In this article
Tween boys are the age group that perplexes me the most when it comes to gift giving. Roughly between the ages of 9 and 12, tween boys straddle a real middle ground. While they’re interested in a lot of the same things as 17-year-olds and even some adults, many of them still enjoy playing with plush toys. But when I talked to a handful of tweens, I learned all they really wanted was not to be treated like children — meaning no one wants Legos, but lots want a PS5. And an Apple Watch. And a new phone.
I’m sure plenty of adults wouldn’t mind those gifts, either. Here, I asked the boys to go beyond the obvious, including the games, activities, toys, tech, and books they’re hoping for. Jennifer Lynch, a content developer and toy-trends specialist at the Toy Association, says kids don’t actually play less as they enter their tween and teen years; rather, “how they play is really what changes.”
So after speaking with tweens, parents, game developers, bookstore owners, and toy specialists, I’ve gathered their top recommendations and separated them by type. There’s a breadth of gifts in each category at a wide range of prices, and they run the gamut from Bluetooth speakers to VR sets to Pokémon cards — and yes, some tweens really do just want that PS5, so if you’re down to splurge, I’ve included this option as well.
Games (and activities)
If they like football, they’ll probably love Fourth Down, a fast-paced card game that sets players up on offense and defense in pursuit of the elusive TouchDown card. It’s certainly age-appropriate, as the game’s creator made it when he was a teen himself.
Two toy-trend forecasters told me about 5 Second Rule Relay, an even more fast-paced version of 5 Second Rule. Players list five items in a category before handing the baton to another player to do the same.
Spikeball takes the tools of volleyball and adds the rules of foursquare; it’s a great game for tweens who have some extra energy. Plus, according to the PE teachers at Wood End Elementary School in Reading, Massachusetts, it helps build teamwork and sportsmanship among their third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders. (My colleagues have spotted it countless times in McCarren and Prospect Parks, too.) This set has collapsible legs for safer play and easy storage.
Tweens who prefer racquet-based sports might enjoy this portable Ping-Pong table. The trampoline-style table is suitable for play both indoors and outdoors and comes with five replacement balls (so overzealous servers need not worry).
For hoops fans, there’s this indoor basketball game. Maddie Michalik, toy-trends specialist for the Toy Association, says, “The whole family will want to get in on this epic mash-up of arcade-style indoor basketball and classic Connect4 gameplay.” And when it’s not in use, the whole setup folds away for easy storage.
“One of the best ways to hold a tween’s attention is when you are gathering around a board game,” says Mary Couzin, founder and CEO of People of Play. She’s a fan of this board-game version of the viral hit Wordle, because solving it is a group effort: One player writes down a secret five-letter word while the other players try to figure it out in as few attempts as possible.
Couzin’s favorite fast-paced game for tweens is Hand-to-Hand Wombat, which comes from the makers of two other Strategist-approved games, Throw Throw Burrito and Exploding Kittens. Players close their eyes and work together in teams of “good wombats” and “bad wombats” to either construct or destroy towers before time runs out. Afterward, everyone opens their eyes and tries to vote out the bad wombats.
Unlike traditional Rubik’s Cubes, Speed Cubes have rounded corners and built-in springs that make for super-smooth twisting movement and fast-paced problem solving. They’re great gifts for tweens who want to set a new PR on their Rubik’s Cube time, but they’d also work for any kid who wants a fluid-feeling fidget toy.
Activities
Michalik predicts this new edition of Kanoodle will be in high demand during the holidays. “It challenges players to solve more than 200 puzzles either solo or with a friend,” she says. “To make things even harder, there are puzzles in both 2-D and 3-D mode.”
These Micro Kickboards are the most recommended scooters by parents, experts, and kids, with Vox Media senior engineer manager Ryan Freebern saying the design is “super-sturdy and reliable” — his 13-year-old rides one to and from school on a regular basis. This sleek-looking model has two light-up wheels and is a timely upgrade for a tween who’s long outgrown a three-wheeled scooter.
Lauren Starke, SVP of communications at Vox Media and mother of two, says her tweens enjoy playing card games. “The Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza card game is silly and fun,” she says. The game, which can be played with groups of two to eight, is a fun but simple twist on Snap (meaning the rules aren’t too tricky to master).
