The best unique gifts, ranked
24 picks · one clear winner · updated September 2026
The best unique gift is the Powerup 4.0 Paper Airplane Kit ($50–75): turns a folded sheet of paper into a phone-controlled plane with loops and rolls, so anyone who likes tinkering gets a fresh toy every time. If that is not right, the Image3d Custom Viewfinder Reel Plus RetroViewer ($30–50) is next. Under $25, get the Elmer's Fluffy Slime Kit ($10–20).
- Picks
- 24
- Price range
- Under $10 to $100–150
- Under $25
- 8
- Under $50
- 18
No. 1Powerup 4.0 Paper Airplane Kit
Turns a folded sheet of paper into a phone-controlled plane with loops and rolls, so anyone who likes tinkering gets a fresh toy every time. It is the gift for a kid or adult who would rather build than fly a store-bought drone.
Not for someone who expects a ready-to-fly plane out of the box.
Also in Good Housekeeping, Today and 9 other gift guides
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Unique gifts under $25
The cheapest gifts on this page that still made the cut.
No. 3
No. 7
No. 10
No. 11
No. 12
No. 13Unique gifts under $50
The strongest picks at fifty dollars or less.
No. 2
No. 5
No. 6
No. 8
No. 9
No. 14The full ranking
No. 1Powerup 4.0 Paper Airplane Kit
Turns a folded sheet of paper into a phone-controlled plane with loops and rolls, so anyone who likes tinkering gets a fresh toy every time. It is the gift for a kid or adult who would rather build than fly a store-bought drone.
Not for someone who expects a ready-to-fly plane out of the box.
No. 2Image3d Custom Viewfinder Reel Plus RetroViewer
A retro viewfinder that you can fill with custom photos, so they can relive favorite memories in a vintage way. It is a thoughtful gift for anyone who loves nostalgia or wants a unique way to display pictures.
Skip it if they prefer digital photo frames or have no interest in old-school toys.
No. 3Elmer's Fluffy Slime Kit
A kit with everything needed to make fluffy slime, so they can mix and squish to their heart's content. The glue is washable and nontoxic, which makes cleanup easier for you.
Skip it if you're not ready for the mess that slime inevitably brings.
No. 4American Mahjong Game Set
A full American mahjong set with 166 scratch-resistant tiles and all the accessories in a carry bag. It turns a quiet evening into a weekly game night for two or a whole group.
Skip it if they prefer fast-paced games or have no table space for tile games.
No. 5My Arcade Retro Machine Playable Mini Arcade: 200 Retro Style
A tiny arcade cabinet that plays 200 built-in games, so they can relive the old days without needing a quarter. It runs on batteries and fits on a desk, making it a fun distraction for any person who grew up in the arcade era.
Skip it if they have no nostalgia for retro games or prefer modern consoles.
No. 6Fat Brain Toys Wooden Personalized Name Puzzles for Toddlers 1-3+
A wooden puzzle cut into the letters of a child's own name, made to order, for a toddler learning to spell it. Order early; cutting takes days.
Skip it if the name is very long; the pieces get small.
No. 7Flashdash Flashing Cube Electronic Memory and Brain Game
A handheld game that lights up and makes them chase, dodge, and repeat patterns, so it works their memory and reflexes without feeling like homework. Small enough to toss in a backpack, it gives them something to do in the car or on a rainy afternoon.
Skip it if they get frustrated easily by fast-paced games or prefer building over reacting.
No. 8Playz Edible Candy Making Kit for Kids Age 8-12 Years
A kit that makes gummies and lollipops from powders and molds, for an eight-to-twelve-year-old who wants to make something they can eat. An adult should help with the hot step.
Not for a child with a sugar restriction.
No. 9Offito 6 Pack Paint by Numbers Kit for Adults
Six paint-by-numbers cityscapes with the paints and brushes included, for someone who wants an evening that is not a screen. Each canvas takes a few sittings.
Skip it if they would rather draw freehand.
No. 10FashionPuzzle Chevron Quilted Medium Crossbody Bag with Tassel Accent
A quilted crossbody bag that holds a phone and small stuff, with a tassel that adds a bit of style. It is lightweight and just right for a first grown-up bag, not too fancy for every day.
Skip it if they already own several bags or prefer backpacks.
No. 11Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Card Game by Taco Cat
A fast card game where everyone slaps the pile when the word matches the card, learned in a minute and loud. It plays in ten.
Skip it if the house needs quiet.
No. 12Spin Master Games
Upwords is a word game whose tiles stack: playing a letter on top of one already down changes the word and scores again. The board sits on a turntable that each player spins toward themselves, which is what separates it from the usual crossword-style word game.
Skip it if the household already plays a tile word game most weeks, one extra rule is not enough to earn a second box.
