30 Best Gifts for 10

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Art sets, STEM toys and so much more!

They're finally 10 — onto the tween gifts! While 10-year-olds definitely have strong opinions on anything and everything, buying gifts for kids this age is actually a lot of fun. That's because, by now, they've achieved a certain level of mastery over the things that interest them — be it art, board games, STEM experiments or LEGO building — and they can move on from the "intro" kit and gifts and on to the good stuff.

What the "good stuff" is, though, can be up to interpretation. The Good Housekeeping Institute stays on the hunt for the best toys and gifts every year in the run-up to its Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards. Their favorites are tested for safety and quality, and then real kids submit their feedback and assess the fun factor. Not every non-toy gift item in the list is tested in the Good Housekeeping Institute's labs, but we still looked for brands with trusted reputations, best-sellers and a few editor's picks. When we put it all together, these were the best toys and gifts for 10-year-olds in 2023.

This year, kids loved things that helped them create, from art sets that let them build kinetic LEGO sculptures to accessories that help them enhance their own videos. STEM sets that let them dive deep into a topic were also huge, along with fun room decorations. In other words: kids have good taste!

Want more ideas? Check out our top gift guides for 10-year-old girls and 10-year-old boys.

Part-DIY craft, part-video enhancer, this set will have them boosting their creativity. Kids can make accessories out of the reflective tape, thread, stickers and more, and then use a clip-on LED to have them glow in bright colors with cool lighting effects. It'll revolutionize their selfies and TikTok-style videos. Ages 8+

It's a fidget toy and an art toy all rolled into one. Beads are suspended in a gel, and kids can push them around either with their fingers or with a stylus to decorate a background photo. It comes with a two-sided background, but kids can also print and use their own. Ages 5+

Now they can wear their love of science on their ... feet? These socks pay homage to two space explorers: Perseverance, the Mars rover, and Ingenuity, the Mars helicopter. It's a good reminder that they can do big things — if they just have a little perseverance and ingenuity! Sizes S – L

Anime fans will recognize Naruto's whisker-like marks, even when he's in Playmobil form. This Naruto is the perfect just-little-something for the anime collector in your life. Or, if you want to give it as part of a larger set, Playmobil has nearly two dozen characters, including Sasuke, Kakashi, Tobi, Shizune (who comes with a little pig!) and Tsunade. Ages 5+

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If they're into making codes, breaking codes and generally trying to keep secrets, this book will lead them through how to make codes, cyphers and even, eventually, entirely new languages. It's written by David J. Peterson, a language consultant for things like Game of Thrones and Doctor Strange. Ages 10+

This board game positions words in a way that's tricky to read, so players compete to see who can figure out where each word starts and ends first. (It's actually more challenging than you'd think.) The game is great for building language development and improving concentration. Ages: 10+

This book will have your budding artist thinking in a new way: It comes with pages with colors splashed across them, and kids can use a black felt pen to draw in the outlines. It's a great mindfulness activity for when they need to recharge their creative juices. No age recommendation given

If the 10-year-old in your life loves escape rooms and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, this is the game for them! They can gather one to three friends and try to decipher Gandalf's clues so they can reach Mount Doom in time. It's a quest that'll take all of their logic and critical thinking skills! If they're not into Lord of the Rings, Thames & Kosmos offers other at-home escape games for 10-year-olds, like The Haunted Roller Coaster or The Sunken Treasure. Ages 10+

Every gamer knows that, in Mario Kart, the banana is a formidable obstacle. When it's sitting on a shelf or bed, though, it looks pretty darn cute. You can get other Mario Kart-inspired plushes to go with it, like a red shell or a mushroom. Ages 3+

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Let her creativity run wild! These paint pens dry quickly and work on dark surfaces. She can put her personal touch on everything from canvas and fabric to kindness rocks. (But be warned: They're not washable.) No recommended age given

The basic Kanoodle game, which is a TikTok sensation, is great for solo players. But if you want to up the competition and make players' hearts race, go for the head-to-head version. In it, players sit across from each other and get ready to battle. A challenge card gives them a way to arrange the Kanoodle pieces, and players have to race to see who can complete the pattern first. It'll get their brains working — and fast! Ages 7+

It's a little art, a little STEM and a whole lot of LEGO fun. This set gives kids the pieces to make eight different kinetic sculptures, made from both build-on bricks and papercraft. Along the way, they'll learn about engineering concepts like axles, cranks, pistons and simple machines. They can make an octopus that DJs, a menacing yeti, a pterodactyl, and more. Ages 8+

They'll be whipping up their own, homemade, tie-dyed shirts, scrunchies, socks and anything else they can think of with this kit, which gives them all the tools they need to get up and running. The set comes with six different dye colors, plus clothespins and rubber bands to make the patterns, pipettes to get dye in hard-to-reach places and gloves and tablecloths to keep things (relatively) clean. Ages 8+

This is the science kit for kids who want to go deeper into STEM, covering dinosaurs, crystals, volcanoes and weather. The six different projects let them do things like create their own eco dome where they can get a close-up look at bugs; build their own weather station that measures temperature, wind direction, barometric pressure and humidity or excavate bones and re-assemble a dinosaur skeleton. It's perfect for any well-rounded scientist. Ages 10+

Ten-year-old skin is a whole new ballgame, but this sugar scrub can help. Beelove says the sugar in this clears away dull or dead skin, while the honey and botanical oils nourishes it again. Plus, the packaging is cute and will make them feel like they received a luxury cosmetic. No age recommendation given

Gryffindors have never been so cuddly! This has 8" Squishmallows has all of the soft, squeezable goodness of a regular Squishmallow, but is bursting with Gryffindor pride — if you pardon the pun — with a lion head and scarlet-and-gold scarf. You can also get a Ravenclaw eagle, a Hufflepuff badger or a Slytherin snake. Ages 3+

From superhero stories to graphic memoirs, the genre of comics has exploded in recent years. If kids want to try and come up with their own stories, this kit will help them. It comes with two, 24-page booklets with the panels already set — all kids have to do is fill it in with their stories. Ages 6+

Indoors or outdoors, hang this up and they've got an instant cozy nook. It's made of a weather-resistant nylon and comes with an inflatable cushion (though you have to supply your own pump). It also comes in six different colors, and when it's installed it can support up to 175 pounds. No age recommendation given

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

Rachel Rothman (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH’s growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH’s annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.

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