The 16 Best Tween and Teen Toys of 2024, According to Our Testers (2024)

While elementary-aged kids may be relatively easy to shop for, tweens and teens are a different story. Their interests have shifted: from toys to clothes, skincare, and tech. They are either extremely picky or want a laundry list of things, and many of the items they are asking for are influenced by social media trends and their peers. But tweens and teens still enjoy playing, both with toys and games. The toys teens and tweens play with, however, have to be mature, cute, thought-provoking, or just ironic. Humorous toys are always a win with this age group. So before you shell out your money, make sure that whatever you buy passes the ultimate test: Will their friends think this object is fun or mid?

To help you find the best toys for teens and tweens, we enlisted the help of more than a dozen young adult testers. Here are the toys and games which made them laugh, kept them busy, and/or just became a perinneal favorite. Here are the 2024 Best Toys Award winners in the tween and teen category.

Best for On-the-Go Fun

Rubik's ConnectedX

Rubik's ConnectedX is a techy update to the classic puzzle game. Now Bluetooth-enabled via phone or tablet, this version of Rubik's Cube allows puzzle solvers to track every twist and turn. The app allows fideters to interact, play, and challenge other Cubers from around the world. There are also mini games, missions, and so much more. Pros can beat their personal best and improve their scores with advanced statistics mode. Using a combination of math, art, and science, the iconic Rubik’s Cube challenges minds, and the app is a breeze to connect. Our brains are spinning just looking at this thing. But parents will get into it, too. “I never learned how to complete an entire Rubik’s Cube," one parent said. "I love the real-time feedback. This is perfect for curious adults too!” Your crew won’t be able to get their hands on it fast enough.

Best STEM Toy for Tweens and Teens

Smartivity Mechanical Hand

This robotic mechanical hand teaches kids essential STEAM concepts while giving them hours of screen-free playtime. The brand new design has powerful gripping capabilities, MDF sheets, customization stickers, a step-by-step instruction manual, and bonus learning activities for the advanced engineers in your house. Our toy tester "really liked seeing all of the parts come together!" The kit also includes foam blocks to stack into different structures, and once your kids are used to it, they’ll have fun lifting various objects. They might even stop using their actual hands. High five!

Best Strategy Game for Tweens and Teens

Floats McGoats

Let family game night take a silly turn with the Floats McGoats board game. A seafaring goat crew was navigating treacherous waters when their boat capsized. The ship broke apart, leaving wood strewn throughout the waves. Now players have to save their shipwrecked goats by building a sturdy raft. But beware, a hungry shark lurks in the waters and it’s every goat for themself in this strategic board game.With actions like "Goat Love," "Add a Raft Stick," and more, no two games are ever the same. It even received the highest of praise from one teen reviewer: “It is a fun game to play when your friends come over.” The wee, stackable goats will make everyone smile, making this a proven hit with kids and adults. Win-win.

Best Building System for Tweens and Teens

TECTI

TECTI is the GOAT of all kinetic building systems. Why? Well, because builders are able to create over 50 dynamic structures using interlocking cubes and hinges and experiencing captivating tectonic-like movement. The set includes patented three-dimensional movement cubes, 44 plates, 20 hinges, and one keystone cube to stabilize your family’s superstructures. Our tester says, “I liked that they were well made and how many different ways they could be built!" Builders will love mastering their design skills and stretching their imagination to create a tectonic empire. They will also appreciate how seamlessy TECTI transforms.

Best Weighted Plush for Tweens and Teens

Bumpas Sprinx

You’ve never met a stuffie quite like Bumpas Sprinx. Its weighted arms and body give realistic hugs. It has “eyes in the back of my [it's] head [to] keep watch and protect you.” Heart hands display unconditional love, and the toy’s soft material is soothing and comforting thanks to three pounds of distributed weight designed to promote a sense of security, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve sleep.Oh, and did I mention older kids love it, too, “This was a toy both my 12 year old and 14 year old fought over when it arrived," one parent said. "They both loved the weighted arms and the feeling of a 'hug' that this toy gives them. In fact, the girls now 'share custody' with the toy trading sleeping locations each night. The heart hands are also a nice touch.”

Best Tabletop Game for Tweens and Teens

Pickleball Blast

The best games are the ones that you can’t take too seriously. Pickleball Blast brings the hottest paddle sport from the court to the tabletop with a high dose of silliness. The game comes with two paddles, the board, net, and easy-to-follow instructions. Simply use the paddles to knock the pickleball (a plastic pickle, described by a reviewer as “Pickle is adorable and very fun to play") to the opposite side, trying to flip the three targets on your opponent's side while protecting your own. The first player to flip two of the three Pickle Lids on your opponent's side scores! Assembly and cleanup are super-easy. So you’ll be able to relish the moment bonding with your family.

Best Game for Teams for Tweens and Teens

UNO Teams

Everyone’s favorite card game has gotten a majorly exciting update. UNO Teams puts a new twist on regular old UNO play by dividing players into teams to share scores. However, the rules state that partners can’t show each other the contents of their hands or communicate any details. Color blind approved, the game includes special new cards, like one with a “pass” symbol that allows players to pass a card of their choice to their partner. UNO Teams is great for grandparents, aunts, uncles, moms, dads, kids, friends, caretakers... basically anyone who wants to have fun. One tween tester said, "I loved getting to play with a teammate." While their mom added, "This was such a great way for the kids to learn strategy and collaboration with a teammate, all while having fun.”

Best LEGO Set for Tweens and Teens

LEGO® Technic™ Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car

Kids want to play with their LEGO builds; it’s just a fact of life. The LEGO® Technic™ Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car is made for just that. This remote-controlled race car is the fastest car (as of August 2024) in the LEGO® Technic™ CONTROL+ range. Once the build is complete, it’s a thrill to operate the steering, control the lights—and opening doors—and see live data via the CONTROL+ app. After enjoying the build, kids can explore all the details their Porsche offers using the cool remote-control functions to steer forwards and backwards. Then park the mind-blowing feat of engineering on display. Take it from one 11-year-old reviewer: "It was fun to build. It looked like a real Porsche when I was done building it and the doors open[ed]. It was also fun to drive. I did not know that it had lights and the way they used tubes to extend the lights to the front and back of the car. When I drove it turned the lights on and made the brake lights brighter when you stopped. They also flash when you crash. The car went much faster than I thought it would."

Best Drone for Tweens and Teens

Sky Viper Type-R Performance Racing Drone

Every kid needs a good introductory drone in their toy lineup. The Sky Viper Type-R Performance Racing Drone unit is small and very lightweight, making it easy for newcomers to learn how to operate. Advanced software and precision electronics analyze and self-correct for any unintended flight deviation, including external factors such as wind. This model features attractive colors; a motor big enough to ensure an optimal 2:1 power-to-weight ratio, resulting in top speeds over 30 mph; quick responsiveness; high agility; and pinpoint control. Pilots will be so excited to perform awesome stunts with a simple tap, fly barrel rolls, and do flips from a stationary hover. You know, all the basics. As our reviewer comments, “This drone has responsive controls and flies fast.”

Best Dice Game for Tweens and Teens

SIXEM Sour Patch Kids Dice Game

Grab your favorite Sour Patch Kid fiends and sit down to this fast paced dice game. Sour Patch Kids dice game includes a colorful board and tokens players choose at random. Then the frenzy begins! Play SOUR to erase Xs from your opponents, or play SWEET to give Xs to others! The first player to match the pattern with six Xs in a row wins! Every game is different in this wild race. Easy to play for a wide range of ages with a light, playful vibe that matches the Sour Patch Kids theme, the game is simple and enjoyable. Like the candy itself, it starts out sour and ends with a sweet punch.

Best Jewelry Making Kit for Tweens and Teens

Super Entrepreneur Bead Kit

Thanks to a certain pop star, the bead business is booming. Help the entrepreneurs in your house join the beading wave by setting them up for success with the Super Entrepreneur Bead Kit. Created by a former fashion magazine editor, this kit is filled with everything your tween or teen needs to make (and sell) amazing charm bracelets and necklaces. It includes over 630 beads, 25 charms, plus bead boards to help plan their designs, but the real draw is tools that help kids display and sell their creations, like jewelry cards and stands. They can also begin strategizing pricing and brand identity thanks to prompts on the brand-building cards. One parent sums it up.“The Super Smalls Super Entrepreneur Bead Kit provided my daughter with hours of fun. She especially liked knowing from the start that she could make these beads and sell them to make money.”

