25 FUN educational gifts under $25 for teens and tweens

Many of these gifts can be found on Amazon and if you aren’t already a member of Amazon Prime, join with a free one month trial to get your gifts on time (it is easy to cancel before the month is up).

Some of these are digital items. If I will see the person face-to-face I print off a picture, roll it up and tie it with a piece of ribbon.

At the time of publication these items were under $25.

1: Daily Brain Game calendar

Daily brainteaser fun!

2: Set Game

A game of shapes and colors and patterns – and sets – for all ages. Everyone plays at once and it is a lot harder than it sounds!

3 : Lonely Planet Ultimate Travel Coloring Book

For anyone who loves coloring – learn geography while you color.

4: Snap circuits

This set was one of my daughter’s favorite gifts. There are more sets for older kids too.

5: All are Welcome Puzzle

This jigsaw puzzle is a colorful illustration celebrating diversity and kindness.

6: Thinkfun’s Rush Hour

This is a great single person thinking skills challenge. Figure out how to move your ice-cream truck through the traffic. A Junior version is also available (just bought it for my niece)

7: Top Trump cards

Lots of different themes to choose from – similar to “War”. Try to win all the cards by selecting the best attributes of the card you are holding. Good stocking stuffer.

8: Choose your own adventure

Read the story – but at the end of each page you choose what path to take.

You can find lots more here. These are for middle schoolers (too young for high schoolers).

9: Contraptions

Use the pieces provided to build 6 different contraptions

10: Forbidden Island board game

A cooperative strategy game where everyone works together to win.

11: Lego Technic Building Kit

Lego Technics adds an extra dimension to regular legos and it is a great way for teens to learn practical science.

13: Exit the Game

If your teen loves Escape Games, here is one you can play at home! There are several with varying difficulty, so make sure to check them all out.

14: The World Game

A fun card game about the geography of the world. Can also be used as flashcards to study the countries in the world.

15: Zoob BuilderZ STEM challenge

A student told me about these – another cool building tool!

16: Blurt

Vocabulary has never been so many fun than when you are trying to guess a word before everyone else. A fast-paced game where everyone plays at once.

17: Steam Gift Card

Most video games have an educational component. You have to use strategy, memory, and smarts to win. And Steam is a website where you can buy thousands of different ones so the perfect gift for anyone who likes any type of video game

18: Catch Phrase

If no one in your family owns this you are missing out on a fun group game. Pass the device around a circle and whoever has it must describe the phrase they are given. Everyone else (or everyone on their team depending on how you play) tries to guess. All the while the time is ticking – can you get someone to solve it so you pass it on before time runs out?

19: 3D Jigsaw Puzzles

3D Jigsaw Puzzles add a whole new level of fun to regular ones – and complexity of course!

20: Catapult kit

If more than one of your children gets one of these as a gift they can challenge each other to see whose works better!

21: Taboo

Can you describe the word(s) on the card without using any of the 5 Taboo words? A fun game of giving clues and guessing other people’s clues.

22: Nancy Drew Phantom of Venice downloadable game

Nancy Drew games are SO much fun. According to the reviews they do work on newer computers as well as older ones. This one is set in Venice and you get to help Nancy Drew solve clues and uncover the truth.

23: Framed App

Gift this app to a tween or teen who loves solving puzzles. You have to order the frames of a cartoon so that the required outcome is achieved. It is very unique. Both I and one of my daughters have played it and loved it.

24:  The Moscow Puzzles

Math and Logic brainteasers set against the backdrop of Russian culture – how’s that for fun and learning all rolled into one. And as this is on Kindle, you can still buy it up to Christmas Day.

25: National Geographic Kids Books

Science books like those from National Geographic Kids make great gifts, and can even be bundled together with a magazine subscription. Discover, Popular Science and Popular Mechanics, and National Geographic Kids are all magazines teens will enjoy, as they aren’t hard to understand.

Any more great ideas on educational gifts under $25? Leave a comment!