Valentine’s Day Gift Guide For Teens: 24 Gifts Under $25 (2023)

Want to use February 14 as an excuse to give your teen a small gift or send your college student a care package? Here’s our Valentine’s Day Gift Guide with some of our favorite ideas to help you give your teen a little pick-me-up this winter.

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Valentine’s Day gift guide (Under $25)

1. Hot Chocolate Bombombs

Hot chocolate “bombombs” became insanely popular last year and often difficult to find. We discovered this package of five from Thoughtfully Gifts. Just drop one in a mug, add warmed milk, and watch the yummy chocolate ball dissolve.


2. Aromatherapy Shower Steamers

Your teen can turn their shower into a spa with one of these aromatherapy tablets. Infused with essential oils, they are available in lavender, eucalyptus, or orange mint.

shower bombs

3. Mini Jewelry Box

This diminutive jewelry box would be perfect for traveling or storing unique pieces in a drawer. Available in several pretty colors, we think the red one would be perfect for Valentine’s Day.

4. Therapy Dough

Modeled after clay used by art therapists, this dough is infused with essential oils for stress relief. It’s fun, stress-relieving, and provides aromatherapy — all our teens need.

stress reliever

5. Little Words Project Bracelets

Words of inspiration + adorable jewelry + Sweethearts = DONE.

6. Microwave Popcorn Popper

Popping popcorn in a microwave without all the gross chemicals in the ready-to-pop bags will make your teen happy. You do not need oil or butter to pop the corn, so the clean-up is a breeze.

popcorn popper

Send a gift of sweetness with 16 buttercream-frosted cookies in six delectable flavors (including strawberry sugar and salty caramel). Yum, and yes, please.

8. You’re My Person Mug

What a friendly reminder for your college student to know that they are always your person! Fill this cute mug with candy or a gift card to Starbucks for a little extra Valentine’s Day treat.

9. All About Mom and Me: A Journal for Mothers and Daughters

This adorable book can help moms and their preteen daughters become closer by journaling together. There are lighthearted prompts and others that broach more serious topics. You can learn more about this incredibly-talented author and mom of three, Janene Dutt, at her site, I Might Be Funny.

10. Journaling Pens

These pens have been bestsellers on the Amazon and Grown and Flown gift lists and would be a great Valentine’s Day gift for anyone who has a bullet journal or loves the small luxury of new supplies. Comes in a set of 18 colors.

Pens for journaling

11. Mini Waffle Maker

Could there be a cuter waffle maker than this one? Although the red, heart-shaped one is perfect for Valentine’s Day, they come in loads of colors and shapes.

12. Stress Balls

These cute red rubber balls come in twelve packs, so get enough for your teen to share with their friends and classmates or college students to share with roommates and hallmates.

13. Game of Phones

This phone game turns their digital sidekicks into a tool for a hilarious scavenger hunt. Perfect for playing with friends or family. Draw a prompt card, and see who’s the fastest at creating an emoji masterpiece or showing off the last photo they took. Only the fastest and funniest will survive. 

14. Popcorn Tin with “Love You Love Me” Heart Candies

Send love and popcorn with a Valentine’s Day-themed tin from The Popcorn Factory. This assortment of classic flavors, butter, cheese, and caramel, is one of their most popular.

15. Crazy Aaron’s Liquid Glass

This reminds us of the silly putty of our childhood….the improbable stretchy “liquid glass” will serve them well now as both a toy and stress reducer.

crazy aaron

16. Flashing Heart Kit

For something COMPLETELY different, your budding electrical engineer can build this blinking heart.

17. Wallet Ninja 18-in-1 Multi-Purpose Credit Card Size Pocket Tool

You never really know when you will need a tool that does everything — 18 functions, including propping up a phone, and it fits inside a wallet.

Ninja wallet

18. Tervis Tumbler

We love Tervis Tumblers and their pervasive collegiate collection. Unbreakable and perfect for dorm room use. If your teen has a favorite college basketball team that might have a spot in March Madness, think about getting a Tervis to show support.

19. Aromatherapy Bracelet

Your daughter might love this pretty bracelet with a small space where she can add a different colored disk and a few drops of essential oils. The adjustable band is leather, and the aromatherapy locket is stainless steel.

20. Hearts LOKAI Bracelet

Designed by street artist James Goldcrown, known for his Lovewall murals across the world, this Hearts Lokai bracelet features the universal symbol of love. For every one of these bracelets sold, Lokai will donate $1 to research at the Alzheimer’s Association.®

21. Taco, Cat, Goat Cheese, Pizza

We couldn’t resist adding this game to our Valentine’s Day gifts list as it has b become incredibly popular with our Grown and Flown community. Send your teen this fun and fast-learning card game to play with friends in the dorm.

taco goat cheese pizza

22. e.l.f Contour Palette

We love this four-shade palette.

23. Heart Pjs

These cute pjs would be great for lounging all winter long.

24. Money in a Heart Box

College students can always use a little extra $$$. Think about packing a few bills into an empty candy box. Bad news, no chocolates. Good news, $$$.

heart with money

More Great Gift Lists

Favorite Valentine’s Day Gifts for Teens and College Students

Valentines Gift Ideas for Him: 28 Gifts for Teen Boys and Men

About Mary Dell Harrington

Mary Dell is the co-founder of Grown and Flown, the #1 site for parents of teens, college students and young adults, reaching millions of parents every month. She started the Grown and Flown Parents Facebook Group and is co-author of Grown and Flown: How to Support Your Teen, Stay Close as a Family, and Raise Independent Adults (Flatiron Books) now in paperback.

Read more posts by Mary Dell

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