Before you choose

Buying for a teenager at Christmas is hard because so much of what they ask for is a phone upgrade or money. The presents that still land are the ones that feel like a hobby: a big build to fill the days after Christmas, something for their room, or a game they can play with friends rather than with the whole family. Eight of these ten are toys marked 10+ to 12+ by their makers, two are not toys (a stunt scooter and an instant camera), and they are listed in no particular order.

A project for the days after Christmas

The quiet stretch between Boxing Day and New Year suits a teenager with a long build. The LEGO Technic Batmobile Tumbler, from the Dark Knight films, has 719 pieces and ends as a car they can drive from a phone or tablet through LEGO's CONTROL+ app. Its battery is rechargeable but the USB-C cable is not in the box, so wrap one with it or check there is a spare in the house. LEGO marks it 12+.

The LEGO Technic Dodge Viper GTS-R is the calmer choice for a car fan: 805 pieces, a V10 engine whose pistons move and doors that open, with no app or battery at all. LEGO marks it 10+.

Something for their room

Many teenagers who say they are too old for LEGO still keep a shelf of things they like. Two Harry Potter sets are made for that shelf. The Book Nook: Hogwarts Express slots between books, or splits into two bookends, with Harry, Ron, Hedwig and Scabbers on Platform 9¾. The Hogwarts House Crest stands on its own base and hides a house treasure behind each of the four animals. They are marked 10+ and 12+.

LEGO listed the Book Nook as retiring soon when we checked on 24 October, so if it is the one they want, it is worth buying earlier rather than later.

Games for when friends come round

A good game for teenagers plays fast, needs no long explanation and works for a crowd on the sofa. All four here are marked 10+ or 12+, so the youngest teenager in the room can keep up.

  • Sounds Fishy: 4–10 players, about 15 minutes, marked 10+. Spot who is faking an answer and who has the real one.
  • Don't Fall For It!: 2–10 players, about 20 minutes, marked 10+. Fall for a fake answer and you pull a plank from a wooden tower.
  • Articulate! Under Pressure: 3–10 players, marked 12+. The electronic timer runs on three AA batteries, which come in the box.
  • LOGO Board Game Second Edition: 2–6 players or teams, aged 12 to adult.

For the skate park

A teenager who spends weekends at the skate park will notice a better scooter straight away. The Slamm Strobe is the largest model from Slamm, a UK brand, with its biggest deck and taller chromoly bars that Slamm says are made for more advanced riders. It is not a toy, so we checked it more closely before listing it.

Slamm gives no age, so 13+ is our suggestion, and it gives no maximum rider weight. It says to always wear a helmet and protective pads, including knee, elbow and wrist guards. If the helmet is part of the present too, wrap it with the scooter.

A camera that prints on the spot

Christmas is full of moments worth keeping, and an instant camera turns them into something to stick on a wall. Fujifilm's instax mini 12 prints each photo as it is taken, and the picture develops in about 90 seconds. It has a selfie mirror and a close-up mode, runs on two AA batteries and needs no phone or app.

It comes with batteries for a first try but no film, so wrap a pack or two of instax mini film with it, or the first shot will have to wait until the shops open again.

What we left out, and why

Several popular gifts for this age are not here. LEGO marks some of its most eye-catching sets 18+, including the Technic 1966 Ford GT40 MKII, and TopTenToys does not list anything made for adults. Gadgets are not toys either, so we add them only after checking how they are powered, whether they connect to anything and who is selling them. A wireless speaker we looked at is not here, because we could not find how long its maker will send it security updates.

Before you wrap anything, read the age marking on the box itself and keep any small parts away from younger brothers and sisters on Christmas Day.

Manufacturer-checked facts

Product details

The contents of all ten, with each maker's age marking (or our suggestion where the maker gives none) and anything worth knowing before you wrap. They are listed by age, youngest first, and are not a TopTenToys ranking.

Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO Technic

LEGO Technic Dodge Viper GTS-R Sports Car Construction Set 42234

In the box: 805 pieces: a Dodge Viper GTS-R with a V10 engine whose pistons move, a differential, a rear spoiler and opening bonnet and doors; instructions in the box unlock a LEGO Technic livery in the Forza Horizon 6 video game

The Forza Horizon 6 livery needs a copy of the game, which is sold separately.

Age guidance
10+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
42234
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO Harry Potter

LEGO Harry Potter Book Nook Hogwarts Express Construction Set 76450

In the box: 832 pieces: a book nook with a section of the Hogwarts Express at Platform 9¾ that stands between books, opens for play or splits into two bookends; Harry Potter and Ron Weasley minifigures with Hedwig and Scabbers

LEGO listed this set as retiring soon when we checked it on 24 October 2026.

