Best toys and gifts for teenagers: 13 to 17

What works for teenagers

Think about how the gift will be used, not how old it looks. A teenager is far more likely to spend a weekend on a build that ends up on their shelf, or on a game they can bring out when friends are over, than on something that needs a parent to join in.

The other useful question is where it will live. Bedrooms at this age are personal spaces, and a display model or a framed jigsaw says something about the person who owns it. That is why most of the picks below are made to be shown off once they are finished.

• A long build with a finished model to display
• A 1,000-piece jigsaw for slow evenings
• A game that works for a group of friends
• A set from a film, series or sport they already follow

LEGO sets teenagers keep

LEGO's sets for older builders are marked from about 9+ to 12+, and many are designed for display. LEGO Wednesday Nevermore Academy is a microscale model of the school from the TV series, open at the back so you can see the dorm room and the music room, with the first ever Wednesday minifigure. The LEGO Technic Porsche 911 GT3 R, at 1,313 pieces, is the biggest build here and has working steering, suspension and a six-cylinder engine. LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Herbology Plants gives a Potter fan three moving plants, including a Mandrake whose mouth moves as if screaming when it is pulled from its pot.

Our guide to LEGO sets for teenagers has ten sets in more detail, including Formula 1 cars and a Hogwarts Express book nook.

Jigsaws of 1,000 pieces

A 1,000-piece jigsaw is a step up from children's puzzles and suits a teenager who likes something calm to do with their hands. Ravensburger marks the two here for different ages: Tower Bridge from 12, the Wicked puzzle from 14, so the Wicked one suits an older teenager. Both finish at about 70 by 50 cm, so check there is a table or a puzzle board that can stay out for a few days.

Choose the picture the way you would choose a poster: the Wicked film for a musical fan, or Tower Bridge at sunset for someone who likes London.

Games to play with friends

Herd Mentality is the easiest win for a group: you score by matching your answer to the rest of the herd, and the odd one out takes the Pink Cow, so nobody needs to be good at trivia. It plays with four to twenty people. Ticket to Ride Europe is the choice for a smaller group that wants a proper strategy game, connecting cities by claiming railway routes in games of 30 to 60 minutes for two to five players.

For more ideas, our guide to games for teenagers has eight party, word and strategy games, sorted by group size.

Gadgets, sports kit and gifts that are not toys

A lot of teenagers want things that are not toys at all: headphones, a speaker, an instant camera or a skateboard. We include these on teen pages only, label each one as not a toy, and check more than we do for a toy before listing it: how it is powered and charged, whether the maker publishes how long it will receive security updates, whether it needs an app or account and what age that service sets, and that the shop sells it itself rather than through a marketplace seller.

The first to pass is the Slamm Strobe, a stunt scooter from a UK brand. Slamm gives it no age, so the age shown is our suggestion: Slamm calls it its largest model, with bars made larger for more advanced riders, which suits a teenager already riding at the skate park. Slamm says to always wear a helmet with knee, elbow and wrist guards, and it gives no maximum rider weight for this model. Before buying, check the bars will sit between their hips and belly button when they stand on the deck.

The second is Fujifilm's instax mini 12 instant camera. It runs on two AA batteries, has no app or wireless connection, and prints each photo straight away, which makes it one of the simplest gadgets to give. Fujifilm gives no age, so 13+ is again our suggestion. Film is sold separately, ten shots to a pack, so a few packs make a good addition to the present.

We add other products only when they pass every check, so this list may be shorter than you expect. It will grow as more products are checked.

Why this guide stops at 17

TopTenToys writes for children and teenagers, so we never list a product its maker marks 18+. Some of LEGO's most eye-catching sets, such as the Technic 1966 Ford GT40 MKII, carry that marking, and you will not find them here. If a teenager asks for one, read the marking on the box and decide as their parent.