30 Best Gifts for 13-Year-Olds Who Have Great Taste
From tech to toys, these are what newly minted teenagers want this year.
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When they’re 13, they know what they like—and what they don’t. Getting gifts for kids this age can be tricky, because what a 13-year-old really wants most is for you to show that you really know and understand them.
Our top picks
- Best overall gift for 13-year-olds: The Book of Unusual Knowledge
- Best new game: Catan: On the Road Card Game
- Useful tech gift: JBL Clip 5 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker
- Best cosmetics brand for 13-year-olds: Summer Fridays
- Best plush, because they still secretly love toys: Jellycat
Luckily, once you know their interests—be it tech, or games, or cosmetics—there are tons of great options out there. These rose to the top as the best gifts for 13-year-olds in 2026. Some are top-tested item recommendations from the Good Housekeeping Institute, while others are editors’ picks, best sellers, and trendy items teens can’t stop buying.
Catan: On the Road Card Game
Catan: On the Road Card Game
They’ll have to sharpen their logic and strategy skills when they play this game, an easy-to-take-along card-game version of the original Settlers of Catan. “We will definitely play this often—it’s fun once you got the hang of how the game is played,” said one parent of a 10-year-old tester. Ages 10+
This kit lets teens make their own jewelry with a more sophisticated look—and it comes with materials like faux suede cords, metal charms, tassels, metal rings, ribbons, and thread. It feels like an elevated bracelet-making kit. Ages 13+
When they get to be this age, it’s impossible to tell where their interests will lead them. Feed their curiosities with this book, which has 20 chapters of factoids about everything from presidential pets to the inventor of the Zamboni.
When they want to take their tunes on the go, this wireless Bluetooth speaker makes it easy, with a carabiner so it can clip to a bag or backpack. It’s also waterproof, rugged enough to withstand use by less-than-careful teens, and comes in several colors.
Klutz Felted Food Friends
Klutz Felted Food Friends
Crafty kids can use the included felting needle to make different food-shaped characters, personalizing things like their little facial expressions. “The projects are cute,” a parent of a tween tester told the Good Housekeeping Institute. “My 11-year-old found it interesting and was able to use it without much help.” Ages 10+
This one’s really going to test their reflexes and coordination: The game challenges players to bounce the ball on all five sides of the cube. There’s only one cube in a pack, but get two and it can be a two-player game. Ages 12+
This subscription box lets young scientists tackle more sophisticated projects, like an infrared turret or a machine that sets up dominoes. It comes from YouTuber Mark Rober, a former NASA engineer. “My 13-year-old son loved this,” one parent of a Good Housekeeping Institute tester said. “He thought this was the coolest project and was very proud of himself when he successfully put it together. He was so engrossed that he skipped dinner!” Ages 13+
What the GH gift experts hear over and over again from teens is that they love personalization and customization—and what could be more personalized than a neon sign shining your name in your room? In addition to the name, kids can specify the color, font, baseplate shape, and icon.
Incredible Novelties Jet-Puffed Marshmallow-Scented Squishi
Incredible Novelties Jet-Puffed Marshmallow-Scented Squishi
It doesn’t matter how old they are—all kids are going gaga over collecting squishy toys. This one is an actual collab with Kraft, and in addition to the marshmallow, they have a Kool-Aid Man, Jell-O, the Oscar Mayer Wiener, and—my favorite—Kraft Mac & Cheese. Good Housekeeping Institute testers liked the marshmallow the best, though, because of its sweet scent. Ages 8+
Big Joe Milano Bean Bag Chair
Big Joe Milano Bean Bag Chair
They can pull up a seat almost everywhere with this stylish bean bag chair, which has a handle on top to make it easy to drag around. In Good Housekeeping Institute tests, testers said they liked how full and firm it was and how it offered back support.
RELATED: The Best Bean Bag Chairs
This gift is a bit of a gamble: Inside is a real bill, and no one knows until they finish it up whether it’s $1, $5, $10, $20, $50, or even $100. This one is an orange and peach scent, but it also comes in cucumber and mint.
Kids get actual, physical copies of their photos—without having to pay for film or wait for processing. This one instantly prints 2" x 3" photos on Kodak Zink Photo Paper. The photos also save to a MicroSD card, so they can use them in their digital projects too.
‘A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic’ Book
‘A Potion, a Powder, a Little Bit of Magic’ Book
Good Housekeeping Institute tween and teen testers loved the loopy narrative of this book, which breaks the fourth wall and is told out of order. The main story involves a goatherd who has to save his goats, but it only gets more adventurous from there. The chronology “is really smart of the author, because readers will slowly put the pieces of the story together to make them say, ‘Ohhhhh, I get it now!’” one 11-year-old told the Good Housekeeping Institute. Ages 10+
Kids who are getting into cosmetics and skincare love that this set gives them three different colors to experiment with. They also have fun, fruit-themed flavors: pink guava, poppy, and cherry. There’s also a duo set for $50.
Now they’ll never have an excuse for not texting when they’re late. The device comes with four built-in charging connectors—USB-A, USB-C, Lightning, and Micro-USB—so no matter what they need to power up, they’ll be good. It also comes in several colors.
They can challenge their friends and family to a game of dexterity and coordination. Players go head-to-head to see if they can get their rings to capture three of the five hooks before their opponent. The set is portable, so they can bring it out whenever they think they'll have some competition. Ages 8+
Take their love of Minecraft off screens and into the real world with this LEGO set, which has them making a Minecraft skeleton that stands more than 11 inches tall. When it’s built, it can be posed with or without its weapons and armor. Ages 10+
Pokémon adults are rivaling the Disney adults for their fandom—which only means the gifts are getting better. This sleeping Espeon plush is a whopping 18 inches, which means it’s big enough to double as a pillow. Ages 2+
This home laser tag set comes with four vests and four blasters, so teens can pair off in teams of two and run around until they've used all their teenage energy. The pieces in the set vibrate and make sounds for immersive gameplay. Ages 8+
People of all ages, from toddlers all the way up through adults, have been known to collect Jellycats because they’re so cute and so soft. Jellycats come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, but this one has cozy vibes, with the smiling double-marshmallows hiding under a blanket of graham cracker. Ages 0+
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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