Holiday Gift Guide 2025: The best gifts for gifted kids

Holiday shopping for gifted kids isn’t an easy thing. As a father of two teenage boys who are gifted in very different ways, I have first-hand experience with the challenges of finding presents that not only deliver the “wow” factor but also provide them with opportunities to explore their talents in new ways. At this point, I feel like I’ve made every mistake under the sun when it comes to finding the best gifts for gifted kids. Our house is cluttered with board games that are far too complex, “learn-to-code” platforms that are far too simple, gadgets that entertain but don’t educate, and (just as bad) gadgets that educate but don’t entertain.

I’ve had my share of misses (sorry, Lego-compatible coding robot gathering dust in the closet) and near-misses (I’m still holding out hope for that high-end stylus), but I’ve stacked some wins, too. Through my work for ASUS, a wide range of PC hardware products comes through my home. That’s given my kids a front-row seat to cutting-edge PC technology — and that’s given me some perspective on what tech really captures their attention and spurs them to independently pursue their gifts and talents.

With all that in mind, here are my 2025 picks for the best gifts for gifted kids. Whether you’re shopping for a kid with boundless creativity, burgeoning expertise in mathematics and coding, a pioneering spirit for exploring the latest tech innovations, or all of the above, you’ll find a show-stopping present in this guide.

The game console that can be so much more than a game console

If you ask most kids what they want for Christmas, they’ll almost always talk about the latest game console. Considering that gaming is an important way that today’s kids socialize, a console is a very reasonable choice for holiday shopping. But as a father who wants to see his kids turn the corner from being consumers to creators, I’m always a little disappointed by the capabilities of standard game consoles. A handful of video games out there like Super Mario Maker encourage creativity, but they’re the exception, not the rule.

That’s why I’m much more excited about PC gaming handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally. This device offers a complete console experience in the palm of your hands with Xbox-style controls, a powerful mobile processor, a gaming-centric screen, and a beefy battery. But it can be so much more than just a console.

Unlike a Nintendo Switch or PlayStation, the ROG Xbox Ally runs the Windows 11 operating system. That means that it’s only a couple peripherals away from being a complete PC setup, with all the creative possibilities that you only get on the PC platform. Yes, there are certain conveniences that come with devices that are only made for gaming and nothing else. But unlike those consoles, the ROG Xbox Ally gives gifted kids the ability to follow through on creative inspirations that they find through gaming, research their next steps on the open web, and put the resources of the PC space to work as they build worlds of their own. Those capabilities make me far more interested in the ROG Xbox Ally than a standard gaming console.

Build a PC together

This next suggestion is really important to me, so I’ll have to try not to editorialize too much. In today’s tech-driven world, I think it’s vital for kids to learn how to build, upgrade, and repair a PC. For a gifted kid with a passion for tech, your best option this holiday season might be to build a PC together.

It’s the modern-day equivalent of learning how to change the oil in your car, cook a healthy meal, or tie a knot. Adults who can do these things on their own save money, develop self-confidence, and display a problem-solving mindset when faced with new challenges. (Come to think of it, your gifted kid should still learn all these skills, even today.)

As much as I love laptops — and I will be recommending a couple shortly — there are so many more learning opportunities in the world of PC building. People who know how to build PCs can save money and reduce e-waste by upgrading key components rather than buying an all-new system. That same knowledge makes them competent troubleshooters able to resolve issues independently. It also makes them savvy consumers of tech who can equip their workstations with exactly the features that they need.

All this could be possible for your gifted child, but they’ll need a nudge in the right direction. And even if you’re not a seasoned PC building veteran, you should still consider building a PC together. There are plenty of resources out there to get you started, and if this is the right approach for your child, they’ll take the reins sooner than later.

Artistic kids need canvases

I’ve always been amazed at the creative output of my older child. Throughout his childhood, we were constantly restocking our supplies of paper, scratch notebooks, markers, pencils, paints, and crayons. Now that he’s a teenager, he’s just as likely to find a device as a fresh sheet of paper when inspiration strikes. But just like when he was a toddler, we make sure that he has the canvases that he needs to bring his creative visions to life.

That means that we have a stack of literal painting canvases in the art supplies closet, and it also means that we have a growing selection of digital canvases, too. Not all screens are equally equipped for artistic creation, so we try to be thoughtful about the tech that we put in his hands. Standard laptop touchscreens aren’t always designed for precise input with a stylus, so we lean toward laptops like the ProArt PX13. A monitor with professional-grade color accuracy, like the ProArt PA279CRV, makes sure that he has color-accurate experiences as he’s consuming and creating content. If he continues to enjoy digital art, we’ll provide him with access to professional-grade tools like the ProArt Display PA169CDV, a portable monitor with WACOM EMR technology for pen-on-paper-like writing and drawing experiences.

You might be surprised by how much play gifted kids can get out of an affordable Windows 11 laptop

Over the years, I’ve been repeatedly surprised with how often it’s the affordable presents that have made the biggest impact for my kids. A couple years back, it was a wallet-friendly speed cube that most caught my younger son’s attention at Christmas.

Honestly, it’s been the same with the PCs that I provide him access to. I built the kids a powerful desktop PC using hand-me-down parts from my own rig, but he actually spends more time with a fairly standard Windows 11 laptop. That’s because his primary interest right now doesn’t actually require potent PC hardware. He’s fascinated with an extremely flexible online graphics calculator called Desmos. I really have no idea how he’s able to use a calculator to make art and rudimentary games, but I do know it runs entirely in a web browser. A Chromebook or an entry-level Windows 11 laptop is all he needs to keep exploring his ideas in Desmos.

