Best Gifts For 13-Year-Olds

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Published by 
Jess Miller
Last updated: 
February 25, 2023
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The best gifts for 13-year olds will be items that allow the individual to display their own style but are still functional and have an element of fun to them. Gadgets and electronics rank high on our list, but certain items of clothing, jewelry, and books are also excellent choices.

Best Gifts For 13-Year-Olds

The best gifts for 13-year olds will likely be something related to their interests, or a gift that pampers them. Budding teenagers may have very particular tastes in many different things, but they often find great joy in items that make them feel unique or more adult.

Not all gifts need to make them feel adult, and certain toys that allow their sillier side to show can be equally valued. Novelty clothing and other items are also favorite gifts for kids around this age, and unique items help them show off their individuality.

Stuff They Can Wear

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Young teenagers are often looking to supplement their style with fresh new trends and unique clothing, and there are a number of inexpensive yet intriguing items that make wonderful gifts. Many novelty clothing items have come back in style, and clothes that light up or have some kind of illusion print are also trendy.

Sweatshirts and T-shirts

There is a full product line of sweatshirts available online and Amazon may be your best bet for finding truly unique designs at reasonable budgets. Whatever your teen is into in terms of hobbies or style you should be able to find a crazy, or less crazy, sweatshirt to fit their personality.

A galaxy sweatshirt is a great option for those who are into space, and for a more quirky gift consider a sweatshirt with a type of food printed on it. Popular choices for food print sweatshirts include the Sriracha brand label, a close of up a slice of pizza, ice cream, and candy.

When it comes to sweatshirts and t-shirts, the choices are limitless as new designs keep popping up from brands like Nutella, McDonald’s, Ramen, M&M. If your teen is into sports, then a sweatshirt with the logo of their favorite sports team is also a good choice.

If you want a more humorous shirt to give to your teen, consider one of the many shirts that are aimed at 13-year-olds that say things like “Level 13 Unlocked” and other clever sayings. If your 13-year-old is into math, there are also clever math shirts that show their age in terms of different math formulas that they may find amusing.

Hats and Socks

Hats are another way that someone can express their individuality and light up hats have become more popular for the colder months when there is less light. Many individuals find the light up hats to be cheerful and fun, and since they use replaceable batteries, many of them can stay lit for up to 24 hours.

There are also other items that light up such as scarves or gloves. Some of these items are more practical than others for colder weather, and some are strictly meant to be worn for performances or fun.

Socks are another clothing item that has taken off as a way for individuals to express themselves but in a more subtle way. Novelty socks with different things printed on them have expanded to every possible niche and much like the sweatshirts there are also food and other character prints available.

There are socks available for all kinds of occasions including casual wear and dress socks. The number of prints available is massive, but some examples include:

  • Dogs
  • Unicorns
  • Monsters
  • Sneakers
  • Candy
  • Cats

There are also theme socks for books such as the Harry Potter series, and socks for celebrities such as Bob Ross, Kermit the Frog, and US Presidents. Many of the socks come in generic “one size fits all” sizing, but some come in multiple sizes that range from youth to adult.

There are also more traditional style socks that come in fair isle patterns, stripes, superheroes, and other more discreet prints. One perk to buying these socks on Amazon is that they come in a range of sizes so that adults and teens can choose to match socks or hats.

Jewelry

One of the best gifts for 13-year olds is jewelry, and there are options available that are appropriate for both girls and boys. A traditional choice is a bangle bracelet with various charms already on it, but there are other items such as necklaces to consider.

One necklace that has become a favorite gift for 13-year-old girls is a necklace with 13 beads on it which signify one bead for each year. The kinds of beads available range from tiny to the size of a pea and they come in all shades and finishes including gold, silver, and colored crystal.

Bracelets are less popular with 13-year-old boys, but keychains are an acceptable substitute that discreetly adds style. Many keychains have clever ways of expressing that the individual is thirteen, and there are also kits where boys can make their own paracord bracelets that are more masculine.

Another piece of masculine jewelry for boys would be a shark tooth necklace, or other pendant style necklace from their favorite video game, movie, or hobby. Norse symbols have become more popular, and several video games have released merchandise that are replicas of what characters in the game, movie, or book have worn.

Activities and Supplies

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Many teens have well-established hobbies but are willing to explore other activities. As thirteen-year olds prepare for their teenage years, their tastes in hobbies may change, and they may find themselves in need of supplies for their new interests.

Arts and Crafts

Art supplies can make great gifts for 13-year olds that are interested in different kinds of art. Coloring books are popular gifts for individuals of all ages, and it’s possible to find coloring books to suit just about anyone.

