We've already rounded up the best gifts for toddlers, babies and kids, but now we're looking to the double digits. To be sure you are getting something that will stimulate the curiosity and social skills of your almost-tween, we've curated the perfect list of gifts for this age by poring through dozens of parents' reviews on bestselling gifts for 10-year-olds. We also asked Shop TODAY staff who have a pre-tween in their life what those kids are currently digging, or what they're planning on gifting them this year.
From toys to board games to interactive STEM kits, here are the best gifts for 10-year-olds. Click on the links below to shop by category, or keep scrolling to see all our picks.
Bestsellers | Toys | Board and card games | Video games | Tech | Clothing and accessories | Unique gifts
Bestselling gifts for 10-year-olds
The Don't Laugh Challenge - 10 Year Old Edition: The LOL Interactive Joke Book
Give the gift of laughter to the witty child in your life. For less than $10 and with over 2,500 verified five-star ratings on Amazon, this book won't disappoint.
ThinkFun Gravity Maze
Shop TODAY editorial director Adrianna Brach says her 10-year-old nephew likes this part maze game, part marble game. The maze game requires reasoning skills and visual perception. Create towers and build a path for your marble to reach its target.
Winning Moves RACK-O Card Game
Although this game was originally released in 1956, it's back and makes for a great gift! Let the kids play or get the whole family involved. Amazon shoppers love it, too — RACK-O has nearly 13,000 verified five-star ratings.
DIY Mythical Pom Animals
These poms are adorable mini stuffed animals that they can make themselves. With the included tools and accessories, they can craft mythical creatures like a pandacorn, a meowmaid and a narwhal.
Scratch and Sticker Interactive Journal
This interactive journal is for dreamers, artists and thinkers alike. With more than 500 stickers, personality quizzes, doodle activities and more, anyone (even those who haven't been a tween i decades) can spend hours with this journal.
Best toys for 10-year-olds
Chuckle & Roar Pop It! Bubble Popping Fidget
A previous Toy Insider Top 20 pick, this is a great budget-friendly find for children of various ages. They'll be distracted all day long with this sensory toy.
Franklin Sports Blackhawk Backyard Soccer Goal
Let your soccer star improve their control and accuracy with this bestselling soccer goal. It's both durable and lightweight for easy repositioning on the field or in the backyard.
ROKR Marble Run 3D Wooden Puzzles Model Building Kit
Rebecca Dube, TODAY.com parenting editor and head of TODAY Parents, has two boys to buy gifts for. Her eldest "has done basically every Lego kit in existence," she says. While this marble run is marketed mainly towards adults, Dube is hopeful that it will be good for her and her kids to do together.
Air Hogs Zero Gravity Laser Remote Control Car
Climb walls with this gravity-defying race car. Watch the car climb up and zip down walls and ceilings with the "zero gravity" laser control.
Beyblade Burst Surge Speedstorm Motor Strike Battle Set
Perfect for the competitive kid in your life, this spinning top set is a new take on a classic battle game. Plus, it landed a spot on Toy Insider's Hot 20 gift list last year!
Lego City Space Deep Space Rocket Launch Control
Aspiring astronauts and space admirers can prepare for their greatest mission yet — building this rocket control center with more than 800 pieces.
Best board and card games for 10-year-olds
Disney "The Haunted Mansion" Call of The Spirits Board Game
If they love the Disney theme park attraction, they'll love this game. Explore all the classic rooms of the ghost-infested manor, from the festivities-filled ballroom, to the attic and out to the graveyard and beyond in search of spirits.
Unstable Unicorns
They're never too young to appreciate some healthy competition amongst friends. This strategic card game may look precious upon first glance, but don't be mistaken — there's plenty of destruction and mayhem that awaits them when they start playing.
Funko "Back to The Future" Back in Time Board Game
This super cool "Back to the Future" game pits players against Biff and his gang. It even includes a miniature DeLorean Time Machine and seven movie character figures plus the 3D Clock Tower acts as a dice-rolling randomizer.
15-Inch Folding Chess and Checkers Board
Dube also has this "classic" board game saved in her cart. "I feel like you can't go wrong with this one," she says. The beautifully handcrafted game board comes with both chess and checkers pieces.
Munchkin Deluxe Board Game
Providing all kinds of medieval fantasy fun without needing to role-play for hours on end, this addictive card game has all of the dungeons, dragons and butt-kicking your 10-year-old could possibly want.
"Between the humor and the gameplay, I can already tell it has LOTS of replay value," one verified shopper mentioned. "The first thing my nephew asked when we finished the game was "That was awesome! When can we play this again?""
Best video games for 10-year-olds
Minecraft
Brach's 10-year-old nephew is also very much into Minecraft — and we can see why. Perfect for an age when strategy and world-building are a focus, Minecraft allows your pre-teen to build anywhere from small buildings to entire worlds with blocks.
EA Sports FIFA 23
Let your tween get lost in the realistic graphics of EA Sports' latest FIFA game. It's also available for the PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, and PC.
