ALERT: The New Super Mario Bros. Game for Nintendo Switch Is Available for Pre-Order (2024)

If you're doing early holiday shopping, looking for birthday presents or just want to get a pick-me-up, shopping for gifts for kids can be hard because shoppers are spoiled for choice. That goes double when it comes to buying gift for 14-year-old teenagers because there are so many great roads to go down: There are tech gifts at every price point, creative gifts for artsy kids, accessories and cosmetics that let them express their personal styles plus games, fidget toys and other items that are just plain fun.

The Good Housekeeping Institute is here to help narrow down the choices. It tests all kinds of products throughout the year, covering everything from drones to beauty items. It also tests tons of toys to determine the annual Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners. The engineers in the labs test for safety, durability and ease of use, meaning big-ticket gifts will last as long as your teens' interest in them. Then we found more best-sellers, editor's picks and other little, trendy items to keep things fun. When we put it all together, these were

Our Top Picks for the Best Gifts to Buy 14-Year-Old Teenagers in 2023

• Starface Hydro-Stars, $15 on amazon.com
• Educational Insights Kanoodle Pyramid, $19 on amazon.com
• Shashibo Shape Shifting Box, $25 on amazon.com
• Elago 3 in 1 Charging Station, $30 on amazon.com
• Chillbo Shwaggins Inflatable Couch, $40 on amazon.com
• KODAK Step Wireless Mobile Photo Mini Color Printer, $70 on amazon.com
  

As you can see, great tech gifts, cosmetic items, fun fidget toys and ways to personalize their rooms are at the top of 14-year-olds' lists this year.

Looking for more great gifts? Check out these Good Housekeeping guides:

Best Gifts for Teens | Best Stocking Stuffers for Teens | Best Gifts for Teen Boys

There are dozens of fonts to choose from with this necklace, so you can find one that matches your teen's style. It comes plated in 18k gold, and also has chain length 18" with a 2" extension.

Lokai bracelets are all about balance: Each white bead has water from Mt. Everest, and each black one has mud from the Dead Sea, reminding us of our own highs and lows. This one has a surf-inspired design, and $1 from every sale goes to ocean-biodiversity organization Oceana. But there are also designs inspired by their favorite sports teams, Disney movies, favorite artists, or good causes like animal rescue, BCRF or the Make-a-Wish Foundation, so you can find one that's in line with what they care about most.

Teens who are getting into cute makeup routines will love these adorable brushes, which are cleverly designed to look like they're different kitchen utensils. There are five in the set: a butter knife pencil brush, a whisk tapered blending brush, a turner angled brush, a spoon smudge brush and a spatula eyeshadow base brush, plus an apron holder to keep them all in.

You'll love this because it'll remind them to stay hydrated, they'll love it because it's gone absolutely viral on TikTok. Our experts loved how much water it's able to hold, how slim it is (it can fit into a car's cup holders) and the comfy large grip. You can even get them fun accessories to go with it.

LEGO fans will delight in putting together Mando's iconic ship in this Seal-holding set that comes in at just over 400 pieces, which make for a satisfying build. But the best part, of course, is the minifigure of Grogu, aka "Baby Yoda." It also comes with Mando and Peli Motto minifgs and droid, darksaber and jet pack accessories.

If they're into mysteries, they can use their powers of deduction to solve this at-home escape room game. Up to four players can decipher clues, solve puzzles and work together to unravel the mystery that unfolds in a seemingly abandoned castle. This one is rated "expert" level, but if they're new to escape-room games, you can also get Exit: The Game sets at novice and intermediate levels.

The slides are so comfy, they've racked up more than 11,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. They're super flexible, they come in a rainbow of colors and they're easy to wash, too.

You can get their name, initials or an inspirational saying. After you decide, you can pick from a bunch of fonts, colors and symbols to really customize it. No matter which route you go, they'll love it.

The options almost seem endless for what they can use it for when you think about it. It has a lid, which makes storing their school supplies a breeze, it's sturdy enough for them to use as a snack tray and it sits perfectly on their lap for when they are doing homework or using their laptop. It comes in a lot of different colors, too!

Take this to the park, to the beach or the school courtyard, wave it around, and it easily fills with air and becomes an inflatable couch. When chill time is over, it folds up small enough to stash in a backpack. Plus, it comes in a ton of fun colors and patterns.

They can spend hours folding and unfolding this mystery cube. When it unfolds, it forms any number of different shapes and reveals different patterns inside. Then it becomes a puzzle to get it back into its cube form again.

Whether they're just looking for some groovy decor for their rooms or want a cozy spot to curl up and read, this extra-large flower is immediate comfort. It comes in several colors, and they're also available in smaller sizes ($25 – $37).

This is a pop-up book, but it's not for little kids. Instead, the pages unfold to become amazing things, like a working planetarium that can project constellations onto the walls, a speaker that can amplify sound or a playable musical instrument.

Teens can deal with any acne in a better and more fun way than we ever did thanks to these celestial Hydrocolloid patches. Starface claims they improve pimples overnight while protecting them from bacteria and infections.

With this station, they'll be able to keep their devices neat, organized — and fully charged, which means no more excuses for missed text messages. It has the capability to charge an Apple phone, Apple AirPods and Apple Watch all at once, though there are also similar charging stations for Samsung devices.

They can personalize their lockers, their rooms and their school supplies easily with this surprisingly affordable photo printer, which prints pics from any phone or social media account. (You do need to be able to install an app.) It connects wirelessly with Bluetooth, and prints onto 2” x 3” sticky-back paper. (You can always get more paper refills to go with it.)