humongous seats are incredibly luxurious and cozy but also over-the-top expensive. So began a monthslong quest to find a more-affordable alternative, and that’s when we stumbled upon the Ultimate Sack 5000. The order felt like a bit of a gamble, but we’ve had this model, with the charcoal faux-fur cover, for close to four years now, and it ended up being the perfect gift for our then-newly-minted tween. The no-bean bean-bag chair arrives in the mail as an incredibly heavy block of condensed foam (the separate cover is machine-washable). Once fluffed up, the shredded foam provides an easily moldable seat that’s suitable for everything from reading to Zoom chats to Minecraft creeper battles. In other words, it has become the most popular seat in the house.

—Kalee Thompson

Each moment you get to spend with your tween is truly a gift. One way to snag it? Surprise them with an unexpected outing, such as a trip to a miniature golf course, a trampoline park, or a go-kart racetrack. Even better, amusement parks and water parks (such as Six Flags) often offer discounts on annual passes in the fall, ahead of next year’s season, so you can take your tween a few times (and they can also go again with friends.) You may also be able to pick up discounted tickets, if you have a membership with Costco or AAA. If roller coasters aren’t their speed, consider an escape room or a virtual-reality experience, where you can embark on a quest and solve puzzles together. Or if they’re looking for new thrills, try indoor skydiving or rock climbing. And though Taylor Swift or Beyonce tickets may be out of reach, kids this age will surely enjoy going to their first concert, whether it’s a massive stadium show or an up-and-coming local band.

—Ellen Lee

We love finding gifts that are unusual, thoughtful, and well vetted. See even more gift ideas we recommend.

This article was edited by Kalee Thompson.