Brought to you by the teens themselves, here are the top 15 travel gifts for teens that they will use and love.
Teens are tricky to buy for. After polling the experts, i.e. my traveling teens, for this list of practical and fun gift ideas, and after the usual chocolate, candy canes, and sour patch, here is what they came up with.
20+ Travel Gifts for Teens
1) Kids Travel Journal ~ Teach them to journal about their favorite activities and foods. Family travel moments that made them laugh. Strange events. And what they loved the most about their journey.
2) Kindle PaperWhite ~ I bought this for my husband for Christmas last year. My 13-year old promptly hijacked it. She loves this device. So, this Christmas, I will try again. The Kindle PaperWhite is compact and lightweight. With a glare-free display, the PaperWhite reads like real paper even in bright sunlight. Plus it is waterproof, so you can read and relax at the beach, by the pool, or in the bath.
3) Remember the Polaroid? Well, it is back. Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera in Ice Blue, as well as a multitude of fun colors.
4) Teens are never without their devices, add some fun lenses to their cell phone so they can become insta-famous.
5) Samsonite Freeform Spinner Luggage in this fun lilac. Ultra-light and comes in twelve fun colors including lilac, tangerine, navy, pink rose, merlot, and mint green. Choose either carry-on or checked bag size.
6) Fjallraven Mini Backpack with fabric that is dirt and water-resistant, and Below are a few fun and favorite color options.
7) Packing cubes — they will keep the teens organized. When they unpack their suitcase in the hotel room, the packing cubes can be used as drawer liners.
8) Super cute character luggage tags. Personalize their luggage with their own tag.
9) Binoculars are the best, especially for kids who love exploring the outdoors.
10) Burt Bee’s Lip Balm ~ Y’all know I had to include Burt Bee’s, it’s my fav!
11) Uno Cards for those rainy days or travel days to pass the time. Everyone knows how to play Uno.
12) Headphones are the type of gift travelers don’t even know they need until they use them. Drown it all out and listen to tunes, an audiobook, or watch Netflix. Perfect for long flights or road trips.
13) We prefer headphones, but some like the Air Pods. I am quite sure my kids would lose them.
14) Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers ~ Take them to the beach or the pool. No worries about spills or even immersion in water. Your teens may make lots of friends with an impromptu dance party.
15) I would be remiss if I didn’t include an iPad on this list.
16) Portable Charger ~ Always be prepared with an extra charge. There’s nothing worse than a dying phone. The Anker PowerCore Lipstick Size Portable Charger is small enough to fit in your pocket, recharges in 3-4 hours, and it comes with a handy travel pouch.
17) Waterproof Camera with a floatie ~ We are Caribbean travelers, lots of snorkeling, stand-up paddleboarding, cave tubing, beaching, you get the picture. The camera needs to be waterproof. I have drowned three of them, so I am banned from the expensive underwater cameras. The Fujifilm FinePix XP Waterproof Digital Underwater Camera hasn’t drowned yet, and it cost only a little over $100. Don’t forget to purchase a floatie.
18) Lens Kit for iPhone. This lens kit from Amazon includes so many lenses they won’t even need a fancy camera: wide-angle, macro, fisheye, telephoto, Kaleidoscope, and starburst.
19) If your kids love a day at the beach, add this paddle ball set to their gift list. It’s a fun way to get their competitive juices flowing and burn a few calories.
20) VSCO Basket ~ If you have teen girls, you know what I mean by VSCO. Gather up these items and stuff them in her stocking. She’ll love it.
- Hydroflask
- Scrunchies
- Crocs or Birkies
- A White Jeep Replica
- Shell Necklace
- Stickers for Hydroflask
- Beaded Bracelets
21) Herschel Travel Backpack ~ The Herschel Backpacks are sturdy, rugged, and stylish. Your kids will love how they look and they last forever. Plus, they fit plenty of their travel gear.
22) Lonely Planet Travel Book ~ Journey through 230 countries with 850 images; each country features details of when to visit, what to see, and do. Plus, how to learn more about the country’s culture from its film, music, food, and drink. Every entry has a map and statistics about the country.
My Favorite Travel Gift for Teens is the Gift of an Experience.
23) Give the gift of an experience. I love this idea for my kids. Take them to a concert or sporting event. A Broadway show or even book a Disney Cruise. Kayaking in the springs, or ziplining. Or a travel adventure.
Why the gift of experience?
- Memories last a long time, way longer than a material gift.
- It is a gift you can enjoy together.
- Provide an experience based on your teen’s passion; a surf vacation, an NFL or NBA game, a trip to the theatre to see a Broadway show.
Lots of quick and simple last-minute travel gifts for teens that they will actually use and love.
If you need even more inspiration, here are 90+ Travel Related Gifts for everyone in the family, including the pup.
Happy gifting!
My girls are not teens yet but we grabbed UNO, lip chap and hair ties as stocking stuffers. So many great ideas in this post. I read it before we went shopping and so glad I did! Have a merry Christmas Jenny!
Thank you, Jenn. Same to you!
I love your suggestions here. And that they have been “brought to you by the teens themselves” makes it even better. My choice the Polaroid or Kindle or fun lenses. Brilliant ideas thank you!
Thank you. My kids are great travelers, but they have entertainment and creature comforts that they love.
Some great ideas!
Thank you for checking them out! They are great.
I love every gift that’s on this list because they can be a great present not only for teens, but also for adults! I would be very happy to receive something from this list because I am also a traveler! You made really good list!
I agree. I want them all!