STEM Activities and Kits
From Abacus Brands is this Penn & Teller VR Magic Lab, which Couzin tells me is up for multiple toy awards this year. Not only would this gift suit tweens interested in magic, as the VR goggles help bring a 50-page instructional guide on different tricks to life, but Couzin says the sleight-of-hand lessons from professional magicians will also help them build confidence and social-awareness skills.
If your tween is ready to move on from Legos, Cucco says this STEM kit will allow him to construct working 3-D circuits to learn how electricity travels throughout the home. The kit comes with 60 parts and 25 projects, so your kid will stay occupied for hours while also building science skills in the process.
Jayme Cellitioci, a creativity-and-innovation strategist for the National Inventors Hall of Fame, recommends gifting this kit from Kiwi Co. that includes all of the tools, instructions, and doodads necessary to build an actual walking robot. Budding engineers can tinker with real electronic components to make mechanical motion and customize their robot’s skin to their liking. (One tip Cellitioci shares when it comes to kits like these is to include time together to actually build it: “Sometimes, project-based kits sit on the shelf. When you give a kit that includes time to get together and create or build, perhaps even pre-watching resource videos that might come with the kit, it increases the odds of a young person gaining a meaningful STEM experience.”)
If your tween has his sights set on Meta’s smart glasses, Lynch says this Bill Nye VR Science Kit from Abacus Brands is a more age-appropriate way to scratch their VR itch — and it’s also a Strategist best seller. The kit includes 30 hands-on science experiments, such as making ice crystals or building a solar-powered bug, and a pair of goggles that lets your tween learn right alongside Nye.
E-Blox co-owner Jim Seymour says the company’s most popular gift for tweens this year is this DJ set, which allows them to use circuits to build their own console that plays three original songs and 15 different DJ sounds. They can also connect their own music device to the included speakers via Bluetooth.
If they’re interested in learning how things work, Michalik recommends this six-legged robot, which, when built, reacts to gestures and sound stimuli. “Tweens can build it themselves, learning about the mechanics behind the robot and how its technology works,” says Michalik. “There’s also a companion app to assign even more movements.”
Arts and Crafts
Sitting somewhere in between these STEM-focused kits and traditional arts and crafts is the 3Doodler. It’s a 3-D pen kit that lets them make smaller-scale creations, similar to what you could make with a 3-D printer. Lynch says it allows kids to make just about anything they can think up — like a figurine for their desk or a tiny bowl to hold spare change. (It’s been a favorite among our readers for years, too.)
Of course, you can go the straightforward arts-and-crafts route for an artistic type. Cullen Gardepe, assistant director and lead teacher at A Spunky Little Arts Co., says instead of toys, tween boys would benefit from student-level art supplies in the particular medium they’re interested in to help them develop their craft. Gardepe says these TikTok-popular Posca paint markers fit the bill and would make a solid gift for any emerging artist.
For his two sons who love drawing and making comic books, Freebern says he gave them Making Comics, a how-to guide to graphic storytelling, and these high-quality layout pages to aid in their drafting process.
Books
Shereen Rahming says her 10-year-old son, Ian, immediately took to the otherworldly and adventure-driven Tristan Strong series because “he can actually relate to [the main character]. He looks like him, he speaks like him, and his family looks like our family.” If your tween falls in love with the story, your future gifting plans are set, as there are two more books in the series.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet follows a boy who’s “trying to search for answers, figure things out, and make sense of the world around [him],” says Kazz Alexander Pinkard, executive director of Hit the Books, an after-school nonprofit in Harlem. He says they’re themes any tween can relate to.
Toys and Collectibles
This lamp first appeared in our guide to unusual gifts. Since then, it has become a reader favorite — dozens bought it on Black Friday. Tweens can cycle the strikingly real-looking jellyfish through 16 colors. I think it would make a great addition to the bookshelf of a gaming setup.
As a self-professed Pokémon megafan, 10-year-old Miles says this trainer box is his favorite present out of everything he received for his birthday. With eight booster packs with cards featuring Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield video games, 65 card sleeves, 45 energy cards, and a handful of other accessories, the box is an impressive addition to any tween’s deck and holds enviable cards he can swap.
“Squishmallows are beloved by all ages,” says Michalik. She predicts that the plushy most in demand this year will be from their collaboration with Pokémon. “The Pokémon collection expands this year with characters Snorlax and Togepi joining Pikachu and Gengar in the lineup — and are as collectible as ever,” she says.
