35 Best Gifts for 12

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While choosing gifts for kids of any age can be hard, buying gifts for tweens has an extra layer of difficulty. That's because they're right in that in-between spot, where they're torn between wanting toys, games and fun things like a kid and asking for tech, clothes and more sophisticated things like a teenager.

The Good Housekeeping Institute knows what gifts will meet them at their level through constant testing and surveying. Lab experts call in toys and other gifts, test them to make sure they're built correctly and safe, and then ship them out to real tweens for feedback. (The favorites from testers of every age go on to win Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards.) After hearing from countless tweens, and adding in some trendy editor's picks and best-sellers, these rose to the top as the best toys and gifts for 12-year-old boys this year.

Our top picks for the best gifts for 12-year-olds in 2023:

As you can see, puzzles, games and anything that combine the two are a big hit this year, which is good for those growing tween brains!

Looking for more great gifts? Check out these Good Housekeeping guides:

Gifts for 12-Year-Olds | Gifts for 12-Year-Old Girls | Gifts for Teen Boys

Most of the drones we tested are only rated for kids 14+, but the Sky Viper Vector Stunt Plane is easy enough for tweens to handle. That's because of its auto-stabilization feature, which even accounts for winds. In the air, it can fly up to 35 mph, do barrel rolls and make 360-degree loops. It also has other neat bells and whistles, like a tracer that beeps when it lands so you can find it again. Ages 12+

It pays for tweens to put this jigsaw puzzle together — literally. When they're done, users can scan a QR code that'll win them real money. The catch? The value ranges, from $1 all the way up to a million dollars. But do it fast, because the last day to redeem us February 28, 2024. Ages 5+

When it's time to take notes, this is a pen. But, when it's time to listen to lectures, tweens can take apart, twist and bend, and connect the magnetic shaft into different shapes like a fidget toy. It comes with 14 magnetic rings, 30 steel balls, two stylus heads and a box to keep it all in. Ages 12+

This is basically a cross between a game of skill and a joke book: Players take turns reading the jokes to each other, and the opponent has to try not to laugh. They'll get to work on their ability and comic timing, but really, in the end, everyone breaks!

With this kit, they'll be able to design, plan and create their own 3D-printed objects by melting filaments in different colors. The kit comes with a pen (users can adjust the flow of the filament through the pen), a DesignPad to help form neat geometric shapes, and a FreePad to help trace different patterns. You can also get additional filament in different colors.

TikTok and other social media sites are buzzing about the #KanoodleChallenge — and, after trying to complete the puzzles in the brainteasing Kanoodle game, it's easy to see why. But tweens can show off their intellectual prowess with Kanoodle Extreme, which offers bigger and better challenges. Cards start players off by making a certain shape, and players have to use their wits to see how the rest of the pieces fit in to complete the puzzle. Ages 8+

Tweens can use the included laser to guide this car across the floor, sure, but it gets even cooler than that — it also drives up walls and even onto the ceiling! Good Housekeeping Institute testers said this had a huge "wow" factor. Ages 8+

If they love to draw, make sure they never have artists' block with this book. It doesn't give them images to copy, but instead fosters their imagination: It offers prompts, asking them to create "the view from the top of a skyscraper" or "a family of lions at Thanksgiving dinner." Then they can take the idea-starters and run wild! Ages 8+

He can get those easy-breezy hammock vibes wherever he goes — without the need for trees, clips, ties or air pumps. He just has to simply wave this lounger around to fill it with air, and then it's ready for lounging. Bring it to the park or beach, use it in his room or hang out on it in the backyard.

Slammo is great for athletic kids who are ready to try a demanding sport. Players work in teams of two, and each team has three hits to return the ball to the circular net (which is harder than it sounds). The set comes with everything they'll need to get started, including a net, a large ball for beginners, two small balls for experienced players and a carrying case so they can bring it on the go. Ages 8+

Whether they're playing sports or running around in the park or backyard, 12 years of age is when the sweat gets serious. This headband is made from a moisture-wicking material that'll keep them dry, keep the sweat out of their eyes and protect their hairstyles. It's also reversible, with a pattern on one side and a solid color on the other, and it comes in a bunch of color/pattern combos.

It may look like a regular beanie on the outside, but the knit actually contains a pair of wireless headphones. That means he can listen to his music, hear podcasts or even take calls without having to use his hands. Head (and fingers) warm, tunes on — sounds like a win-win. It also comes in a variety of different patterns.

If they ever wanted to try their hand at stop-motion animation, these figures make it easy by clicking into place, making them easy to pose and move incrementally. They also suction cup to different surfaces so they won't shift or slip. The set comes with a reversible green/blue screen sound stage, a mobile device tripod and three Stikbot figures (two people plus a horse), but you can always get more Stikbot and Klikbot figures. Ages 4+

He'll be so excited to keep cold drinks in a spot that's his alone. This mini fridge is just big enough to hold six cans, which he'll thrill to have at arm's reach at all times. The retro design also comes in four different colors.

He can add textures, layers and other details — or just correct some mistake — with these markers, which come with a neat trick: two either erase the color or change the color to something else. There are 16 felt pens in total.

Lying, cheating, bribing, bluffing? It's just part of the game. In this card game, players are given cards that give them roles like Assassin, Captain and Contessa, and each person has their own ability (like being able to steal from other players or see their cards). Each player must use their skills to their advantage and try to gain absolute power over the others. It's a game designed to be learned quickly and played in 15 minutes, which makes it good to keep around for whenever friends are hanging out. Ages 10+

Whether you played Cranium back in the day or are a Cranium newbie, you can usher in fun for the entire family with the 25th Anniversary Edition of the classic board game. The game challenges players to use their brains in different ways, be it by drawing on a white board o sculpting a clue out of clay. The refreshed version has 800 new questions to try, so fire up those brain cells! Ages 12+

He'll love folding and unfolding this confounding box, revealing all the groovy patterns inside, and then trying to figure out how to get it back into cube form again. According to Shashibo, it can make 70 different configurations (and there's an app that can help with that), but he might just like the feeling of using it as a fidget toy. Ages 8+

Good Housekeeping parent testers reported that kids wanted to use this every day, since it felt so immersive. It comes with an 80-page book that comes to life in virtual and augmented reality when used with the included VR goggles. In addition, there are hands-on activities that bring the virtual dinosaurs into the real world. There are 60 pieces in all. Ages 7+

He'll never miss a text or social-media post, even in winter, when he's wearing these touchscreen gloves. They're soft and warm, too — no wonder they've received nearly 33,000 five-star reviews on Amazon!

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 (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH’s growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH’s annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.

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