In a digitally-charged world, it’s harder than ever to get teenagers off their devices. Even if they’d rather be on their phones, you may not want your kid constantly chatting behind a screen with seemingly two-dimensional friends.
These gifts for your teen will get them to actually want to put their phone down and be present. From fun games like Pepper Pong to a wood burning kit to inspire a new hobby, here’s what we recommend.
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Giving a Taylor Swift-related gift to a Swiftie is perhaps one of the nicest things that you can do. You won’t be the anti-hero and they might just jump up and down in excitement as if they’re in the crowd at the Eras Tour. Mad Libs has a fun new spin on the fandom with 21 “fill-in-the-blank” stories filled with wit, humor and nods to iconic lyrics filling in the blank space.
If you’re a fan of pickleball and ping pong, then you’re going to absolutely love playing Pepper Pong. You can literally set up and play anywhere. The “peppers” — in other words, the balls — are customized with various speeds and bounce thanks to a unique foamy design.
Not only do these gently magneticferrite stones looks cool, they’re also a great stress-reliever for anyone who likes to wind down with a fidget toy. The pieces are strangely very satisfying to crush in your hand or drop in the metal tin (which makes a satisfying clinking sound that will please any ASMR fan). Get them in counts of 150, 500 or over 1,000.
Up to 10 people can play this strategic card game — and luckily, you don’t actually have to worry about the safety and well-being of any felines. Players don’t want to pull the “exploding kitten,” but other cards (like a laser pointer or catnip sandwich) can diffuse the tragedy. The 120-card deck is filled with hilarious and impressive illustrations along with witty names.
In a digital world, everyone could always use some time going analog. Inspire your teen’s creativity with this set of art supplies that comes with a sketchbook, drawing pencils, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, charcoal pencils, metallic pencils, a travel case and more. It’s exciting to see what they’ll come up with.
It seems like these days every artist releasing music accompanies their CD with a shiny new special edition vinyl that fans absolutely love — and maybe your teen is one of them. In case your favorite music isn’t on a vinyl, this record player also has a built-in Bluetooth receiver and two speakers.
This dodgeball card game comes from the creators of Exploding Kittens. Players’ skills are put to the test by collecting cards to earn points and–you guessed it–throw burritos! This game will keep everyone entertained for the night, but it’s probably best to avoid any indoor space that contain easily-broken objects.
Let your teen relax than with ambient lighting that’s out of this world. This astronaut-shaped projector has eight different nebula effects. The soothing projections are ideal to fall asleep to and convenient because you can set up a 45 or 90 minute timer. The astronaut figurine also makes a great addition to any teenager’s bedroom.
It’s hard being a teenager nowadays with balancing social media, school, extracurriculars and simply growing up. This book helps teens practice mindfulness and explores themes like self-esteem and interpersonal relationships. It also includes inspirational quotes because we all can always use an extra boost of motivation.
“Super Mario” and Lego fans will rejoice at the sight of this iconic collaboration. The 540-piece LEGO building set comes with two coins for the brick-built pipe and the head is adjustable to pose in different ways. You’ll never have to worry about watering this one, and teenage Lego enthusiasts will appreciate it.
It’s reported that the Swifite friendship bracelet craze originated with Taylor Swift’s song “You’re On Your Own Kid.” This kit includes 4,600 flat polymer clay beads and 500 charms (including letters and numbers). Whether or not they’re a Taylor Swift fan, this set promises to keep creative teens occupied.
This complete wood burning kit for beginners can inspire your teen to harness a new hobby. The 40-piece kit includes everything you need to get started: a wood burning tool, eight pre-sanded wood plaques, sandpaper, watercolor paints, paintbrushes, and a step-by-step guide.
When your teenager looks up from their phone, they’ll notice that there’s a whole big world out there. This telescope has a 400-millimeter focal length and 70-millimeter aperture that’ll give great views of the moon and the stars. This gift can be a fun way to bond with your teen as you discover outer space together.
Reading the Harry Potter series is a rite of passage for every teenager. The seven iconic paperback books are packaged in a stylish, complete set. The wizarding world that J.K. Rowling has created continues to leave a legacy–the final installment, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” is the fastest selling book in history.
If you play this game with family members or friends, there’s a chance friendly arguing will break out — and that’s the fun of it. Scattergories is a fast-paced party game for adults and teens where the most creative players are rewarded and each round is completely different from the next.
Cooking dinner on taco Tuesday or baking holiday cookies together can become a new tradition. America’s Test Kitchen has created a cookbook for every young chef with kid-tested and approved recipes. The book includes step-by-step photos of tips and tricks to empower young readers to become confident cooks.