31 of the Coolest, Cuddliest, Cleverest Gifts for Tweens and Teens

I’m not too proud to admit that as a 41-year-old mother of two, I have completely lost touch with what video games are cool. If it’s not Super Mario 3 for NES, it’s lost on me. So, for my gamer teen, I like to give him the freedom of choice with an Xbox Game Pass. It’s like Netflix for video games, with dozens of selections for XBox and PC games, so he can pick whatever appeals to him and then, once he’s mastered that game, move on to something new.

This accent lamp is objectively cheery and bright, and the led strikes the perfect balance of kitschy and elevated for a tween's room.

You might not be able to get your hands on the white hot, virally popular Labubu dolls (an ugly cute toothy rabbit monster sold in blind boxes by Hong Kong online retailer, Pop Mart), but the brand’s Cry Baby blind boxes are just as popular and, luckily, more easily attainable. Sporting a Cry Baby Badge on their backpack will instantly let your teen’s peers know they’re on top of all the coolest trends.

For a teen who’s always misplacing their keys, an AirTag offers a little peace of mind, and this cute Soot Sprite silicone case will keep it safe and connected to their keys for guaranteed discoverability.

A fun, low-lift activity that doubles as a take-home souvenir, this hair charm kit lets kids design colorful accessories to wear (or trade) long after the sleepover ends.

This fun board game designed for 3 to 10 players is unexpectedly delightful and deceptively simple. Players take turns using verbal clues to get the other players closest to the exact color they’ve drawn, with points awarded to those who get the closest. Each game takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and is guaranteed to have your teen thinking of colors in a new way. “I love playing this game with my friends,” my son said, “but it’s harder than it sounds.”

Handwritten notes are a bit of a lost art thanks to emails and texts, but with these monthly deliveries of note cards and postage, your tween or teen can connect with a pen pal, say thanks for a gift, or absolutely make their grandma’s day. The Petite Parcel subscription includes three different cards, plus postage, each month.

Whether they use it for skincare or snacks or both, teens are getting mini fridges in their rooms these days, and it’s a trend I fully support. This Frigidaire version is pleasantly retro with capacity for about six cans of soda or a modest combination of Poppi cans, La Fermière yogurts, and face masks.

It’s both practical and stylish to have the newest hues of Owala at your fingertips, making this a smart gift for any tween or teen who likes to stay both hydrated and on top of water bottle trends.

They’re a few years out from being able to get inked, but the interest is there. Support their creativity and self-expression with a pack of tattoo markers that will let them try out all the designs they’ve got in mind. (And hey, you might just save them from getting that Spongebob tattoo that they will surely regret later.)

They’re getting older, and maybe they wouldn’t admit this to their friends, but it’s completely OK if the tween or teen in your world still loves their stuffed animals. Squishmallows, in particular, know no age limit, so go ahead and get them a soft buddy for hard days.

Available in six classic colorways and two limited edition hues, these high-quality travel cases from Hershel will last for years to come, traveling with your kiddo from slumber parties to study abroad.

Grandma hobbies are hot right now, and Woobles, the super-user friendly crochet kits, are a good way for kids to learn some bona fide G’ma skills. Thanks to the step-by-step video tutorials and beginner-friendly yarn, your tween will be saying "bonjour" to Henri the frog in no time.

At some point, ennui comes for us all, but it can be particularly prevalent among teens. Get them a (unisex!) shirt that conveys exactly what they’re feeling while looking great at the same time.

We all need a good night’s sleep, but catching some z’s is especially important for teens. This soft sleep mask is like a weighted blanket for your eyes, helping wearers relax and drift off to sleep. Pop it in the freezer to get cool on a hot summer night or for a soothing headache remedy.

True to their name, wearing these TikTok famous slippers feels just like what I imagine walking on a cloud feels like. Available in a whole rainbow of fun colors, there’s a pair of Cloud Slides out there for every pair of feet.

This work of nonfiction seeks to answer some of the most absurd questions we can imagine about everything from technology to love, and in doing so, author Randall Monroe of the extremely popular website xkcd.com, gives us a new way to look at the world around us.

Whether they’re devoted to My Hero Academia or fully invested in Naruto, a Crunchyroll subscription will give your young person access to the anime content (and games!) they crave with no interruptions.

For teens who always want to have the freshest nails without spending a fortune at the salon, Olive & June’s Manicure System puts nail care in their hands, with everything they need to get their own salon-worthy manicure. And unlike a gel manicure, Olive & June’s mani system leaves nails healthy and strong.

The teens I know all have an incredible knack for getting cozy at a moment’s notice. But to take coze-core to the next level, get them a wearable blanket. Oodie’s come in every conceivable color, as well as fun branded versions, like Garfield and Pokémon, which means there’s an Oodie for every kind of teen.

Your teen needs to have music playing 24/7, but you also want them to be aware of their surroundings, especially when they’re on a bike or walking around the neighborhood. These brilliant headphones pair easily with Bluetooth and include their own storage for tunes on the go. The best part is, by conducting sound through the listener’s cheekbones (!), they leave the ears free for hearing the world around them.

The tweens and teens I know never fail to impress me with their creativity — who better to equip with a 3D pen with which to bring their weird and wonderful visions to life? The 3Doodler is designed for kids ages 6 to 13, but it’s a good starting point for any first-timers. If you’re looking for the next level, check out the Flow Pen. “This is as easy as using a glue gun,” my son said after trying the 3Doodler for the first time.

Teens love their music (see above), and they want it to go wherever they do. A portable speaker makes that a reality. My tween loves toting their Wonderboom speaker with them to the pool, the park, and on vacation (so they can more effectively tune out their siblings).

Perhaps your teen has finally reached that stage of life where they can be trusted with nice things. In that case, a Smart Watch can help them stay connected to friends and family, keep track of their steps and sleep, and have their favorite apps at their fingertips.

You may not be ready to admit it, but your tween could probably use an upgrade to the bike they’ve been riding since elementary school. Woom makes the best bikes for kids — this one has a lightweight frame and 8-speed gearing to let your cyclist glide in comfort, plus it’s durable enough that you can count on having the bike as a hand-me-down for younger siblings.

Comfortable, universally flattering, and somehow, always on-trend, a classic pair of chucks is exactly the kind of wardrobe-completing element your teen’s been waiting for.

I love playing Skee-Ball with my tween, and this portable version gets us out of the arcade and into the yard (or, better yet, on the beach). Brilliant in its simplicity, Flyball includes different colored balls, a ramp, and a target ring that packs up easily into a drawstring bag so you can tote it along wherever you go.

If #claytok has taken over your teen’s FYP, get them a kit that will encourage them to make their own unique creations. Each kit comes with over 4 pounds of clay, helpful clay tools, and a customizable assortment of paints, or paint markers for decorating.

Chances are the teen in your life already has their iPad situation figured out (If not, now’s a good time to fix that), but they may not have a great stylus, and for that, there’s no better option than the Apple Pencil Pro. The Apple Pen pairs, charges, and stores seamlessly with an iPad and opens up a whole world of functionality for everything from taking notes to creating works of art.