49 Best Gifts for 12-Year-Olds That Tweens Will Flip For
Expert (and kid) approved ideas for artists, gamers and tech lovers.
Reviewed by Rachel Rothman
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They say that tweens are torn between wanting to be little kids again, and longing to be seen as adults who are in charge of their own futures. So when shopping for gifts for kids this age, there's a fine needle to thread. Get something too kiddie, and they're going to scoff. But toys, games and other gifts aimed at older teens might still be too complicated, or they might not be interested in them yet.
The Good Housekeeping Institute helps gift-seekers find that sweet spot when looking for the best gifts for 12-year-olds by testing toys year-round with kids of all ages. It solicits honest feedback from real 12-year-olds, including asking how long something was used and how likely a tester is to use it again. At the same time, experts evaluate items in the lab to find out if they're safe, durable and well constructed (a.k.a. worth the price tag). The best items go on to win Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards, and we take the expert recommendations and add in some trend-setters and best-sellers to come up with this list.
This year, tweens are looking to update their style, work out their minds and, most of all, have a little fun! This guide highlights gifts and toys that align with these interests. And if you are looking for more great gift ideas, check out best gifts for 12-year-old boys, the best gifts for 12-year-old girls and gifts for tweens.
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Cozy House
Good Housekeeping Institute testers say this is set for kids who love building with LEGO blocks (rather than, say, just using them as a play set). That's because there are three different ways to build the structure, depending on how the architect in your life feels that day. It can be a quaint cottage, a sleek-and-tall canal house or a rustic A-frame, all using the same pieces. Testers also liked that there were little mini-builds inside, too, like toys for one of the bedrooms. Ages 8+
If they love building marble runs and seeing the cause-and-effect of adding different tracks in different places, they'll adore this game. It gives them challenge cards that start off a marble path, and players have to figure out which pieces to use to get the marble to travel into the red cup at the end. There are more than 60 puzzles to work out — or they can just use the pieces to make their own creations. Ages 8+
The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels
A little macabre, a little wry, a little sly, this book is perfect for those who liked the tone of A Series of Unfortunate Events. Good Housekeeping Institute testers loved the mix of mystery and humor. Ages 8 – 12
The premise is simple: Players are charged with launching a ball through the blue tube and catching it at the other opening. And yet, they won't be able to stop! It's so fun to play, they won't even realize they're working on their hand-eye coordination. It has such a following, it's received more than 6,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. Ages 9+
Good Housekeeping 1,001 Amazing Science Facts
If they're into animals and nature, the human body, engineering or out of space, this book has the answers to their burning scientific questions, courtesy of the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Soon, they'll be running to you to tell you whether or not we drink the same water the dinosaurs did, or what it will take to travel to Mars. Ages 8 – 12
They can take their artistic creations into the third dimension with this pen, which gives them an intro to the world of 3D printing. The artist gets to pick hot the unit gets, which puts them in control of how fast the plastic filament flows. (There's also a less expensive version that comes without an OLED display.) It comes with three colors of ABS plastic filament to get them started.
If they're looking for a relaxing, mindfulness activity and are inclined to enjoy art, this is something they surely don't have. It comes with colors already splashed across the page, and the reader can add in the outlines wherever they see fit. If they enjoy it, there are other reverse-coloring books to get, too.
A mix of sport and fantasy that combines hide-and-seek with tag, Wizards and Werewolves is best played when it starts to get dark. A group is divided into two teams: Wizards, who have to find all the werewolves' glowing power crystals and defeat the alpha, and werewolves, who have to try and bite the wizards and add them to the wolf pack. It's a game that can be played with mixed ages and across several skill levels. Ages 8+
HP Sprocket Portable Mini Photo Printer
What's the point of taking photos if they just live on their devices (or, worse, yours)? This mini photo printer connects to iOS or Android devices with Bluetooth and lets users print out 2" x 3" photos on sticky-backed paper. If you have the HP app, you can also add stickers, emojis and other effects. It also comes in other colors (like blush pink or luna pearl), or in gift bundles that include more paper and scrapbook supplies.
There are more than 300 brain-teasers and riddles in this book — not bad for something that's less than $10! Who knows, maybe they'll quiz you, and you can give your own brain a workout. Ages 9+
Lunar fans young and old will appreciate this lamp, which comes 3D printed to look like the surface of the moon. You can customize it further by choosing one of four sizes, or shifting between the 16 colors of light.
What tween wouldn't want to just wrap themselves up in a cloud-like cocoon of lightweight fleece? Whether they want to snuggle up and read, stay warm on a cold day or just laze around, this wearable blanket will have them feeling cozy all over. It comes in lots of colors and patters, and it even has a pocket, so hands can stay warm, too. One size.
So many STEM concepts come into play when you're making your own catapult: There's engineering to build the device, physics to plan out the arc of the projectile and more. This gets kids involved in the process hands-on, and simplifies the process with pre-cut wood pieces and easy-to-follow instructions. Ages 12+
Whether they're using it as a backdrop for their TikToks or just as a cool enhancement to their room decor, tweens and teens love adding a pop of neon lights to their space. This comes with a strip of more than 16 feet of LED lights, and you can change the colors, brightness and mode.
If they have a Nintendo Switch, this game is designed to get everyone playing together, no matter if they're tween or adult, expert or novice. The group is divided into two teams — and there can be up to 100 players if some people use their phones as a controller! — and they're set head-to-head on a series of active mini-games. One mini-game might involve playing hide-and-seek with a controller, while another asks team members to play a version of "red light, green light" against the CPU. May the best team win! Rated E
If your 12-year-old will wear anything to stand out, this eye-catching hoodie keeps tweens looking cool but feeling warm. It has a layer of fleece inside to make it extra cozy. The galaxy pattern really pops, but if that's not their style, there are more than 30 other designs, including rainbow cats and tie-dye swirl.
Original LED Marquee
Your tweens can write whatever message they want to accurately reflect their moods, because this lightbox comes with 100 letters that are tucked away in a storage-friendly compartment in the back. You can also buy extra letters or symbols to go with it.
At the next family gathering, this shirt will let their relatives know how important the event meant to them. There are child and adult sizes (and in three different colors) so you can get one for yourself to match. Sizes: child's small to adult 3X
RELATED: The Best Gifts for Gamers
Chronicle Books This Book Is a Planetarium
This is part-book, part-easy DIY project. The pages pop up, but they don't just become 3D illustrations. Instead, the pages turn into interactive, working paper devices like a planetarium, a speaker that amplifies sound, an instrument that can be played and more. Ages 8+
Not only do these little guys add a bit of pizzazz to that tangle of cords they have in their rooms, they help protect those precious charging cables from fraying. This comes in a pack of five different animal designs.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.
Rachel Rothman was the chief technologist and executive technical director of the Good Housekeeping Institute for over 15 years, overseeing testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also managed GH's research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems.
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