Ahh, Middle schoolers. They’re notorious for being the trickiest age group to shop for during the holidays. While they aren’t teens yet, don’t you dare call them “kids.” (Nope, the 10- to 13-year-old set really doesn't like that.) This aptly-named age range is right in the middle of elementary school and high school, which means their preferences can be hard to pin down.
Their wish lists can vary from games and art projects to trendy clothes, the latest electronics, hottest video games, or whatever TikTok is saying is the “must-have” item of the season. When you add the fact that trends tend to change as quickly as a pre-teen’s mood, you have a holiday shopping challenge on your hands. Thankfully, there’s always Target.
To help you navigate holiday shopping for the middle schoolers in your life, we’ve scoured Target.com for the best toys and gifts we know they’ll love — and bonus: They’re all priced under $50!
Here are some of our favorites. Prepare to be the coolest parent on the block (although they’ll never actually admit it).
From the biggest Harry Potter fans to the casual movie-watcher, everyone will love this seven-stage game of adventures. Play to save Hogwarts from the Dark Lord — think mastering spells, recruiting allies, and true magic. Ideal for ages 11+ and two to four players, this dynamic game has even won the Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award.
This affordable GPS drone is lightweight and durable — while also being a great option for beginner drone enthusiasts. Capture incredible videos thanks to its adjustable wide angle camera, as the drone’s professional grade firmware allows for a smooth, smart flight experience.
The perfect gift for the aspiring influencer in your life, the Social Star Selfie Light Stand from FAO Schwarz makes for perfectly lit photos, selfies, and videos — hands free! Plus, it lights up with rainbow lights for a truly IG-worthy aesthetic.
What’s better than jewelry? The answer: jewelry that you make yourself! This DIY jewelry kit has everything your pre-teen needs to make ten pieces of jewelry including bracelets, necklaces, and more. With 305 pieces of jewelry making materials, they can create jewelry with their favorite names, words, and phrases for an oh-so personal touch.
We love a gift that gets kids off their electronics and using their hands! With this floral embroidery kit from Mondo Llama, kids can create three vibrant floral scenes with four different stitch and knot styles all thoroughly explained in the instruction sheet.
For the kid in your life who can’t get enough of the kitchen, we love this baking cookbook that’s geared specifically towards teens. It’s filled with 75 delectable recipes, from breads and pizzas to sweet treats. Plus, it includes food handling and kitchen safety tips that are great for beginners.
You don’t have to be a LEGO lover to love this building kit. First, spend time constructing these beautiful succulents — then decorate with them! Part of the LEGO Botanical Collection, the kit includes enough LEGOS to build nine different plants, and the textures, colors, and shapes are inspired by real life succulents.
Let your tween express themselves with these fun and funky tattoo markers by BIC. Great to show school spirit at sporting events or to add a bit of temporary edge to their look, these cosmetic-quality markers have vivid, long-lasting colors that will wash off skin (promise!).
Tie-dye is still trending in the middle school world, and the young teens on your list are sure to love this DIY kit. They can colorfully customize tees, sweatshirts, shorts, and accessories, and invite friends along since the kit includes six pairs of plastic gloves, 18 easy-squeeze bottles of pigment, and easy-to-follow instructions.
This real cotton candy maker is perfect for the middle schooler with a sweet tooth. In just a few minutes, turn regular and flavored sugars into fluffy cotton candy using the easy-to-follow instructions and already-included materials. Yum!
Every middle schooler needs at least one pair of quality headphones that are easy to use — but hard to lose. Wireless and with over 35 hours of power, these headphones by Sony have a swivel design and are voice-assistant compatible to easily work with smartphones.
Kind of like the throwback Newlywed Game, The Best Friend Game is a true test of how well you know your bestie. All you have to do is pair off, pull a question card and jot the answer down on the included dry erase boards. First pair to get seven points wins!