Traditional packs of art supplies are also available in differently sized sets that include items for drawing with graphite, charcoal, pastels, color pencils, watercolors, and ink. Some art supply packs also come with different kinds of paper suitable for each medium and brush packs.

Other art sets include giant containers full of various art supplies, and collections of fancy scissors that cut different designs. There are also kits for making pendant jewelry, string art, paracord bracelets, yarn art, and various crafts with paper.

For more ambitious 13-year-olds there are crafting kits for weaving looms, sewing crafts, felt flowers, thread bowls, and build your own wooden music boxes.

Sports

If you know your 13-year-old plays sports, a good gift might be a new ball or a piece of equipment that they can use. Different balls are available for sports like soccer and football, and some teens enjoy having a higher quality ball for casual play at home.

Another great gift for early teens is tickets to sporting events where their favorite team is playing or other sports-related events such as charity events. There are also events where teens can meet their favorite sports players and get autographs and pictures.

Another favorite sport-related activity is Capture the Flag, and there is a kit available for purchase online that allows players to participate in this game at night. The nighttime version of Capture the Flag has glow in the dark pieces and is suitable for ages eight years old and older.

The kit is suitable for 4-20 players, and there are six different game variations to keep the play time interesting. Some of the game variations allow the game to be played with more players, and this game can be played with participants of all ages.

Capture the Flag helps to develop teamwork and can also serve as a good icebreaker while providing exercise through running. This game can also help build social skills and further develop strategy even if players have never met before.

Books

Books can be an excellent gift for a 13-year-old, and many different titles become available every day. If you know your giftee is into a particular genre, a superb gift could be ordering them an advance copy of the latest and most anticipated book.

Journals

Journals are one of the best gifts for 13-year olds as they begin new lives as teenagers. There are many different kinds of journals available online, but the Letters to My Future Self series has a variation for each individual. There is one specifically for young adults, and others more suitable for parents and grandparents.

There are also a number of journals explicitly geared for teens as they begin a journey of self-exploration. Some of these journals are just blank pages as you would expect, but others offer guidance on what they should write about each day. 

Daily journals sometimes have writing prompts, and there are coloring journals that offer space for the writer to doodle or color in images. There are also refillable journals, journals that encourage gratitude, and creative journals for those that feel they are misfits.

Sticker Books

Sticker books seem to be more popular with teen girls than boys, and there are several variations and th​​emes. Some sticker books are more practical for use with a planner, and other sticker books are more suited for scrapbooking or decorating binders or folders.

There are also sticker books that have high-quality vinyl stickers suitable for decorating water bottles, and vinyl stickers can also be purchased individually. Sports teams, national parks, amusement parks, and many other establishments sell vinyl stickers, and the budget is typically a few dollars per sticker.

Electronics and Gadgets

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Spy Gadgets

A popular category of novelty gifts is spy gadgets such as pen cameras and hidden safes. These items are widely available online and typically inexpensive. Voice disguising devices, quarters that hold SD cards, and listening devices are all examples of gadgets you can purchase online.

Other fun gadgets include night vision goggles, two-way radios, and kits that allow individuals to build their own custom gadgets and electronics. There are also wireless earpieces, video recording lapel pins, and microscopes that are both functional and fun.

Bike Accessories

If your 13-year-old rides their bike and uses it as a form of transportation or just for fun, then a bike accessory can make a great gift. Comfortable seats, additional reflectors, bells, and lights can all help elevate their ride.

Lights that go around the inside of the rim of the bike wheels help to make the bike more visible at night, but they also make the bike look better as the lights come in a variety of colors. The LED lights used are very bright and are battery powered so they can go anywhere if they don’t end up on bike wheels.

Bluetooth Devices

Another popular electronic is a bedside lamp that is also a light source, Bluetooth speaker, alarm clock, and digital calendar. The Aisuo 5 in 1 Bedside Lamp is an excellent example of an inexpensive item that has multiple functions and is appropriate for any child’s room.

This lamp has a Bluetooth speaker that can connect to any Bluetooth enabled device, but it will also take SD cards that have music on them as well. The lamp can be set to one of 48 different colors, and the light is dimmable. 

The speaker features a powered woofer and has bass technology for better sound than other similar sized speakers. This device charges using a USB cable in under 6 hours, and can be set so that it changes color based on the volume or rhythm of the music.

Bluetooth speakers are a great gift for a young teen as they are relatively inexpensive and many are very portable. Most speakers have batteries that can power the speaker for several hours, and will connect to any Bluetooth enabled device.

Bluetooth speakers come in all shapes and sizes, but recent designs have provided some products that are more rugged and explicitly designed to be for outdoor use. Some of these speakers are even waterproof which is a must for using it around a pool or in other areas with water.

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