If you are trying to find a gift for a tween for a birthday, Christmas, or holiday, it can be quite challenging. They are in that in-between stage that can make it hard for gift givers to come up with a great idea. Do not fret, as this is a helpful guide is filled with fun and educational coding gifts for tweens! Coding is an extremely valuable skill that will give your tween a leg up in a world surrounded by social media, websites, and video games. If you pick any gifts from this list it will surely make you the favorite gift giver at any event!
Empower your child to learn coding and have fun in a free special beginner-friendly winter coding event!
Discover Some Of The Best Coding Gifts For Tweens
Check out some of the best gifts for kids ages 10 to 12, from award-winning kits, and pixel art coding toys, to a cool drone, a code piano, and more.
1. Create & Learn Giftcard
Create and Learn offers programming classes for all ages! Most tweens start with Scratch (which uses block coding) and move on to Python, but there are many more options to choose from including game development with Minecraft, Roblox, Blender, and Unity. All classes are virtually led by live instructors, and the award-winning curriculum was designed by experts from Google, MIT, and Stanford University.
Best for ages: Kids ages 5 to 18 who are interested in computer science and developing their creativity
Get your student started right away by enrolling them in award-winning free coding classes.
2. Snap Circuits Green Energy Kit
Learn the basics of electronics and modern alternative energy with this fun hands-on kit. Explore clean energy concepts, such as electric cars, windmills, and hand-generated power. The kids includes over 125 projects and 45 parts. There's also a full-color manual and separate “Think Green” educational manual that explains environmentally-friendly energy including geothermal, hydrogen fuel cells, wind, solar, tidal, hydro, and more.
Best for: Perfect for environmentalists and future engineers
Your student might also enjoy this free Snap Circuits event online.
3. Arduino Starter Kit
For older students with some prior coding experience, the Arduino starter kit is a great choice. Arduino kits are highly versatile, allowing students to learn basic electronics as well as programming. The kit comes with an access code for online learning tools, as well as access to Arduino’s intuitive, online IDE. This is a great option for driven students who like to learn independently. Your tween might also enjoy this fun live online Smart Devices: Arduino class.
4. imagiCharm Pixel Art Coding Toy
This seemingly small object can bring your tween's code to life. It uses a mobile-based coding game to allow your tween to create customized pixel art. They are then able to display their very own art on the imagiCharm in real time! Your tween can learn to code while showing off their knowledge and creativity to their friends and family.
Best for: Tweens who love coding and art
5. Apex TKL Keyboard
Tweens are at the age where they are getting into technology, coding, and even gaming. This keyboard is perfect for all three but does not break the bank. It is extremely durable with water resistance to protect against pesky spills and even has whisper-quiet switches. It also includes reactionary RGB illumination which will surely make your tween's face light up when they use it.
Best for: Tweens who are avid coders and gamers
6. Amazon or Barnes & Noble Giftcards
Books are a fantastic gift for a tween interested in coding because it gives them the freedom to choose books that match their interests and skill level while diving into the exciting world of technology. An Amazon giftcard or a Barnes & Noble giftcard will empower them to pick out a few books of choice from a wide variety of coding books. They can pick up beginner-friendly books like Python books or “Super Scratch Programming Adventure,” which use engaging projects to teach basic coding concepts in a fun way and other Scratch books. If they’re interested in creating their own games, Roblox coding books like “A Beginner's Guide to Roblox Programming: A Book by a Kid For Kids” can help them bring their ideas to life. There are also web development and app building books, and problem solving books that can build logic and spark their imagination!
Best for: Tweens with an interested in computer science who enjoy reading
7. Award-Winning "Ultimate Coding Kit"
This coding kit has it all with 100+ different projects with hands-on circuits. This makes it the perfect gift for any future engineer, scientist, or computer programmer. It is designed specifically to engage critical thinking and coding skills without the extra screen time! On top of all of this, it has won countless awards including the Family Choice Award and Modern Library Platinum Award.
Best for: Tweens wanting to learn more about code (without the screen time)
8. Henoda Programmable Robot Toy
This gift is the perfect choice for encouraging your tween to try coding! If your child is still on the fence they can first try controlling the robot without code and then go from there. Being forced right into something can be extremely overwhelming so we feel this is a great way to introduce your tween to the vast world of programming. This robot comes with eye lights, gravity sensors, voice control, path modeling, and is controlled via an easy-to-function app.
Best for: Trying to get your Tween into programming
9. Award-Winning Code Piano
This is a great gift to provide hours of fun for your tween and is a huge learning opportunity that may inspire their career. It helps your child learn how to make and modify their very own electronic music using code. This was specifically engineered by parents and teachers for kids ages 8-12 to experience beginner coding using music. Code Piano is a 5-time winner of the Purdue University “Promotes Engineering Thinking and Design” award, and won two awards from the Family Review Center.
Best for: Tweens with a passion for music and code
10. CoDrone Programmable Drone
This gift is simply amazing and such a hit! It is a fully functional drone that is entirely programmable in three different coding languages (Python, Arduino). It was specially designed with education in mind but does not compromise fun. Your tween can learn drone piloting, obstacle detection, and much more. Its seven unique sensors make it an easy learning tool for tweens interested in learning coding and engineering.
Best for: Tweens with intermediate experience in programming
Shop Some Of The Best Coding Gifts For Tweens
Now you know some of the best coding gifts for tweens, and where you can buy them! If you still need more inspiration, check out the best STEM gifts for kids.
If you want your tween to learn more about coding, check out our virtual winter camps and online Thanksgiving camps to give your middle schooler a leg up in the tech-driven world today! Get started with our popular free coding classes, designed by experts from Google, Stanford, and MIT.
For older children on your shopping list, explore the best coding gifts for teens.
Written by Create & Learn instructor Gabrielle Cindric. Gabrielle is a Computer Science student by day and a STEM instructor by night. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games and hanging out with her poodle Bailey and cat Asphalt.
