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23 cool gifts for tweens, with advice from a developmental psychologist

Prices are accurate at the time of publication.When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.Barnes & Noble We enlisted a developmental psychologist for advice in selecting the best gifts for tweens. Below are a variety of gift ideas for tweens who love music, sports, games, crafts, and more. Still looking for a gift? Check out our list of the All-Time Best products we’ve ever tested. These gifts encourage tweens to be active and untethered to social media, with selections like classic board games, strategy games, outdoor equipment, and DIY jewelry kits — along with a few impressive electronics.To help guide our selections, we spoke to Roberta Golinkoff, developmental psychologist and author of “Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children.”If you’re looking for a gift with long-term benefits (improvement of social competence, cognitive flexibility, and refined motor skills), the average video game simply will not do. “It’s important to get gifts that will get your kid moving and spending more time outside,” Golinkoff said. “A basketball or sports equipment is one of the best gifts you can get for a kid because they don’t usually get enough time outdoors.”We’ve done our best to select a range of gifts with a variety of shipping options. Keep in mind that gifts purchased now may not arrive in time for the holidays. Be sure to check estimated arrival dates when checking out and keep in mind that the ship date is different than the package arrival date.Here are 23 of the best gifts for tweens:A Lego set for Star Wars fansAmazonLego Star Wars The Mandalorian The Razer Crest, available at Amazon, $129.99Fans of Lego and Star Wars will be impressed by this 1,023-piece set Razor Crest building set. The set, which won this year’s TOYA award for building kits, includes The Mandalorian, Greef Karga, Scout Trooper and The Child minifigures.A modern top-spinning gameAmazonBeyblade Burst Surge Speedstorm Battle Set, available at Amazon, $44.88If you’re shopping for siblings with lots of energy, this Beyblade set fits the bill. It’s a top-spinning game based off the Beyblade manga series that comes with two spinning tops with GT chips, a ramp, a brink plane, and an upper level (the Battle Axis) for advanced competition. If that gets old, there’s even more playtime when the kids go online and connect to the Beyblade app.Recommended ages: 8 years and upA high-tech indoor soccer gameAmazonBlack Series Game Hover Soccer Set, available at Macy’s, $11.99Soccer aficionados can enjoy their favorite sport indoors with this hover soccer ball set. The set includes a ball, two nets, and an air soccer hover toy with LED lights. Kids can play with the regular ball or the hover “ball” that floats over smooth floors and low-pile carpeting.Recommended ages: 12 years and upAn artsy DIY-projectAmazonDoodle Hog Paint Your Own Squishies, available at Amazon, $20.99Tweens who enjoy making crafts and watching Youtube squishy videos can paint their own squishies using the included brightly colored paint, easy-to-follow color guide, paintbrushes, and decorations. “Creating something of their own, hands-on-activities are vital for kids developmentally,” said Golinkoff. Recommend ages: 8 years and upA classic board gameAmazonHasbro Clue Game, available at Amazon and Walmart, $7.97Clue, which was introduced in the 1940s, is still popular with many families. This whodunit murder game comes with a game board, a card-revealing mirror, miniature weapons, tokens, dice, and 30 cards. “When kids are interacting with adults during a family game night, the family’s able to spend time together and that’s so beneficial for kids and parents,” said Golinkoff. Recommended ages: 8 years and upA remote-control bird racerTargetZing Go Go Bird, available at Amazon, $29.99If the kid in your life likes remote control gadgets, this realistic-looking flyer is a unique gift they’ll love. The Zing Go Go Bird is lightweight and moves effortlessly while performing aerial tricks. It has infrared sensors to prevent collisions, and the remote control is very easy to use. The toy can fly up to 200 feet away, so be prepared to see it everywhere, including inside the house. Recommended ages: 8 years and upA skateboard for a smooth rideAmazonReDo Skateboard, available at Amazon, $18.66The ReDo Skateboard is ideal for the tween who’s always on the move. This well-designed cruiser offers a smooth ride and good trick capability. It also has a wide board and medium bushings for tight turn control and stability.Recommended ages: 8 years and upA way to rock-the-micSinging MachineSinging Machine Official Carpool Karaoke, available at Target and Amazon, from $34.99Kids at this age want to be heard — all the time. The cordless karaoke microphone inspired by “Late Late Show” James Corden kicks karaoke up a notch when paired with a radio or Bluetooth device. Lights also flash in sync with the music. It has a built-in rechargeable battery. Recommended ages: NoneA box of laughsAmazonKids Against Maturity, available at Amazon, $39.99Some people say Kids Against Maturity is the family version of Cards Against Humanity. “Looks like a lot of fun for a family game night!” said Golinkoff. Its age-appropriate humor, fill-in-the-blank format, and subtle innuendo make it enjoyable for everyone.Recommended ages: 10 years and upA world-traveler’s cooking kitUncommon GoodsKid’s Global Adventure Cooking Kit, available at Uncommon Goods, $25Delicious food is always an excellent gift. Kids can taste-test different cuisines and learn about new cultures. The cooking kit has all the ingredients, spices, and recipes