Sonic Origins Plus
Here's a chance to play four classic Sonic games fully remastered in high with impressive graphics. It's also available for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 and 5.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Considered by many (including your favorite gamer) to be one of the most anticipated games of the year, this latest iteration takes Link on a quest through various landscapes in a journey to find Zelda and defeat the disturbing forces overtaking Hyrule. Besides the breathtaking animation, players are loving Link's new abilities and powers — they may have already had a taste for them if they happen to be on TikTok.
Best tech gifts for 10-year-olds
Noot Kids On-Ear Headphones
Boasting over 29,000 verified five-star ratings, these colorful headphones are sure to wow the 10-year-old in your life. For less than $15, you've got a great tech gift that will certainly impress any kid.
KiwiCo Tinker Crate
If your pre-tween cannot get enough tech and science experiments to satisfy their curiosity, why not get a monthly subscription box? Dube says, "Tinker Crate from Kiwi Co ... has various levels of subscription for monthly mini-engineering projects that are fun for kids."
If you just want to try it out, there's an option to gift a month without renewing, but it's a bit pricier.
My Audio Pet Splash Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker
This adorable waterproof speaker floats, making it perfect for the pool or the beach. The speaker connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone or tablet.
Tamagotchi Pix
Tamagotchi is a blast from the past, and guess what? It's back and better than ever! Equipped with a camera and touch buttons, kids will love taking care of their new virtual friend.
Educational Insights Artie 3000 Robot
Artie is the drawing robot that helps kids learn to code. Don't know how to code yet? No problem — Artie has pre-programmed drawings too!
Bill Nye VR Science Kit
This super cool VR interactive science kit is hosted by TV personality and scientist Bill Nye! Watch as Nye leads interactive scientific lessons and experiments come to life with this 50-piece set creating over 30 different projects.
National Geographic Dual LED Student Microscope
Have a curious 10-year-old who's a fan of science, but you don't love the mess at-home lab experiments make? Dube recommends this cool dual microscope by National Geographic, which fits the bill. "The microscope is a great way to encourage curiosity and a love of science that doesn't end in a baking soda volcano exploding all over your kitchen."
Osmo Coding Starter Kit for iPad
This starter kit makes STEM fun and accessible while still teaching coding fundamentals.
Hot Wheels ID Smart Track Kit
Your child can make more than 20 different unique courses with this smart track. Turn your smartphone into a racing video game and connect to the track via bluetooth to create a cool racing experience.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition
The new Fire HD is bigger and faster than ever. It includes seemingly endless apps with kid-friendly movies, TV shows and books. It also includes a kid-proof case with a built-in stand.
Best clothing and accessories for 10-year-olds
Custom Dog Socks
Warm their toes (and heart) with a pair of custom socks, featuring their pet's face. Just upload a photo of their beloved companion, choose from the various styles and patterns from the dropdown and enjoy!
Crocs Kids' Classic Clogs
The Crocs Kids' Classic clogs are the go-to for casual comfort and style. The wide, roomy footbed is made from Croslite foam material, which warms and softens from body heat and molds to kiddos' feet.
Pair Eyewear The Cedro
These eyeglasses allow children to quickly customize the look of their glasses anytime, anywhere. They have designs for every holiday and even the new line of Marvel characters. Great for optical glasses, sunglasses, and blue light glasses, these are available in both prescription and non-prescription forms.
Kids' Nike Air Force 1
The Nike Kid’s Grade School Air Force 1 shoes offers the Nike Air all day comfort with leather uppers and rubber outsole that give durability and traction.
Unique gifts for 10-year-olds
The Big One Oversized Supersoft Plush Throw
Are they a notorious snuggler? Then they'll immediately want to wrap themselves around this "oversized" plushy throw measuring 60" x 72". It also comes in 75+ colors and patterns to suit their current aesthetic.
Color Your Own Fairytale Storybook Pillowcase
Let their imaginations run wild before bedtime with this colorable pillowcase. It comes with 10 washable markers, so all you have to do is throw the pillowcase into the laundry to start again.
Woobles Crochet Kit
Your crafty 10-year-old will love stepping into the world of amigurumi, the Japanese art of crocheting cute little stuffed creatures — and we bet it'll be even more fun for parents and kids to do together. Take it from one reviewer: "My 9-year-old learned to crochet with this kit (and I relearned after decades of no practice). We had so much fun learning and working together. ... Our round Pierre looks super cute and we learned a ton! We just bought our next kit already!"
Playshion Complete 22-Inch Mini Cruiser Skateboard
Encourage them to get outside and try a new skill with a new skateboard. You can find this version in a bunch of fun and bright colors.
HearthSong Multi-Way Tug-of-War
This modern iteration of the classic gym class game tests them (and three of their friends) and the laws of motion as they use their strength and agility to be the ultimate winner.
Snurk Twin Duvet Cover Shark
Sleep in the belly of a great white shark with this super fun duvet cover.
Don’t forget to check out Shop TODAY’s other gift guides to find the perfect present for every kid in your life including babies, 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds and 9-year-olds.