Interactive Gift Ideas for Teenagers

This post was updated in 2025.

I personally think buying gifts for teenagers is pretty hard, even in the best of circumstances. But when they certainly don’t need another video game or app for their phones, and you know they would benefit from some family connection, it can be even harder.  

Sometimes it takes a little creativity to come up with interactive gift ideas for teenagers, but I’ve found some pretty good ones that I’ll share today.  Gifts that encourage family engagement and connection are fun now as well as meaningful in the future.

As I mentioned last week when I talked about {family-themed activities for kids}, I know some people who like giving experiences as gifts instead of things.  This can be especially great for teenagers.  They need the connections and the time invested in them, but they’re sometimes too busy or *ahem* too cool to hang out with their parents or siblings without a special occasion.   Obviously not all of the suggestions I’m listing here would work for every teenager, but see what experiences might be good for your specific one.  Make sure the activity is something special, not something you would normally do.  

• {Record-Breaking Family Fun Kit} (think “Minute to Win It”) by The Gifty Girl
• a water park
• fancy dinner out
• an amusement park
• a vacation
• a staycation
• a day out with Dad or Mom
• horseback riding
• a musical or theatrical production
• skiing
• hiking
• Heather Lynne at Raising Memories has some great suggestions for teenagers, too.  You can see {her whole list here}, but it includes:
• zip lining
• spa day (mani/pedi, etc.)
• helicopter ride
• hot air balloon ride
• pottery class (or paint your own pottery)

I always recommend making these moments last by taking photos of the activities.  Depending on the event, a {little memory book} of the special activity is the perfect additional gift!  Preserving the experience and the memories makes it the gift that keeps on giving.

Lots of personal keepsake book ideas and free templates {here}

Games you can play as a family are a fun way to interact and engage with each other.  Similar to the idea of having dinner together as a family, games provide opportunity to just BE together.  Here are a few ideas I really like for teenagers.

While I am not a video game fan in principle, family video games like {Just Sing} or {Rock Band} make lots of fun memories and connections.  We have the old Rock Band, and I can’t tell you how many fun hours we have had with it.  It was especially good when we had one teenager with younger “non-teenager” siblings–it was something everyone could play and enjoy.

{These family card games} include a free printable and 5 ideas for sparking family history conversations.

We received {this game} as a gift, and I really like that it’s a team game!  Instead of trying to beat each other, like most games, everyone playing is a team trying to beat the timer!

Gifts from the heart are always so meaningful and cherished.  I think teenagers especially need a little extra support and love and encouragement.  My favorite one is this simple but powerful {Only You} book which I made for my teenagers about the things ONLY they bring to the world.  (See more details of the book at the link.)

List talents and strengths your teenager has that he/she may not be able to see right now.  Write things you love about him/her.  You’ll never find a better $15 gift in the whole world.

2025 update:  The wirebound books are no longer available, but here's one example of a lovely template, and if you choose an 8x8 softbound book, it's only $12.50 during the monthly half-price sales!

Words are powerful.  The {gift of words} is something that lasts, something a teenager can pull out on a hard day today or a hard day in college.  

I hope you’ve found some special ideas for the teenager in your life.  Connections make great gifts!  Next week I’ll have some gift ideas for adults, too!

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This post was originally published at www.livegrowgive.org on November 17, 2017, by Jennifer Wise.  Find all the #familyhistoryfriday posts by clicking the hashtag below next to Labels.