for authentic, healthy dishes from countries like Mexico, Ethiopia, India, Morocco, Greece, and Lebanon. Recommended ages: 4 to 12 years oldA virtual-reality racing setGamestopMario Kart Live: Home Circuit, Luigi Set, available at Target and Gamestop, $90.99If your tween is into Mario Kart, they’ll love Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, an interactive mixed-reality game complete with a kart, gates, and customized races. It gives the racer a new perspective from Luigi’s driver’s seat. Fair warning: Players may spend hours in their room dodging on-screen obstacles, piranha plants, and jungle and snowscape creatures. Recommended ages: 6 years and upAn interactive glow-in-the-dark T-shirtAmazonInteractive Glow T-Shirt, available at Amazon, from $20Impress a tween with this interactive shirt that responds to touch and glows in the dark. Wearers can draw as many designs as they want, and their sketches last for five minutes. Even better for parents, the shirt can be tossed in the washing machine without damaging the interactive feature.Available sizes: 7 to 8 years, 9 to 11 years, 12 to 14 yearsA secret-agent ringRetroworks Project Mc2 Secret Message Decoder Ring, available at Amazon, from $21.99Inspired by the TV show, “Project MC2,” this is a unique gift for a kid who is the mystery-seeking type. Kids can compose and cipher secret messages with this ring that replaces letters with numbers. Recommended ages: 4 years and upA digital libraryAmazonKindle Kids Edition, available at Amazon, $69.99The 10th generation Kindle is a smart choice for a young reader, especially now with distance learning. The Kindle doesn’t have access to internet searches, so kids can read without distraction or exposure to inappropriate content. It comes with Word Wise, a Vocabulary Builder, parental controls, and one year of Amazon Kids+, and readers get access to beloved titles like the “Harry Potter” series and “Artemis Fowl.”A competitive two-on-two gameWalmartSpikeball 3 Ball Kit, available at Walmart and Amazon, $69.96Spikeball is a great option for getting everyone moving and having fun. “Outside games are a great option for all age groups,” said Golinkoff. This two-on-two competitive game can be played anywhere, as long as there’s room to move and bounce the ball off the net.Recommended ages: NoneA mobile STEM toyAmazonSphero Bolt: App-Enabled Robot Ball, available at Barnes & Noble, $149.99This psychedelic sphere makes coding and robotics exciting with its infrared compass and programmable LED sensors. It works with a phone app, moves, and glows in the dark.Recommended ages: 8 years and upA fun, educational travel gameAmazonPassport to Culture Game, available at Amazon, $29.99Back in the day, there was “Where in the World is… Carmen Santiago?” We spent hours challenging friends on their knowledge of different countries as we tried to locate the famous world traveler. The Passport to Culture Game is the modern-day version. Golinkoff likes this game because it offers so many benefits for the whole family. “You get to explore different countries and cultures as a family,” she said.Recommended ages: 10 years and upA homemade work of artBarnes & NobleCraft-tastic All About Me Quiz Bracelets, available at Amazon $14.99Creative tweens love making their own jewelry and may spend hours with this gift, according to Golinkoff. “It might be a good crafting gift for friends and siblings to do together,” she said. The craft kit includes a quizlet (based on personality and style) and enough colorful threads, beads, and charms to make seven bracelets.Recommended ages: 8 years and upA programmable robotAmazonElenco Teach Tech Mech-5, available at Walmart and Best Buy, $29.99If you’re looking for a STEM gift with a nice price tag, consider this robot coding kit. It features a robot with a coding wheel and snap-in buttons. Kids can learn basic programming skills to get their robot to kick, throw, lift, draw, and even rotate 360 degrees. There are more than 200 pieces, so Golinkoff recommends that adults help with assembly.Recommended ages: 10 years and upAn Echo with parental controlsAmazonEcho Dot (4th Gen) Kids Edition with Alexa, available at Amazon, $34.99This gift will definitely be a favorite of tweens who already love Alexa. The Panda Echo Dot Kids Edition is also one of the cutest speakers we’ve seen. Kids can listen to music, make calls, and set reminders. The Echo comes with parental controls and a year of Amazon Kids+. A model styled as a tiger is also available.An impressive building setAmazonLego Harry Potter Hogwarts Astronomy Tower, available at Amazon, $127.90The Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Astronomy Tower is an aspiring architect’s dream. This enormous set has 971 pieces and includes beloved Harry Potter characters and iconic backdrops like the Ravenclaw dormitory and Potions master classroom.Recommended ages: 9 years and upA safe betAmazon Gift Card, available at Amazon, various amountsIf gift shopping gets too stressful, a gift card is likely your best best. An Amazon Gift Card is particularly good because you can set the amount as low (or high) as you’d like and have it delivered by email or snail mail.A Marvel-themed board gameAmazonRavensburger Marvel Villainous Board Game, available at Amazon, $34.99Marvel fans will jump at the chance to role-play as a Marvel villain. Players can choose between the characters Thanos, Killmonger, Hela, Ultron, and Taskmaster and face-off against heroes like Thor, Black Panther, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Hulk. Recommended ages: 12 years and upRead the original article on Insider
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Written by: insider@insider.com (Cherisse Harris)