Best science gifts for teens: 9 ideas for the budding scientist

By Dan Fauzi

Published: Monday, 17 October 2022 at 12:00 am

Finding the right present for a teenager that’s fascinated by science is easily achieved, thanks to the vast and diverse array of science-focused gifts out there.

Our scientific understanding of the world is constantly growing, and a welcomed result of that is the exciting advancements in the ways that young people can learn about science in a fun and interactive way.

We’ve picked out our favourite science gifts for teenagers, so read on for our top picks.

Best science gifts for teens in 2022

ROKR Perpetual Calendar

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For a technical, immersive and worthwhile project, teenagers can enjoy sinking their brain into assembling this intricate 3D puzzle. The mechanical puzzle is made up of laser-cut pieces of plywood that can be popped together into the complex frame.

The end result is a perpetual calendar that, using a gear system, can accurately predict specific dates for months and years in the past or future. Set the year and month by locking the discs into place and the 3D calendar can tell you the day of the week for that date.

The ROKR Perpetual Calendar was selected among other exciting ideas for our guide to gifts for geeks and nerds.

Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky

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Packed full of inspiring accounts of some of the greatest female scientific pioneers, this illustrated book celebrates the contributions from 50 notable women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The extraordinary figures include Marie Curie and Katherine Johnson, among many other significant innovators.

The importance of female contributions to science is immeasurable, and it’s important history to teach to the next generation of scientists. Plus, there are fascinating infographics and an illustrated scientific glossary to pique the interests of any scientific mind.

4m KidzLabs Solar System Planetarium

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This kit allows you to build your own planetarium of our solar system. The model, once assembled, spans 30cm and can be painted and highlighted with glow in the dark effects.

Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ

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For anybody looking to get started with astronomy, this telescope from Celestron can be controlled from your smartphone and plugged right into it. It has 25mm and 10mm eyepieces and the Celestron Starry Night software to delve into star gazing. An ideal starter telescope for beginners.

Our friends at BBC Sky at Night listed the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ as one of the best telescopes for astronomy beginners.

The Pocket Scientist

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Science whizzes will love being able to have all of this handy info in their pocket. From the periodic table, to physics constants, to mass conversions, there’s a load of useful information packed into this tiny metal card. It even has rulers in different measurements!

Revell 80-4909 1:144 Apollo Saturn V Plastic Model Kit

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Assemble 82 pieces to create this realistic-looking model of the Apollo Saturn V. It’s an impressive project to test science and engineering skills, and the end reward is a 77.5cm rocket ship with its own stand!

Tobbie The Self-Guiding AI Robot

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Robot toys are constantly becoming more advanced, and Tobbie the Self-Guiding AI Robot is a prime example of that. He can explore, using infrared sensors to detect and avoid obstacles, and can also follow any moving object like your hand or another Tobbie.

Tobbie comes as a self-assembly kit, where 107 pieces must be assembled together in an interactive project to construct an intelligent robot.

What If? by Randall Munroe

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What If? is a fantastically-interesting book, where unrealistic and absurd hypotheticals are given genuine answers with a well-thought-out scientific approach.

The author has been posing similar hypotheticals on his funny and informative website for years – on xkcd.com you can find examples on the types of ridiculous questions you can expect in the book. Such problems include the dangers of football-sized hail or the real-life consequences of a Boston to Lisbon bridge made out of cars.

Ion

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This chemistry-focused card game invites players to build neutral compounds from a hand of positive and negative ions, teaching the fundamentals of ionic bonding.

2-7 players can get involved, and the game has enough strategy to stimulate adult minds while being straightforward enough for children aged 8+ to understand.

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