Age guidance
10+
Brand
Harry Potter
Model / item
76450
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Game / party game

Sounds Fishy Game

In the box: 9 fish, 80 point tokens, 100 questions and a card dispenser; 4 to 10 players, about 15 minutes

Age guidance
10+
Brand
The Entertainer
Model / item
922-146675
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Game / party game

Don't Fall For It! Game

In the box: 80 question cards, 21 wooden cubes, 11 wooden cylinders, 12 planks, a card dispenser and a tower; 2 to 10 players, about 20 minutes

Age guidance
10+
Brand
The Entertainer
Model / item
922-146677
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO Technic

LEGO Technic Batmobile Tumbler Construction Set 42239

In the box: 719 pieces: a remote-controlled Batmobile Tumbler steered through LEGO's CONTROL+ app, with lights and a jet-engine boost that lights up; a rechargeable battery is included, charged with a USB-C cable that is not in the box

It is driven through LEGO's CONTROL+ app on a phone or tablet. The battery charges by USB-C, and the cable is not in the box.

Age guidance
12+
Brand
DC Comics
Model / item
42239
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO Harry Potter

LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts House Crest Construction Set 76462

In the box: 545 pieces: the Hogwarts crest with the four house animals, on a stand with a banner carrying the school motto; lifting each animal opens a compartment holding the Sword of Gryffindor, the Hufflepuff Cup, the Ravenclaw Diadem or the Slytherin Locket

Age guidance
12+
Brand
Harry Potter
Model / item
76462
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Game / party game

Articulate Under Pressure Game

In the box: An electronic countdown timer (3 AA batteries included), 250 cards with 1,000 categories and 5 playing pieces; 3 to 10 players

Age guidance
12+
Brand
The Entertainer
Model / item
T73768
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image supplied by Hamleys through the Awin product feed.

Game / trivia board game

Logo Second Edition

In the box: A board game with Picture, Theme and Pot Luck cards and well over a thousand questions; 2 to 6 players or teams

Drumond Park gives the age as 12 to adult.

Age guidance
12+
Brand
Hamleys
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image: © Slamm Scooters (slammscooters.com)

Sports equipment / stunt scooter

Slamm Strobe Pro Stunt Scooter

In the box: A complete stunt scooter: a 4.8 x 20.75 inch T6 heat-treated aluminium deck with deck blocks, 23 x 24.5 inch chromoly steel bars, an anodised CNC clamp, a forged aluminium fork, 110mm alloy core wheels and 165mm grips, with black and clear grip tape sheets

Slamm says to always wear a helmet and protective pads, including knee, elbow and wrist guards, and to follow each skate park's rules. Slamm gives no age or maximum rider weight for this model.

Age guidance
13+ (our suggestion; the maker gives no age)
Product type
Not a toy: sports equipment
Brand
Slamm
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
Image: © FUJIFILM (instax.co.uk)

Electronics / instant camera

Fujifilm instax mini 12 Instant Camera

In the box: An instant camera that prints credit-card-sized photos (62 x 46 mm picture) on instax mini film, with a selfie mirror, a close-up mode for 0.3 to 0.5 m and a flash; two AA alkaline batteries supplied for trial use; film sold separately

Shown in Pastel Blue; Fujifilm makes it in five colours, so check the colour on the listing. Fujifilm says to use only AA alkaline batteries (not manganese), and that the batteries in the box are for trial use. Film is sold separately: instax mini film, about ten packs of ten shots per set of batteries.

Age guidance
13+ (our suggestion; the maker gives no age)
Product type
Not a toy: electronics
Brand
Fujifilm
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist

Questions

Common questions

What do you buy a teenager who says they want nothing?
Start with what they already spend time on. A long LEGO build fills the quiet days after Christmas, a display set suits a teenager who cares about their room, and a party game gives them a reason to have friends round.
Are these gifts suitable for a 13-year-old?
Yes. The eight toys are marked 10+ or 12+ by their makers, and we suggest the Slamm Strobe and the instax mini 12 for 13 and up. Read the marking on the box before you wrap it, as editions can differ.
Is the scooter a toy?
No. The Slamm Strobe is sports equipment, so it is labelled as not a toy. Before listing it we checked the maker's safety advice, that it is sold by Slamm's own store and that no safety notice names it.
Does the LEGO Batmobile need a phone?
Yes. It is steered and lit through LEGO's CONTROL+ app on a phone or tablet, and its battery charges with a USB-C cable that is not in the box.

Research

Sources checked

We use official safety guidance and manufacturer sources for specific product claims. Retailer popularity can inform discovery but does not replace these checks.

Each pick's identity, age marking and contents were checked on its maker's own page: