47 Last-Minute Fun, Educational, and Creative Toys 10-Year-Olds Will Love (2024)

An exciting twist on the classic game of Jenga, in this version, a player pulls a card with a description of what the tower should look like, and their teammate races against others to build the structure based only on the instructions from their partner. Not only does it foster communication and cooperation, but it’s also downright fun.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

This Lego set is so much fun—kids will be able to build up to 8 different "gear bots," and it will teach them physics at the same time. The combination of building blocks and paper is a unique twist on a STEM activity, and they'll hardly even notice they're learning.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

This skill game is a great way to practice and develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination—but is also a ton of fun. It can be played either inside or outside, and is a fun alternative to screen time. Your 10-year-old will love the challenge!

Recommended Age: 9 years and up

Get your kids a dart board, but make it educational! This fun dart board comes with balls lined with velcro, so there are no actual darts involved. The surface of the board is decorated with the solar system, so they'll learn a thing or two while they play as well.

Recommended Age: Not listed

These are not your typical paper airplanes. This kit comes with 40 sheets of paper to turn into paper airplanes, all with different patterns, colors, and shapes. Kids will have fun not only flying them, but making them too.

Recommended Age: 7 years and up

Star Wars' Ahsoka TV series continues the success Disney has been having with their Star Wars themed movies and TV series, and now your kids can play with the Jedi and R7-A7. It comes with two fighter jets, and reviewers love the detail in this toy set.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

Unless you've been living under a rock this year, then you're aware of the Barbie phenomenon that has taken over the world this summer. If your 10-year-old is a fan of the movie, they'll love this Dreamhouse replica. It comes with Barbie and Ken figurines, 1795 pieces, furniture, food, and pool accessories, so they'll never get bored.

Recommended Age: 10 years and up

This 3D Batmobile puzzle is a fun and challenging toy for kids, as they build their own Batmobile that they can then display on their desk or bookshelf. It's nice and sturdy for both building and when put together, and adults will have just as much fun helping kids build it.

Recommended Age: 12 years and up

Sewing and cute tiny food creatures—what's not to love? This beginner sewing kit gives you nine sheets of felt, eight colors of embroidery floss, 19 different patterns, and all the filling and eyes and cheeks you need in order to make these foodie cuties. Because it comes with the patterns, it's always possible to purchase felt and make more.

Recommended Age: 10 years and up

Even casual Marvel movie viewers can enjoy this game that has players taking 10 questions to guess which Marvel figure is on the game card. Each game card has details about the character on it that can provide hints to the player holding the cards and answering the questions. No flat surface is required to play, so kids can keep themselves busy playing on a car ride or at a restaurant.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

For the budding geologist, this geode kit makes a perfect kit. It's by National Geographic, so you know they'll learn something and have fun while doing it. The kit comes with 15 geodes to break open, revealing stunning crystals from around the world, and and instructional booklet and learning guide so they'll be able to learn about their discoveries.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

Digital pets have come a long way in the last few years—and this digital pet with 15 animals proves it. The longer kids play with this toy, the more pets they'll unlock, from classic cats and dogs to turtles, butterflies, and more. Each pet starts as a baby and grows as your child cares for it, and will even react to touch. This is a great interactive toy that they'll have so much fun with.

Recommended Age: 5 years and up

At 10 years old, children are becoming more expressive, and a diary can help them improve their writing skills, says Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a New York City-based neuropsychologist and school psychologist. This DIY journaling set will allow them to tap into their creative side before they even put pen to paper thanks to the stickers, gems, frames, and other decorative elements that’ll come together to create a 70-sheet, totally personalized notebook.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

A more dynamic spin on the game of catch, the Djubi SlingBall Classic, which combines two unique rackets with nets, allows players to test their tossing and foam ball launching skills. Since the balls can fly up to 125 feet, meaning you’ll be doing some quick pivoting, it’s a fun way for kids (and adults) to sneak in some exercise, as we found while testing at home.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

Kids who love a great mind teaser will flip for this toy. The concept is pretty simple, but mastering this technique can be a challenge. They'll have to twist and turn the Perplexus and have the steel ball navigate a series of barriers that get increasingly difficult to overcome.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

While testing, we found this two-to-five-player card game provides silly fun for the entire family (parents included). We also love how it inspires 10-year-olds to put their strategic thinking skills to the test. At just under $20, it makes a great inexpensive gift for a pre-teen.

Recommended Age: 7 years and up

Arts and crafts, Legos, and home decor combined! This popsicle picture frame Lego project will be fun for kids ages 6 and up. You can make three ice cream-shaped frames for small pictures or images out of nearly 500 pieces. Plus, there's a small bracelet that can be decorated with extra "sprinkles" from the ice cream creations.

Recommended Age: 6 years and up

This educational kit includes more than 100 unique projects that allow your child to build circuits to create a flashing light, a voice-controlled lamp, and more, using a handy plastic grid. While testing, we found that it kept kids busy for hours, and we loved how easy it was to clean up and store, since all of the parts fit neatly back in the case.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

Real physical blocks and an app on a smart tablet will give kids their first taste of coding. Kids will follow the instructions to take the coding character Awbie on an adventure that involves composing melodies and completing more than 60 puzzles. Three levels of difficulty will keep them interested and working on their early developer skills for hours on end.

Recommended Age: 5 and up

This thoughtfully designed kit comes with over 65 science projects that are super engaging. We found while testing that the experiments aren’t so challenging that your child won’t be able to entertain themselves if you’re not there. Projects include fashioning a soda geyser, making quicksand, or creating a rainbow in a tube.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

A highly enjoyable rainy day activity for any crafty kid, your child can make rainbow-colored friendship bracelets for everyone they know—including you. And what’s better than unique jewelry designed by your own 10-year-old? The kit comes with 600 latex-free rubber bands,24 C-clips, and clear instructions.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

This craft comes with a sneaky side of education, offering hours of entertainment for the child who loves to color (and learn!). The famous global landmarks are marked, but the continents aren’t labeled, so when curiosity spikes, they’ll be inspired to research what they’re drawing, and they can write their own notes. While testing, we noted that the pillowcase was comfortable enough for your child to actually sleep on.

Recommended Age: 6 years and up

Of course, these tiny Disney character replicas all have their own backstories, but kids can use their imaginations when they play with these joyful minis that are popular on TikTok. Each capsule in this three-pack comes with five minis, so they are perfect stocking stuffers for Disney fans of all ages.

Recommended Age: 3 years and up

Puzzles and other toys that stimulate cognitive and strategic thinking are encouraged for this age range, says Dr. Hafeez, and this logic game will challenge your 10-year-old to crack each of the 60 mazes. We especially like that this set comes with multi-level challenges, from beginner to expert and kids can play alone or with friends.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

This fun craft kit will have kids painting their own desert scene. A squishy alpaca, cactus, and sun can be painted, decorated, and given faces using stickers. The kit comes with four paint colors or you can make your own. Be warned that the squishes arrive, um, very squished, but they will puff up in no time.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

Your soon-to-be preteen has probably snapped a ton of digital photos, but have they ever printed any pics out? This Lego picture frame set will encourage them to do so. The set includes three frames that can be decorated with a variety of tiles. They can swap out tiles to create new designs and truly flex their creativity.

Recommended Age: 6 years and up

Bring the Child to life with this adorable 1,073-piece Star Wars LEGO set that includes a head you can pose, plus an adjustable mouth and ears. You can team up with your child for a fun activity to share, or they can enjoy building it on their own.

Recommended Age: 10 years and up

With a one-touch selfie mode and a shutter that automatically adjusts for optimal lighting, kids can get creative photographing the world around them—without having to wait long to see the results. Within minutes, they’ll have pictures they can display on their wall, in their scrapbooks, or swap with friends.

Recommended Age: Not listed

Quiet the requests to get a puppy with this robot dog. It takes voice directions, makes various animal poses, and responds to seven remote control functions. But the robot doesn't come preprogrammed—kids will have to use their voices to teach the robot dog commands themselves. One thing it can do a dog can't? When music plays, it will dance and sing.

Recommended Age: 3 years and up

Crystals are having a major moment right now, especially when it comes to home decorating. Help your 10-year-old get in on the trend with this DIY hanging garden kit. It includes colorful gemstones, rocks, sand, and an amethyst that they can style however they like, plus lavender and lemon essential oils. When the craft is complete, they’ll have a pretty terrarium to display in their bedroom or over their homework space.

Recommended Age: 6 years and up

Not only is making slime a fantastic sensory activity that’s a great way to teach your kids about polymers, but it’s also always fun to get a bit messy. Of course, you could go the DIY route, but the beauty of this kit is that it supplies all of the ingredients you need to create 25 pieces of sparkly, space-themed, and even glow-in-the-dark slime.

Recommended Age: 7 years and up

One of our top tech gift picks, the Nintendo Switch OLED model, plays the same game as the original Switch but features an updated screen and other improvements. It doubles as both a handheld system, or you can connect it to the TV so family and friends can get in on the fun. Choose from role-playing games like Pokemon Diamond, trivia, old-school Mario classics you’ll remember from when you were their age, and countless puzzles and other brain games that’ll challenge them to think critically, such as Pikmin 3 Deluxe.

