25 Gifts for 13-Year-Old Boys

Hand-picked by our teamWe recheck every pick daily and swap out anything that’s no longer available.Rechecked daily

The short answer

For an active 13-year-old boy, start with the SHOKZ OpenMove headphones, which sit outside the ear, or the Donner drum pad for one who taps out rhythms.

Show first

Start here: one from each theme

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Pick 3 of 25

SHOKZ OpenMove headphones for active days

Electronics

Color: GrayBlue

With open-ear bone conduction, SHOKZ OpenMove headphones leave his ears uncovered, so traffic and nearby voices still reach him while a podcast plays on laps around the neighborhood park.

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

Pick 4 of 25

Nintendo Star Fox game for Nintendo Switch 2

Electronics

Star Fox is Nintendo's space flight shooter series, and this edition is built for the Nintendo Switch 2.

It suits a boy who would rather pilot a starfighter than drive a kart. The game runs on that console alone, so before you wrap it, make sure the one by his TV is a Switch 2.

Named on a list by CNN Underscored (edition.cnn.com) (Checked)

Named on a list by CNN UnderscoredSource: edition.cnn.com

Pick 5 of 25

Marshall MS-2 mini guitar practice amp

Music

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.

Pick 6 of 25

Jumbo Hitster music party card game

Games and puzzles

In Hitster, a song plays from the app on a phone, and each player tries to slot it into the right place on a timeline of hits by the year it came out.

Guessing the year counts for more than naming the song, which puts his ear for music up against older hits he may never have streamed.

Pick 9 of 25

LEGO Editions Lionel Messi display model

Building sets

When the final whistle blows on a televised match, a teen soccer fan can pour that buzz into a 500-piece tribute build.

He follows his favorite player's every goal, and a model he puts together himself brings that loyalty to his desk.

Ages 10+ (LEGO)Set 43011, 500 pieces (Checked)

Ages 10+Source: LEGO

Set 43011, 500 piecesSource: Rebrickable

Pick 10 of 25

Under Armour Sportstyle Lite everyday sling bag

Clothing and accessories

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.

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Electronics

*Paid link

Top pick: Mechanical keyboard for a gaming desk setup

Pick 11 of 25

Polaroid Now instant camera for snapshots

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.

Pick 12 of 25

PowerA Fortnite Special Edition wireless gamepad for Xbox

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.

Pick 13 of 25

Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 carry-along music speaker

Color: BeigeBlueBlackGrayPink

The Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 speaker puts a music-loving young teen in charge of the playlist out loud.

He already chooses the songs he listens to, and this speaker lets the whole room hear what he picks. On weekends, he can set it on the backyard table and start the next song.

Named on a list by TODAY Shop (today.com) (Checked)

Named on a list by TODAY ShopSource: today.com

Pick 15 of 25

Skullcandy Crusher PLYR 720 headset for online gaming

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.

Pick 16 of 25

Portable solid-state drive for carrying files

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.

Pick 17 of 25

GoPro action camera with lenses

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.

Outdoor and sports

*Paid link

Top pick: Wilson AVP Movement ball for pickup volleyball

Pick 18 of 25

Inline skates for sidewalk cruising

Color: BlackGreen

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.

Pick 19 of 25

Wilson Evolution basketball for indoor courts

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.

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Games and puzzles

*Paid link

Top pick: Jumbo Hitster music party card game

Pick 20 of 25

EuroGraphics modern world map jigsaw

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.

Pick 21 of 25

Anatolian Wonderful World Map geography jigsaw puzzle

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.

Pick 22 of 25

Viral Studios I Can Name party card game

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.

Pick 23 of 25

Ravensburger upside-down challenge party game

Ravensburger's upside-down party game gives a young teen turn-based challenges to take on when friends come over.

It takes two to six players, so a parent or sibling can pull up a chair too. He takes on his challenge while friends watch, then passes the next turn along the table.

More ideas

*Paid link

Pick 24 of 25

LEGO Minecraft Creeper buildable figure

Building sets

LEGO's Minecraft Creeper hands a teen who plays the game a 665-piece build of a mob he spots in any world.

He wants a longer project than a quick kit, and square bricks echo the blocky landscapes he crafts on screen.

Ages 10+ (LEGO)Set 21276, 665 pieces (Checked)

Ages 10+Source: LEGO

Set 21276, 665 piecesSource: Rebrickable

Make it easy for yourself next year

Set his birthday alarm once. Each year, 3 weeks before, a link to picks for his new age.

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Check your inbox and tap the link to confirm. After that there is nothing to remember: one email a year arrives before his birthday.

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Check your inbox and tap the link to confirm. After that there is nothing to remember: one email a year arrives before Christmas.

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Questions and answers

Which of these only work with something he already owns?

The Star Fox game runs on a Nintendo Switch 2 alone, so make sure the console by his TV is a Switch 2 before you wrap it. The Marshall mini amp plugs into an electric guitar, which makes it a gift for a young teen just starting the instrument who wants to hear each chord and riff while practicing in his room.