Best Innovation to a Classic

Gecko Run Marble Run

Imagine a world in which a marble run did not take over your entire living room. Well, the Gecko Run is here to make that happen. Kids build this marble run vertically: up walls or even windows. Featuring rapid curves, clever levers, and residue-free adhesive pads, these tracks are ready to go anywhere. Though it’s simple to clean up, this toy is anything but basic. It’s a great way to pump new excitement into a toy that your kids might have already outgrown but secretly miss—a must-have for any kid who loves to tinker. As one parent tester responds: "For a marble run, I was not expecting it to stick to the wall. Now the Gecko name makes sense. This reminds me of the ball run with magnets and large tubes at the science museum. (after 30m of play...) MOM! Come look! I have a full run!"

Best for Space and Science Lovers

Abacus Brands Bill Nye Rocket Lab Virtual Reality

What could possibly be cooler than learning about rockets with Bill Nye? Building one and blasting it up into the sky! This activity set includes a 40-page book and VR goggles to learn from the legend himself. The instructions are easy to follow, the experiments are educational and creative, and the goggles sync perfectly with your iPhone. Young scientists get to explore the solar system, its planets and space, expanding their curiosity about what’s beyond Earth. This is also a great way to introduce your kids to Bill Nye—if they’re not already familiar—and the whole box will blow your family’s mind. It’s amazing that you can even pack this experience into a box: taking a journey through space in VR plus building a customized rocket to launch. Take it from Clare, age 12: “It was really cool to see the rocket launch once we mixed the chemicals. The VR headset was fun.”

Best Motivational Toy for Tweens and Teens

"She Believed She Could Sushi Did" Sushi Plush

Here’s a tiny plushie that’s packed with inspiration. Printed on the front of this sushi roll are the words "She Believed She Could Sushi Did." With a cheery smile and dangly legs, this super-cute reminder lets your kids know they can do anything they put their minds to, especially when they’re on a roll. And Punchkin toys aren’t just plain old plushies, they’re pun-filled conversation starters tailored to your child’s personality. With witty wordplay and expressive eyes, they’re extra lovable. Each Punchkin has a weighted bottom, allowing them to sit upright on a dresser or nightstand, bringing a touch of love to any space. Your kiddos may even end up fighting over it. “First, my younger daughter claimed this toy," one parent of a tween and teen tester said. "She loves plushies and grabbed it for its softness. Then my 14 year old came home and saw it. She loved the inspirational pun in addition to the plush. But it was my 13-year-old niece who took it home with her. Not only does she love sushi, but she loved everything about this toy including that it could sit up on its own with a semi-weighted bottom.”

Best Electronics Kit for Tweens and Teens

Snap Circuits “Arcade” Kit

Introduce your clan to the basics of electrical engineering by building fun electric-powered projects with sounds and lights. This kit gives kids the chance to make dozens of rad electronic gadgets in a snap. There are over 200 options, including a project where your kids can write their very own spinning LED message powered by circuits they engineered themselves. The best part? There are no tools needed, unlike a lot of other electronic kits. The number and color-coded pieces snap onto the included plastic grid. Created like a building block toy and hands-on from start to finish, Snap Circuits kits are the best way to foster a life-long love of circuitry and building while bolstering your child’s self-esteem as they complete projects. "I love how accessible and easy-to-use this toy is," one parent said. "It is a great introduction to circuitry and electronics. And it is smart, too."

Best Interactive Game for Tweens and Teens

Pinball Machine Maker

Kids will flip over the chance to build and game in the sweetest way possible. This kit allows kids to make their own customizable pinball machine that uses edible gumballs as pinballs! Builders simply arrange the obstacles to their liking, and when it’s time to play, they can score points by aiming gumballs at the targets. The Pinball Machine Maker: Gumball Rally features a reconfigurable and reusable building system that includes all kinds of obstacles, like bumpers, slingshots, bells, and ramps. All the pieces can be moved around to change up the playing field, creating a fun, gamified approach to learning about physics concepts like force, motion, gravity, simple machines, collisions, and more. As a bonus, kids are treated to a sweet prize they can enjoy while playing, blowing all other toys out of the water.