Gift ideas · Age 12

Gifts for 12 year olds

Twelve year olds want real versions of things: real tools, real games, real gear. A gift that treats them like almost a teenager lands better than a toy.

Remind me beforeor

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Safe bets for most 12 year olds

  • 1A 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzleA slow project for the kitchen table that the whole family ends up helping with. Find one
  • 2A leathercraft kitA wallet or keychain they made, and actually use. Find one
  • 3An instant cameraFriends, sleepovers and photos on the wall. Find one
  • 4CodenamesThe party game grown-ups play, and kids this age are good at it. Find one

Match how they play

  • 1An Arduino starter kitFor a builder. Real code that makes lights blink and motors turn. Find one
  • 2A hiking daypackFor an explorer. Their own pack for real trails. Find one
  • 3A USB microphoneFor a performer. Songs, podcasts and voiceovers with real sound. Find one
  • 4A set of cubes from 2x2 to 5x5For a puzzler. Once they've solved one, there's always a harder one. Find one

What usually doesn't get used

Anything with a character they loved at 8. Ask first.

Find gifts that match how they play

The gifts that get used match how a kid already likes to play. The quiz takes two minutes, and nothing about your kid is sent anywhere.

More gift ideas

Made by a dad of three. Ideas and picks are chosen by hand, and nobody pays to be on this site. Game ratings come from the ESRB and the App Store, so check anything yourself before saying yes.Also from the same dad: Nightlight, tonight's dinner and bedtime in three taps, and Halftime, for when the day gets away from you.