Recommended Age: Varies by game

While this science kit will teach your 10-year-old about geology, it’s also an excellent exercise in patience as they wait for their seven stunning crystals to grow. The set also includes domes so they can display their creations.

Recommended Age: 10 years and up

Dr. Hafeez says that “learning to play an instrument can encourage a child's growth,” and of course, the voice is an instrument. We rated this one of the top karaoke machines for kids because you can easily connect it to your TV or smartphone to watch the lyrics stream, and it has exciting features like a light-up speaker.

Recommended Age: Not listed

Although this personal planetarium—which comes in the form of an adorable astronaut—is recommended for kids, adults looking for an intergalactic escape will also enjoy the soothing, rotating projections it casts. Choose from a variety of nebula colors and brightness levels to let your child’s imagination soar. We also love that it has a sleep timer so it won't be disturbing at night, and is easy to assemble.

Recommended Age: Not listed

Inspire them to keep hydrated with a water bottle that they can design themselves. This craft kit comes packed with seven sheets of rhinestone stickers, plus a DIY paracord bracelet kit, so they can proudly hit the water fountain in style.

Recommended Age: 6 years and up

You know how satisfying popping bubble wrap can be? Think of this toy as a never-ending roll. Said to be a calming tool, fidget spinners are massively popular among 10-year-olds and this set comes in pretty metallic tones—perfect if your child is trading them with friends.

Recommended age: 3 years and up

The ultimate time-honored strategy game, this beginner’s chess set features handy teaching tools like “action cards” to help guide players along the way. And when they've learned the pieces and moves, they can flip the board over for a traditional chess set.

Recommended Age: 7 years and up

There’s a reason this smart toy has been popular since the ’80s: with 43 quintillion possible moves, the classic three-by-three cube provides endless entertainment (and, err, maybe frustration). But unlike the original version, the colors are painted on the tiles instead of stickers, so you don't have to worry about them peeling off.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

The Razor A5 Lux is suited for children 8 and up and has some snazzy new features the younger models don't have. This has a new adonized finish with a kickstand so they won't have to fold it up. It also has bigger wheels, which are suited for taller riders.

Recommended Age: 8 and up

For a STEM toy children will love, it doesn't get any better than the Meccano building set. Designed for ages 10 and up, the set includes 638 pieces, electrical motor, and operational tools. Kids can create 25 models like trucks, cars, or even a motorized crane.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

Help your child embrace their individual sense of style with this Juicy Couture jewelry kit. Each set includes everything they need to make 10 charm bracelets. The mix of charms, chains, and close to 400 beads allows for some major fashion fun.

Recommended Age: 8 and up

These kid-friendly Frisbee rings are perfect for your 10-year-old. The rings are 80 percent lighter than traditional Frisbees, reducing the chance of hurting little fingers. Since they fly straight, they also lessen the frustration factor that sometimes comes with learning to throw a regular Frisbee. The two-pack of the Activ Flyer is perfect for backyard fun or taking to the beach.

Recommended Age: 3 and up

Finding a game kids and parents can play (and actually be entertained by!) can be a challenge, but this card game is sure to satisfy all ages. Teams of up to four players have to work together to thwart the villain's evil master plan. The game is fast-paced, but easy to learn, and the challenges are constantly changing with each new round.

Recommended Age: 10 years and up

For a craft kit that will capture the attention of your 10-year-old and make something useful, try the Klutz Make Your Own Mini Erasers kit. Create one-of-a-kind pencil toppers from modeling clay, with the help of Klutz’s easy-to-follow instructions. Every child can appreciate the fun and functionality of having a custom eraser handy. The set includes modeling clay, a clay shaping tool, and directions to make 35 different eraser designs.

Recommended Age: 8 years and up

If your 10-year-old has outgrown or just grown tired of their scooter, the Drifter-X Ride is sure to be a hit. Kids use the foot bars to steer and get the rider moving, while the back wheels make it easy to smoothly drift around corners. The ride is lightweight, holds up to 150 pounds, and the middle bar can be adjusted to accommodate different heights.

Recommended Age: 6 years and up

The Magneto Complete Kids Skateboard is designed for beginner skateboarders and recommended for ages 5 to 15. We love that it comes fully assembled and is compact and easy to store. Plus, the wheels are made to travel smoothly over different types of surfaces, including concrete, asphalt, wood, and packed gravel.

Recommended Age: 5 years and up

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