Michael also wants Minecoins, which he can use to get new skins, texture packs, maps, and other cool features in the Minecraft universe.
Along with the Pokémon box set above, Miles says he considers this 12-inch Eevee plush to be one of his most prized possessions. Not only is Eevee his favorite Pokémon, he says he likes that he can use this jumbo plush as décor and a cozy pillow.
Décor
Tweens can choose from 16 colors to instantly customize a space to fit their mood. It doesn’t hurt that the LEDs work as good TikTok lighting as well.
Segal says this Amazon Alexa–connected Echo Glow gives her sons ambient light without making them feel like little kids. “But whatever you do, don’t call it a nightlight,” she says. Tweens can play with the light’s color settings and patterns to personalize their rooms, but they can also use it if they have a hard time waking up for school — Segal says the device gradually brightens until it’s time for the alarm to go off.
Michalik says that the licensed figures from Cable Guys have become more and more popular over the past year. “Each character is posed to be able to hold a gaming controller or phone — perfect to add some décor to any teen’s room,” she says. This Deadpool figure is one of the many Marvel options available, but you can also shop for characters from Disney, Star Wars, and popular anime shows.
Also popular in the tween lighting district is this mood-setting sunset lamp. It can shine in 16 different colors — and it’s easily portable.
Clothing, accessories and grooming
Our writer Arielle Avila says this “non-Axe deodorant spray” can “double as a new signature scent.” It’s not too pungent and is great for active tweens.
Another option for the active tween is this whopping 26-ounce bottle from Yeti. It’s insulated, so it keeps drinks cold, and it has a chug cap for quick hydration.
Tweens love Crocs just as much as adults (seemingly) do, and 10-year-old Rex D. is no exception. He wants two new pairs in preferably brights or neons, and he’d personalize his by wearing a mismatching set.
And to pair with his Crocs, Rex wants tall socks like HUSO’s that are tie-dye or neon “because they’re comfortable, and I like the way they look.” He’s not alone: When I talked to kids who were preparing to go back to school, they told us they really don’t like no-show socks — tall ones (especially in funky colors) are the way to go.
This classic cap is always well received. ’47 make hats for all the major teams, and if they’re not a baseball fan, you can also shop for NBA, NHL, NFL, and college-team hats too — in case they want to support an older brother.
Tech
Joshua says the Nintendo Switch is “the coolest gift I could imagine getting,” and most of the boys I spoke to agreed: They either wanted it or already had one. Rajan, a 10-year-old, says he likes that it’s portable and that you can get the same games you would on an Xbox, if not more. If your tween already has a Switch, the boys recommend gifting more games or controllers.
More than half of the boys I talked to said they wanted a pair of AirPods or AirPods Pro. “I think they’re nicer than over-ears because they’re not as bulky, so I can just put them in my pocket,” says Sasha, 12, who wants them for listening to podcasts and Drake.
Rex told us one of his favorite things to do after practice is play Xbox with his friends, all of whom wear mic headsets to talk to one another. For the gamer in your life, I’d recommend gifting this wireless pair that Kahlief Adams, host of the gaming podcast Spawn on Me, says has “stunning, immersive sound at a fantastic price.”
This waterproof and dustproof Bluetooth speaker gives kids the freedom to play their own tunes in their own space, says Tobey Grumet Segal, a tech writer and mother of two tween boys. She says whether the boys use it in the shower or throw it in a beach bag, “we never have to worry about it breaking,” as it’s built with water-resistant materials and shock-absorbing pads.
Parker loves playing his guitar and is hoping to get a new amp. This one has a headphone jack, so he can practice at any time without disturbing others, and it’s also compact enough to carry around.
Sony’s Playstation 5 is on — if not at the very top of — the wish lists of nearly every tween boy I spoke to. Noah, 12, primarily says he likes that it’s the newest console in the PlayStation lineup — complete with exclusive games, strong processing power, 4K display, and a touch-responsive controller — but he also tells us the PS5’s online-gaming capabilities make it easier to connect with friends from school. But the device will last tweens for years to come, regardless of what their friends are using, as the PS5 offers cross-generational play — so if your kid’s friend has a PS4, they can still quest on Sackboy together.
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
