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Gifts for Teens Aged 13 to 16, Girls and Boys
Science gadgets, lamps and builds a teenager will keep in their room, for girls and boys, at every budget.
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Tell us who it's for, what they're into and your budget: three ideas follow.
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Good gifts for teens are objects a 13 to 16 year old can use on their own, keep in their room and show to friends. Typical science gifts at this age are things to handle, like gyroscopic spinners and magnetic balls, design lamps, star projectors and mechanical models to build. They suit girls and boys alike, at budgets from under $30 to over $100.
Gift ideas for teens, by personality
The builder and pilot
For a teen who likes to assemble, the V8 Engine Model Kit ($119.99), for ages 14 and up, has 535 parts and takes most builders 6 to 10 hours, until the pistons and crankshaft start moving. To fly, the Drone For Teenager (from $109.99) films with its dual 4K camera and stays up 16 to 20 minutes per battery. The Robotic Hand Kit ($119.99) moves its fingers through pistons, levers and water-filled tubes, no batteries needed.
The stargazer
The Galaxy Room Projector ($227.99) turns a bedroom into a night sky, with 4 films of nebulae, galaxies and the Moon. To look at the real sky, the Childrens Telescope ($99.99) is a 40 mm telescope on a short aluminum stand, with two eyepieces, a finder scope and a compass. The Magnetic Solar System ($29.99) keeps its two rings turning in midair thanks to a built-in solar panel.
Always fidgeting
The Magic Spinner ($29.99), for ages 14 and up, is an aluminum gyro spinner whose sphere seems to float as it turns. With the Rainbow Magnetic Balls (from $29.99), magnetic balls in six colors can be shaped into almost anything. The Math Puzzles Brain Teaser ($39.90), a wooden puzzle, asks for patience and a taste for numbers: the goal is to line up a sum of 50.
The experimenter
The Mini Tesla Coil ($119.99) plays music through its plasma speaker, with arcs of light to match. The Hand Crank Generator Kit ($24.99) is built by hand: turn the crank and a real LED lights up, without a single battery. The Slime Mold Growing Kit, Live Blob Biology Experiment ($89.99) goes further, with a living slime mold to wake up, feed with oat flakes and watch spread across its petri dishes.
Room makeover
The Infinity Cube Lamp (from $99.99) creates an optical illusion of cubes stretching away forever, in colors that shift as you move. The Galaxy Projector Lamp ($56.99) offers 10 colors and changes themes from the remote. The Galaxy Star Projector ($107.99) covers the ceiling with stars in white, yellow or blue, with 7 interchangeable films.
A bit geeky
The Periodic Table Of Elements With Real Elements ($99.99) holds 83 real element samples in clear resin. The Kinetic Art Sculpture ($38.99) lets 170 magnetic balls form chains, spirals or towers on a heavy base. The 3D Puzzle Solar System ($144.99), with 316 wooden pieces and 7 to 9 hours of assembly, becomes a model of the planets and their orbits. For more ideas, see our gifts for geeks.
How much to spend on a gift for a teenager?
| Budget | Examples | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30 | Origami Infinity Cube ($24.99), Triangular Glass Prism ($22.99) | A teen you don't know well, or a small extra gift |
| $30 to $60 | Solar System Lamp ($34.99), Super Precision Gyroscope ($59.99) | A teen who cares about their room, or loves objects that seem to defy gravity |
| $60 to $100 | Childrens Telescope ($99.99), Tesla Coil Music ($84.99) | A fan of space, music or physics |
| $100 and up | Galaxy Room Projector ($227.99), Drone For Teenager (from $109.99) | A big birthday, a room makeover or a future pilot |
Gifts for teenage girls
Most ideas on this page suit girls as well as boys, so start from what she does with her free time. If she is redoing her room, the Galaxy Night Light Projector Infinity ($114.99) has 32 films to project, from galaxies to space stations, and the Led Rotating Lamp ($77.99) seems to hold a glowing planet in midair. If she likes to make things, the Kinetic Art Sculpture ($38.99) turns into a new sculpture every day. If she photographs everything, the Clip-On Phone Microscope ($74.99) clips onto her phone for 200x close-ups.
Gifts for teen boys
The same rule works for boys: a teen keeps what he can use on his own, every day. A builder will spend several evenings on the V8 Engine Model Kit ($119.99), or a good two hours on the Wooden Marble Run Mechanical Puzzle 130 Pieces ($139.99), both for ages 14 and up. A music fan will want the Tesla Coil Music ($84.99) on his desk. For a 13 year old, save the 14-and-up builds for the next birthday; if he is still 12, our ideas for ages 8 to 12 fit better. Space fans will find more among our space gifts, and our gift boxes bring several objects together.
Frequently asked questions
What are cool gifts for teens?
For a teenager, cool usually means something that reacts: it lights up, moves or makes a sound. The Mini Tesla Coil ($119.99) plays music through a plasma speaker, the Solar Stirling Engine ($79.99) spins its rotor on light alone and seems to float, and the Wooden Marble Run Mechanical Puzzle 130 Pieces ($139.99), for ages 14 and up, sends marbles along LED-lit tracks with an electric lift. All three end up on a desk, where friends will notice them.
What are good Christmas gifts for teens?
At Christmas, aim for something they can use that same evening. The Galaxy Room Projector ($227.99) turns the ceiling into a night sky, with 4 films of nebulae, galaxies and the Moon. The Infinity Cube Lamp (from $99.99) fills a corner of the room with color and an illusion of depth. To round it out, a small object like the Ferrofluid In A Bottle ($22.99) adds a surprise on a smaller budget. Our science Christmas gifts offer more ideas.
What are good gifts for 13 year olds?
At 13, pick something they can use on their own, without a very long build. The Childrens Telescope ($99.99), for ages 8 and up, comes with two eyepieces, a finder scope and a compass to start observing. With the Rainbow Magnetic Balls (from $29.99), they can invent their own shapes from magnetic balls. Skip products marked 14 and up, like the V8 Engine Model Kit ($119.99) or the Magic Spinner ($29.99): keep them in mind for the next birthday.
What are good gifts for 14 year olds?
At 14, longer builds open up. The V8 Engine Model Kit ($119.99), recommended from 14, takes most builders 6 to 10 hours, then its pistons, crankshaft and fan run on an electric motor. The Robot Dog for Adults ($146.77), also for ages 14 and up, has 936 parts and responds to voice commands and a remote. For something quicker, the Magic Spinner ($29.99) is an aluminum gyro spinner to keep on the desk.
What do you get a teen you barely know?
Choose something that needs no explanation and fits in any room. The Galaxy Star Projector ($107.99) projects starry skies in white, yellow or blue, with 7 films to switch between. The Origami Infinity Cube ($24.99) keeps hands busy with 70 possible transformations, held together by magnets. The Triangular Glass Prism ($22.99) splits light into the colors of the spectrum. All three suit girls and boys, whatever their interests.
Can I exchange the gift if they don't like it?
Yes. You have 30 days to change your mind, which leaves time to give the gift and see whether it makes it onto the desk or the shelf. If it doesn't suit them, you can send it back within that period. There is also free shipping on orders over $59.90.