25 Bat- And Bar Mitzvah Gifts To Give Instead of Money

More traditional than an Apple watch but cooler than your standard timepiece, this chronograph watch is made from 100% natural, sustainably-sourced Ebony. It comes packaged in a bamboo gift box, has a lifetime service guarantee, and just looks, well, special—especially at a reasonable price point. Plus, this keepsake doesn’t instantly become outdated once the new ‘series’ hits shelves and won’t look like something every other kid has!

Thanks to its foldable, easy-to-store design, this basketball game table will make you look like a hero to the bar mitzvah boy or bat mitzvah girl—without earning you villain status by the parents. It’s got built-in locking for storage, an LED scoring display, a game clock, eight game options, and simply takes AA batteries. It’s way better than a back-of-the-bedroom-door hoop and dare we say, a slam dunk as far as bar mitzvah gifts go.

While The Noble Collection’s Harry Potter Wizard Chess Set is certainly an enchanting collectible, don’t expect the pieces to come alive on the board. (And be glad they don’t — that’s one violent mess you don’t want to clean up or have to explain to your kids.) This miniature recreation of Harry Potter’s famous chess game in The Sorcerer’s Stone features 32 highly detailed chess pieces meant to mirror the ones in the movie. Plus, it’s Warner Bros-approved, so you know this Harry Potter game is as authentic as they come.

Remember printing out pictures? Well, this is the modern-day version. Measuring just 2″x3″, the Canon ivy mini printer is portable and offers instant gratification—two things 13-year-olds love! Via Bluetooth, the bar/bat mitzvah kid can print photos from his or her smartphone or social media, complete with peel-&-stick backs, as well as options for frames, filters, text, and more. Because, obvi.

Because “well-behaved women seldom make history,” and young women (and men!) should know all about the badass ladies that came before them. From Sojourner Truth to Joan Jett, Ann Shen’s illustrated coffee table book highlights revolutionary women throughout history and is bound to inspire the next generation to challenge the status quo. For the budding changemaker, this is an ideal bat mitzvah gift to include in her growing library.

For an aspiring artist, a complete set of art supplies is basically the bar mitzvah gift jackpot. This one comes with 165 pieces, including crayons, oil pastels, colored pencils, brushes, palettes, an easel, drawing pad, and more. Whew—can you feel the creative juices flowing? Also, all crayons, paints, and pastels are non-toxic, and come stowed neatly in a mahogany wood case for easy portability and organization. A masterpiece!

Fact: Teenagers are never without their phones. Another fact: Constant disinfecting is a lifestyle now. Enter the PhoneSoap 3, a smartphone charger—and UV sanitizer. Built to accommodate all smartphones, including larger models, this ingenious device uses germicidal UV-C bulbs to completely sanitize the phone, killing 99.99% of all bacteria and germs, while charging it, too. Pandemic-friendly bar mitzvah gift idea: found.

The days of singing into a hairbrush in the mirror are long gone. With this cable- and bluetooth-enabled microphone, becoming the next Bat Mitzvah Idol is as easy as opening any Karaoke app or selecting a file from a music-playing device. It’s also got recording capabilities for teens who want to save their songs. As far as bat mitzvah gift ideas go, especially for aspiring singers, this one is kind of a guaranteed hit.

A camera and a printer in one? This is the Kodak instant camera reimagined! The sleek new version uses ZINK paper that requires no ink or toner—meaning less waste goes into landfills . With features like adhesive backing, as well as options for filters, frames, and photo-booth style double photos, there’s a lot to love about this as a bar mitzvah gift idea.

No list of bat mitzvah gift ideas would be truly complete without Air Pods. If the guest of honor doesn’t already own these wireless headphones, he or she has likely been coveting them for a while. They connect immediately once in the ears and deliver high-quality sound, too, which is likely why they top lots of wish lists these days—so make that wish come true!

Is the bar mitzvah boy or bat mitzvah girl a DJ in training? Gift them with the best DJ system for beginners. Compatible with Mac and PC, this two-deck pick also comes with a built-in LED light show that auto-syncs to the music. Its small size means less clutter and the affordable price, as far as mixing equipment goes, means this is a great starter option for kids to learn and play on before asking the ‘rents to invest in something pricey.