Is there a pick for a 13-year-old whose friends crowd into his bedroom?

Yes. The Big Joe bean bag puts a floor-level seat in a room where friends pile in and the desk chair and bed edge are already taken, so nobody ends up on the carpet. For the same crowd, the Ravensburger upside-down game hands out turn-based challenges around a table, and a parent or sibling can pull up a chair as well.

3 more

What should you get a 13-year-old who trains after school and carries his own gear?

A teen who logs laps around the park with a podcast playing gets open-ear listening from the SHOKZ OpenMove headphones, which leave his ears uncovered so traffic and nearby voices still reach him, and they are sweatproof for harder days. A teen on the school team packs his cleats, towel and water bottle into the duffel bag ahead of an away game and keeps that kit together from the bus to the bench.

How do you choose between a teen who films his own skate runs and a teen who wants a photo to hand around at the park?

The GoPro HERO13 camera is for the skater or bike rider who shoots clips like the riding videos he watches, swapping lenses between runs for a different look on each trick. The Polaroid Now camera is for the teen who wants a print moments after the shutter clicks, and this bundle includes film, so he can hand a fresh snapshot to whoever stuck the landing.

Is there a slow project here for a 13-year-old who knows his geography?

The Anatolian world map puzzle comes together border by border across continents and oceans over many evenings, so set aside a table or spare desk where it can stay out until the last ocean piece goes in. The EuroGraphics world map jigsaw is a project for several sittings at the family table, made for a teen who likes spotting capitals and borders and can finish another stretch of coastline between homework and dinner.

We recheck every pick daily and swap out anything that’s no longer available.Rechecked daily

Recently replaced

  1. Removed Spikeball outdoor roundnet game.

  2. Removed TAMPROAD A67 portable wireless speaker for playing music.

  3. Removed Ultra Pro trading card deck boxes.

  4. Removed Sony WH-CH520 everyday on-ear headphones.

  5. Removed Redragon K580 PRO computer gaming keyboard.

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  1. Removed light-up basketball for after-dark games.

  2. Removed Soundcore noise-canceling sport earbuds.

  3. Removed Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 4 Bluetooth music speaker.

  4. Removed Skullcandy Push Play Active earbuds for gym workouts.

  5. Removed Skullcandy PLYR Multi-Platform headset for video games.

  6. Removed KOMBOID bouncing ball cube game.

  7. Removed WHAT DO YOU MEME? tabletop color sorting game.

  8. Removed Timberland Blix Slimfold folding wallet.

  9. Removed LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask bedtime balm for lips.

  10. Removed helmet and pad set for bike rides.

  11. Removed Ravensburger Fold & Go jigsaw puzzle board.

  12. Removed LANEIGE Cream Skin face toner spray.

  13. Removed clip-on book light for late-night reading.

  14. Removed Razer Enki chair for gaming setups.

  15. Removed floor lamp for a bedroom reading corner.

  16. Removed Funwares timed challenge party game.

  17. Removed SteelSeries Arctis Nova magnetic-driver gaming headset.

  18. Removed KontrolFreek FPS Freek Inferno Xbox thumbstick caps.

  19. Removed Ravensburger The Earth globe jigsaw puzzle.

  20. Removed Thames & Kosmos robotic hand engineering kit.

  21. Removed build-and-code robot kit for teen tinkerers.

  22. Removed Sphero Mini Golf programmable rolling robot for young coders.

  23. Removed general knowledge trivia game for family nights.

  24. Removed National Geographic Kids survival guide book.

  25. Removed Best Choice Products floor rocker gaming chair.

  26. Removed clip-on lamp for reading in bed.

  27. Removed bean bag lounge chair.

  28. Removed headboard clamp lamp.

  29. Removed 8Bitdo 2C PC game controller.

  30. Removed EuroGraphics world map jigsaw puzzle for geography fans.

  31. Removed floor lamp for reading.

  32. Removed book light for reading in bed.

  33. Removed Redragon K582 gaming keyboard for a home computer desk.

  34. Removed RisoPhy mechanical keyboard for gaming.

  35. Removed Diswoe wireless game controller for Switch and PC.

  36. Removed Funwares Minute of Fun backyard party challenge game.

  37. Removed Gutter Games Beat That party challenge game for groups.

  38. Removed Gouda Games quick-fire challenge game for family gatherings.

  39. Removed USAOPOLY TAPPLE word game for family and friends.

  40. Removed EuroGraphics Antique World Map jigsaw for older puzzlers.

  41. Removed Redragon K556 mechanical keyboard for a gaming desk.

  42. Removed Anker soundcore 2 wireless music speaker for hangouts.

  43. Removed EasySMX wireless gamepad for PC gamers.

  44. Removed Anatolian 3935 world map jigsaw for patient puzzlers.

Chosen by our team from store data and what readers pick, not hands-on tests. Nothing is paid to be on this list. Recall notices checked . How we pick

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.