39 Gifts for 13-Year-Old Boys

A young tinkerer who rebuilds his desk corner before every weekend match can make a mechanical keyboard the new centerpiece.

He pulls gadgets apart and reassembles them for fun, so the board under his hands joins a setup he designs.

A boy who keeps time on his desk with pencils can switch to a Donner DED-20 drum kit.

He mimics what he hears in songs he loves, and now each hit lands on a pad, not the desk. After school in his room, he can work out the beat of a new favorite song.

SHOKZ OpenMove headphones use open-ear bone conduction, resting just in front of his ears instead of covering them, for podcasts on laps around the neighborhood park.

They're also sweatproof for the days he pushes his pace.

The Marshall MS-2 gives a young teen just starting electric guitar a mini amp for his room.

He plugs in after homework and plays along with the songs he's learning, instead of strumming unplugged. Kept beside his desk, it is ready whenever he picks up the guitar.

A teen whose friends pile into his bedroom gets a floor-level bean bag in the Big Joe Milano.

So when the desk chair and bed edge are taken, nobody ends up sitting on the carpet.

Phone clips of his skateboard crew's tricks pile up and get forgotten in a feed, while a Polaroid Now print can go up on his wall.

This bundle includes film, so he can start shooting right after he unwraps it. At the skate park, he can hand a fresh print to whoever stuck the landing.

If Fortnite is his game and Xbox is his console, the PowerA Special Edition controller carries the game's look on the pad he holds every session.

Under the styling are Hall effect thumbsticks and a wireless link to an Xbox Series X|S, an Xbox One or a Windows PC, and his old controller becomes the spare.

Apple EarPods fit a young teen who has his own phone and wants his games and playlists heard by him alone.

He chooses his own streamers and songs, and a pair of his rides in a hoodie pocket beside the phone.

The Skullcandy Crusher PLYR 720 headset gives a young teen gamer his own gear for online matches with friends.

He plays as part of a squad, so calling out plans counts as much as the game sound. On Friday nights, he can put it on and join his friends' chat before the next match.

This drive takes the gameplay recordings and edits crowding a teen's laptop, freeing room for the next project he starts.

He records his matches and cuts them into short videos, and those files eat up space quickly. His whole archive of highlight clips sits together, ready to open on a friend's computer.

The GoPro HERO13 with extra lenses lets a young skater or bike rider film his own clips.

He watches riding videos online, and now he can shoot runs like the ones he follows. At the park, he can swap lenses between runs and pick a look for each trick.

Sonos Ace noise-canceling headphones give a young teen a quiet corner for music and movies wherever he sits.

He picks his own playlists and shows now, so a busy house no longer talks over them. After dinner, he can catch an episode on the couch while the dishwasher runs nearby.

Pickup volleyball needs someone who brings the ball, and with this Wilson AVP Movement ball that someone is him.

On days nobody else can play, he can bump and set against a garage wall until the next game comes together.

The teen who has outgrown his scooter can switch to inline skates and carve laps around the smoothest sidewalk nearby.

He wants more speed than a scooter gives, and skating puts that pace in his own legs.

This Hacky Sack footbag gives a 13-year-old a pocket-sized way to start a kicking game at the park.

He can work on a few moves by himself, then pass it around a circle of friends. It slips into a hoodie pocket for the walk over.

When your teen plays in a school or club league, a Wilson Evolution lets him shoot around between practices on a gym floor.

It comes in the standard size for youth leagues from age 9 up, so the ball he handles on his own matches the weekly game he's part of.

A flying ring gives a 13-year-old a throwing game for any open field.

He sends it across the grass to a friend. Then both take a step back after each catch to stretch the distance.

The Retrospec Quip is a mini cruiser skateboard for a 13-year-old ready to roll to a friend's house on his own.

It arrives fully assembled, so he can ride it right away. Between rides it slips into his backpack.

EuroGraphics' modern world map jigsaw gives a geography-minded young teen a slow project for the family table.

He likes spotting capitals and borders, and fitting the map together turns that interest into hands-on work. Between homework and dinner, he can sit down and finish another stretch of coastline.

Countries he can name from memory come together border by border in the Anatolian world map, a 3,000-piece project for many evenings.

Pick a table or spare desk where it can stay out until the last ocean piece goes in, and he can add a region whenever he walks by.

If your recipient is a teen who wins lunch-table debates by listing answers fast, this card game hands him a stage.

He loves out-talking friends on random trivia, and racing to call out names gives that rivalry real rules. The deck rides in his backpack, ready for a rematch whenever a friend asks.

CATAN On The Road is a card version of the board game, with building and trading done through cards.

It works for a 13-year-old boy fond of planning trades with friends. The compact deck slips into a backpack for a trip.

SET is a card game of matching colors, shapes and shadings, and it suits a 13-year-old who spots patterns fast.

Everyone races to find matches in the same layout. He can bring it out for a family night or play it solo.

These metal wire puzzles suit a 13-year-old who likes fiddling with his hands.

He can toss one in his backpack and work at it on the bus. A stubborn knot gives him something to figure out and show friends.

The JanSport Fifth Avenue fanny pack gives a 13-year-old a hands-free way to carry his phone and wallet.

Separate zipper pockets let him sort his things, so his earbuds stay apart from his cash. He grabs it for trips to the mall with friends.

This Under Armour sling bag rides at a teen's side when he heads to the mall with friends.

Outings without a parent mean he tracks his own things, and the sporty brand matches gear he picks out himself. His house key and spare cash stay with him, never in a friend's jacket.

Ahead of an away game, a teen on the school team packs his cleats, towel and water bottle into this duffel.

He now handles his own sports kit, and a single bag keeps it together from the bus to the bench.

Eragon is a fantasy novel for a 13-year-old who wants a longer story to sink into.

The maker lists it for ages 12 and up. He can read a chapter after homework and keep it on his shelf afterward.

The Hobbit is a paperback adventure story for a 13-year-old boy who likes quests and dragons.

He can read it a few chapters at a time on weekends. Afterward it sits on his shelf, ready for the next fantasy book.

This Snap Circuits kit gives a teen who pries open old remotes house-themed circuits to build himself.

He likes seeing how gadgets work inside, and here he wires the circuits instead of guessing. At his desk after school, he can change a circuit and check whether it still works.