35 Best Gifts for 13-Year-Old Boys, No Matter What They're Into
These are the gifts that they really want this year.
Reviewed by Marisa LaScalaSenior Parenting & Relationships Editor
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The baby boy in your life is a big guy now, and instead of asking for toy trucks and coloring books, he wants high-tech gear, ironic games and rad decor for his room. He’s also, probably, always hungry.
Shopping for the best gifts for 13-year-old boys, one must keep this in-between stage in mind. He's still a kid, but his interests are changing. To come up with the best gifts for kids this age, we have consulted our own teen kids, scoured the bestsellers lists at Amazon and included some toys that have been through testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute (including current and former Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners). The rest is up to him!
Now he can relax basically anywhere. This comfy, air-filled couch doesn't require a pump to be inflated — all a teen has to do is wave it around in the air to fill it up. When it's deflated, it can be stored away in a pouch, so it's super easy to transport to the beach, park or backyard.
Not only does this fridge have a cool, old-school vibe, it can keep six of his cans cold at the same time. There'll be no need for him to hog up all the space in the family fridge with sodas and sports drinks.
Kanoodle Ultimate Champion 3D
This game gives his mind a workout and lets him engage in a solo challenge — or play against another player. A guide of some 500 puzzles tells players to arrange the pieces in a certain way, and then they use their smarts to fit the rest of the pieces in. This new version has the addition of a countdown clock to add excitement for his #KanoodleChallenge videos. Ages 7+
Hex Bots Wallcrawler Gecko
If he's into pranks, he'll love this RC creature, which can actually climb the walls without falling. Good Housekeeping Institute testers were also impressed with how lifelike its movements were in its rubbery limbs. Ages 4+
Lightning Reaction Reloaded Game
This game is shocking — literally! To play, each person grabs a handle and waits for the countdown. Once the red light turns green, everyone has to press their handle, and the last player to do so gets an electric shock. You can set the shock to low, medium or high depending on how brave you feel. "It doesn't really hurt that much, it's just nerve wracking to play, and [my kids] want to play ALL the time," one Amazon reviewer noted.
Snap Circuits Arcade Electronics Exploration Kit
If your teen boy is into electronics and games (and who isn't?), he can build his own arcade using circuits and connectors. The possibilities are basically endless because there are more than 200 different projects (with instructions) for him to build out and experiment with. Ages 8+
When you're our age, you just want to flop on the couch with a beer or glass of wine and watch TV at the end of the day, but for 13-year-olds, nighttime is ripe with potential for mystery and fun! This awesome glow-in-the-dark version of the popular party game will get him and his friends moving outside after the sun (and you) settle in for the evening.
Whether he thinks he's the brightest star in the universe already or has pie-in-the-sky dreams, your 13-year-old will love to project the entire galaxy onto his bedroom. Plus, this ingenious device triples as a white noise machine to help him sleep at night and a Bluetooth speaker to help him rock out during the day.
They'll be able to whip up their own stickers, which they'll find a million uses for, from annotating school work to fun locker and laptop decorations. It uses a thermal printer, which means no ink refills are required.
It's always Taco Tuesday when your kid has this hilarious, realistic, 6-foot tortilla blanket! (Don't worry, it's actually made of fleece.)
If he's a Fortnite fan, he can take his obsession off screens and into the real world with this LEGO Fortnite set. The Llama opens to reveal space to store cool items, like Slurp Juice and dynamite, which are also included. (More of a Minecraft fan? This cool creeper would fit the bill.) Ages 12+
He can add some brightly-colored light to his room with this ultra-cool lamp. It has three different brightness levels and the option for a color-changing mode. Plus, it doubles as a Bluetooth speaker so he can play his favorite songs while hanging out in his room.
There are two things we can be relatively sure of when it comes to 13-year-old boys, they need a shower and they always say they need more money. This bar of soap has real money inside, anything from a $1 bill to a Benjamin Franklin. (That's a $100 bill, in case they’re not sure.) The motivation to get clean and get cash will never be stronger!
This phone holder clamps to a bedside table or headboard, so he can watch videos in his bed hands-free. The adjustable arm makes it so that he doesn't get the dreaded "text neck" from holding his phone down all the time.
This affordable gift contains 100+ pages of comic book strips. It even has conversation bubbles, so he can practice his drawing skills and create his own scenes down to the dialogue.
Getting his first watch is like a rite of passage. (Bonus: he'll finally be able to check the time without looking at his phone.) Available in a variety of different colored straps, it's a great basic option for him to wear every day.
He's always hungry so arm him with the tools to be self-sustainable as he looks for ways to solve his insatiable appetite! All he'll need to add is water and frying oil of his choice. Soon he'll have 40 churros ready to enjoy with his friends as they watch a game or movie.
Let him turn whatever he can imagine into real, 3D sculptures! The pen heats up at different temperatures, which changes the flow of the materials, allowing for more control. Good Housekeeping Institute testers appreciated that it came with a book of stencils and a QR code to scan for instructions. It also comes with a separate USB cord and a wall adapter.
RELATED: The Best 3D Pens
Lots of young boys start to get into physical fitness in their teenage years, and these exercise dice make working out fun and different every day. He'll roll and get 10 seconds of jumping jacks, 20 push-up reps or one of many other combinations, keeping his routine fresh and fun.
Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
For adventurers who want to get into D&D, this set comes with everything they'll need, including a rulebook, pre-set characters and a set of dice. They'll be on their way in no time! Ages 12+
RELATED: The Best D&D Gifts
Jeff is a dad of two daughters, an avid traveler, a photographer, an author and a freelance writer who lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with his wife and their cats. In addition to Good Housekeeping, he's written for Parents, Fodor's, Food and Wine, Real Simple and Reader’s Digest, among other print and online publications. Jeff is the publisher of the quarterly literary magazine, Stanchion, and his book, Streets Cats and Where to Find Them, will be published by Running Press in the Summer of 2025.
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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