The same is true for gaming, to be honest. There are many days when the kids ignore the high-end PC gaming experiences that I provide through our Steam Family setup to play some browser games instead.

All this means that you should feel good about putting a laptop into your gifted kid’s hands, even if it’s a wallet-friendly option. Gifted kids are extremely talented at making the most out of the technology available to them.

Help your gifted kid get more out of school-supplied devices

These days, it’s very common for schools to issue basic devices to kids for learning and completing homework. Unfortunately, you usually have to put a lot of emphasis on that word “basic.”

Take the tablets that my kids are using this year, for example. To support longer writing projects, the school invested in tablet covers that include an integrated wireless keyboard. But the typing experience on these keyboards is so poor that my kids just use the on-screen writing interface instead. And that drives me crazy, because it’s really important to me that my kids leave school as reasonably fast and accurate typers.

Thankfully, it’s easy to connect peripherals to these tablets via Bluetooth. A slim, compact keyboard like the ROG Falchion RX Low Profile gives the kids an accurate, comfortable typing experience, and the per-key RGB LED illumination makes it fun, too. When they need to sit down and write up a longer project, this keyboard makes sure that they can get their work done without frustration.

Gifted kids get a lot of use out of versatile audio hardware

One thing that I’ve been learning recently is just how attached today’s kids get to their audio hardware. Their earbuds and headsets are an important part of how they keep their minds engaged, tune out overwhelming circumstances, and stay focused as they mentally work their way through a problem.

The problem with headsets is the issue of compatibility. My kids change devices all the time, and a pair of Bluetooth earbuds simply won’t connect to all their options. We’ve been happier with headsets that provide more connectivity options. The ROG Delta II gaming headset, for instance, can connect via Bluetooth, high-performance 2.4GHz, or standard wired 3.5mm connections, allowing it to work with any PC, mobile device, or game console in the house. It’s also fun that it can connect to two separate devices at the same time, with separate volume controls for each. That means that my kids can play a Nintendo game while also listening to music or chatting with friends over Discord, all through one headset.

Today’s gifted kids can do incredible things with AI, but they need the right hardware to go beyond the basics

I’ve been thrilled with some of the ways that I’ve seen my kids taking advantage of AI. If my older son gets a little confused in math class on a new topic, he likes to use ChatGPT to get a second explanation from a different perspective. He’ll use the chatbot to get writing tips on a rough draft, allowing him to turn in first drafts that are more polished, and it’s a great way to do some research, especially in those moments when he doesn’t quite know the right keywords to find what he’s looking for through traditional search.

But honestly that’s just scratching the surface of what’s possible with AI. Talking with a chatbot is cool and all, but I’m much more excited to see what the kids might do with a PC setup that leverages local AI power of AI to do even more incredible things. For just one example, the barrier of entry to coding has never been lower. With an LLM providing support, there are no limits to what gifted kids can accomplish, even before they earn an advanced computer science degree.

The only barrier to accessing this technology is a powerful graphics card, and honestly that’s not much of a barrier in 2025. Just keep an eye out for VRAM. More than other PC use cases, AI can leverage as much VRAM as you make available to it. For a good balance of VRAM capacity and price, we recommend a 16GB card. The ASUS ProArt GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combines potent AI performance with a slim 2.5-slot design, allowing it to deliver GeForce RTX 50 Series performance to both full-scale towers and space-saving SFF builds. A USB Type-C® port enhances versatility for content creation workflows, while a wood-patterned laminate trim and low-key Aura-lit logo help deliver a refined aesthetic.

A little present for you: easy parental controls for all your kids’ devices

To wrap up this list, I’ll highlight a present that I’ve found to be an absolute godsend as a parent of gifted kids. A new WiFi 7 router has made it so much easier to manage screen time on my kids’ devices.

Set aside for the moment all the advantages that you’ll get with the next-gen wireless standard. The latest ASUS WIFi 7 routers give you access to a feature called Kid’s Network. Simply put, this tool lets you establish a second WiFi network (more technically, an SSID) just for the kids that lets you manage their screen time and block inappropriate content.

The transformational part of Kid’s Network is that these settings apply to any device that you connect to this WiFi network, even devices that don’t come with built-in parental controls. Internet access for all your gifted kid’s phones, tablets, laptops, and consoles shuts off on the schedule that you set through Kids’ Network. You can make screen time adjustments for all their devices all at once. You’ll get per-device control, too. If you need to adjust the settings of a specific device, it’s easy through the ASUS Router App, and you can reward good behavior with extra screen time without resetting the entire schedule.

You’ll find this feature available with any ASUS WiFi 7 router. One option that’s easy to recommend for households filled with tech enthusiasts is the ROG Rapture GS-BE18000. Your gifted kid will love the gaming-first features like the ROG-exclusive Gaming Network, which prioritizes the traffic of any device connected to a pre-configured SSID. You’ll love the peace of mind provided by its triple-level network security. And you’ll all enjoy how the router’s plentiful 18,000Mbps of bandwidth and congestion-busting tech mean that you won’t be stepping on each other’s toes as you go about your online lives.

One more suggestion, and this one’s tailored for a very specific kind of gifted kid. We just launched our first AI gaming router, the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI. With a built-in AI board and native Docker® support, the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI lets users run Home Assistant, Frigate, and other platforms directly on the router for seamless control of IoT devices across different brands. That means that your gifted kid will have the opportunity to play with incredible AI automations that break out of the digital domain to augment everyday experiences in your home. For a kid who’s fascinated by the intersection of software, hardware, and the physical world around them, the ROG Rapture GT-BE19000AI will open an endless playground of possibilities.