47 Best Gifts for 10-Year-Olds 2024

Oct 23, 2024

Tweens can be tough to shop for, but you'll win big with these unique and creative presents.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

By definition, tweens are at an in-between stage. By the time they're 10 years old, kids have achieved mastery over many skills — but still want toys, games and to cram as much fun into their tween lives as possible. So, when it comes time to buy tween gifts, basically the world is your oyster.

We took inspiration for gifts for kids this age from all over the map: top-tested items from the Good Housekeeping Institute, Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners, trendy best-selling items and — of course — feedback from 10-year-olds themselves. After combing through it all, these were the best gifts for 10-year-olds in 2024. What's at the top of their lists this year? Items they can personalize, crafts and kits they can build themselves, cute decorations that make them smile, and basically anything that gives them a deeper look into their interests.

Perfect for sleepovers or just lying around the house, this is the ultimate self-care gift in that it'll put a smile on a tween's face. Amazon reviewers say they're ultra-comfortable and that the bottoms hold up to repeated wear. No age recommendation given

Now they don't need to go out for Chinese food in order to sample the best part — the fortune cookies. This gives them everything you need to make 48 fortune cookies, including ingredients, sizing tools and even an edible ink pen. It also comes with both pre-written fortunes and blank ones so they can write their own. No age recommendation given

It's hard to get a sense of how truly big this guy is: He stands 14 inches tall and is nearly two feet long. When he's controlled via a remote control, he stomps, roars and charges up his atomic breath, which comes out in the form of (cool) steam. The breath effect was a huge hit with Good Housekeeping Institute testers, who wouldn't stop setting him off. Ages 8+

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards

Minecraft players can spot those pixels a mile away — they know it belongs to a Minecraft Creeper. Don't be surprised if this turns into an everyday hoodie. No age recommendation given

Inspired by the retro style of Japanese artist F*Kaori, these stuffed animals are a little more graphic, a little brighter and have cooler colors than your regular Pokémon plush. ""I love Pokémon and Bulbasaur and how cute it was," one kid tester raved. But it's not just Bulbasaur — you can get more than 20 Pokémon plushes in this style, so they can collect their faves. Ages 0+

RELATED: The Best Gifts for Pokémon Fans

Kid testers were drawn into this new series, about ordinary kids who start to investigate a real-life mystery in their home state in Florida. “Most of the chapters end on a mini cliffhanger, so you don’t want to stop reading,” said our 10-year-old reviewer. Ages 8–12

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Book Awards

Next time they're getting ready for a marathon Magic session, give them this throw blanket to help them stay warm and keep their mind sharp. If Magic isn't their game, they can also get one for Dungeons and Dragons. No age recommendation given

RELATED: The Best D&D Gifts

They can decorate almost any space with these cool stickers. They come out of the tube as a liquid, but dry with a jelly consistency. The kit comes with four jelly paints, plus other accessories to bring their designs to life.

For those who like their games with a bit of a darker side, this casual dice game has participants play as the zombies. The object is to roll the three dice and try to get and eat as many brains as possible — first player to 13 brains wins. Ages 10+

It's all about their rooms these days, so they'll love this personalized gift that speaks to their personality. You can pick the color, font and emoji that's added to it. No age recommendation given

Get them off their phone and practicing their juggling (a.k.a hand-eye coordination) skills with a Pindaloo. The goal is to try and get creative with all the ways they can work the ball into the tube. Ages 9+

Players have to come up with innovative ways of solving puzzles in this latest entry into the Zelda franchise. In it, Zelda can create "echoes" or copies of objects and monsters, and she has to use them and combine them wisely in her adventures across the land. Rated ESRB 10+

If they're into making codes, breaking codes and generally trying to keep secrets, this book will lead them through how to make codes, cyphers and even, eventually, entirely new languages. It's written by David J. Peterson, a language consultant for things like Game of Thrones and Doctor Strange. Ages 10+

RELATED: Best Kids' Books of All Time

Whether they're doing work for school on their laptops, listening to music or playing games, they can do it in style with these cat-ear headphones. They light up with LEDs, and it has a microphone for gaming or video calls. No age recommendation given

It's the size of a golf ball, but it can do so many things. Using drag-and-drop code or javascript, kids can program it to play games like weaving around or knocking down obstacles. Ages 8+

Indoors or outdoors, hang this up and they've got an instant cozy nook. It's made of weather-resistant nylon and comes with a comfy cushion. It also comes in three different colors, and when it's installed it can support up to 175 pounds. There's also the HugglePod Lite ($27), which comes with an inflatable cushion instead of a plush one. No age recommendation given

It's a little art, a little STEM and a whole lot of LEGO fun. This set gives kids the pieces to make eight different kinetic sculptures, made from both build-on bricks and papercraft. Along the way, they'll learn about engineering concepts like axles, cranks, pistons and simple machines. They can make an octopus that DJs, a menacing yeti, a pterodactyl, and more. Ages 8+

Disney fans met the introduction of the Lorcana trading-card game with great excitement, but these kinds of games always have complicated rules and take a minute to figure out how to play. This set helps new players understand the nuances of the game. Players start using only a portion of the deck, and as they master the skills, they unlock more of the deck with different kinds of cards. It's a step-by-step introduction to the gameplay. Good Housekeeping Institute testers loved the art of the cards, too. Ages 8+

This book will have your budding artist thinking in a new way: It comes with pages with colors splashed across them, and kids can use a black felt pen to draw in the outlines. It's a great mindfulness activity for when they need to recharge their creative juices. No age recommendation given

They can experiment with electricity, circuitry and other STEM topics in this kit, which has pieces that just snap together — no soldering necessary. It comes with enough pieces to make 100 projects, including a musical doorbell, a voice-controlled lamp and an adjustable-volume alarm, though the UFO was the Good Housekeeping Institute testers' clear favorite. Ages 8+

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.

30 Best STEM Toys for Kids of All Ages

20 Best Toys and Gifts for 10-Year-Old Girls

The Bluey Advent Calendar Is an Amazon Best-Seller

20 Best Toys and Gifts for 10-Year-Old Boys

Unique Gift Ideas for Every LEGO Fan

I Found the Best Gifts for 11-Year-Old Boys

These Are the Best New Toys Under $25

The Year's Hottest Toys Are...

24 Best Gifts and Toys for 8-Year-Old Girls

21 Best Toys & Gifts for 9-Year-Old Girls

20 Best Toys and Gifts for 9-Year-Old Boys

How We Test Toys