No. 13Scholastic "The Captain Underpants Color Collection" by Dav Pilkey
The first three Captain Underpants books in one box, printed in full color, with Flip-O-Rama pages and mini comics inside. It is an odd thing to hand over and that is the point: 496 pages of toilet jokes that a reluctant reader will actually finish.
Skip it if they already own the individual paperbacks, this is the same three stories in color.
No. 14TaddToy 16 Bit Handheld Game for Kids Adults
Handheld game console with a three-inch LCD, button controls and three cartridges alongside the 230 games already built in. It runs about five hours on a charge with nothing to download, which is what makes it a decent oddity for a long car ride.
Skip it if they mostly play on a phone, a second screen with older games has to earn its place in the bag.
No. 15Mudpuppy 500-Piece Songbird Puzzle
A 500-piece jigsaw of songbirds, cardinals and bluebirds among them, printed with a no-glare finish. The subject is specific enough to feel chosen rather than grabbed, which is the whole job of an unusual gift.
Skip it if the table it would live on gets cleared for dinner every night, 500 pieces need somewhere they can stay put.
No. 16Preston Lane Chester Wooden Game Box
A wooden box holding chess, checkers, dominoes and cards, the set that lives on a coffee table for years. It is heavy and handsome.
Skip it if they have no table to leave it on.
No. 17Kids Against Maturity Party Game
A family-friendly party card game in the style of the rude one, for a table with kids and grandparents. It plays in half an hour.
Skip it if the family does not do game nights.
No. 18Mattel Games UNO Triple Play Card Game
UNO with a twist: three discard piles and a light that tells you where to play. It adds chaos to a classic game they might already know.
Skip it if they prefer quiet solo play or get overwhelmed by flashing lights and sounds.
No. 19Osmo Genius Kit
A base and mirror that let an iPad see the table, so drawing, letters and puzzles on paper drive the game on screen. For a child with a tablet in the house.
Skip it if there is no compatible iPad.
No. 20Hand Casting Kit For Couples Or Family
Turns their hand and theirs into a solid, fingerprint-visible keepsake they can mount on the included wood plaque and display on a shelf. It even gives enough material for a practice run, so the first try doesn't have to be the final one.
Skip it if they are not the crafty, hands-on couple who will actually sit stuck together for an hour.
No. 21Knock Knock Original Personal Library Kit
Turns their habit of lending books into a system that gets them back, with checkout cards and a date stamp. For the reader who loves sharing but hates losing favorites.
Skip it if they never lend books or prefer digital reading.
No. 22WS Game Company Scrabble
Three classic board games in one worn-leather-looking case that sits nicely on their shelf between visits. The set opens to real wooden Monopoly tokens and full-size boards, so it is as much a decoration as a game night staple.
Skip it if they already own all three or have nobody to play with regularly.
No. 23Redux Glow-in-the-Dark Capture the Flag Game
An outdoor glow-in-the-dark capture the flag set with 23 light-up pieces, so they and up to 20 friends can sneak-sprint after dark. It works for ages 8 and up, with variations for fewer players, and includes batteries for 12+ hours.
Skip it if they have no outdoors space or a group to play with.
No. 24Gigamic Quoridor Strategy Game
Quoridor, a wooden strategy game about walling off your opponent, learned in two minutes and hard to master. It plays in fifteen.
Skip it if they dislike abstract strategy.
Nothing in that price band here. Try another.
How to choose a gift for someone who likes the unusual
Prices on this page run from under $10 to $100–150; 8 of the 24 picks are under $25 and 1 are over $100. This list leans towards unusual picks and tech. Start from the price band you have in mind, then read the note under each pick: it says who the thing is really for and who should skip it. Where the evidence behind a pick is thin we say so, and at the same price we take the one more guides agree on.
Where this list comes from: we start from the gifts that 103 published gift guides (Good Housekeeping, Today, BestProducts among them) put forward for someone who likes the unusual, check each one against the maker's own details and its current listing, and write our own note on who it suits and who should skip it. Anything with a poor record among buyers is out. Commission never touches the order. Price bands come from the prices the guides recorded, checked against Amazon on September 6, 2026; the retailer page is the truth on the day. The full method.
Quick answers
What is the best unique gift?
The Powerup 4.0 Paper Airplane Kit ($50–75) is the best unique gift in our ranking: turns a folded sheet of paper into a phone-controlled plane with loops and rolls, so anyone who likes tinkering gets a fresh toy every time. Runners-up: Image3d Custom Viewfinder Reel Plus RetroViewer ($30–50), Elmer's Fluffy Slime Kit ($10–20).
What is a good cheap unique gift?
Good inexpensive unique gifts that still made our ranking: Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Card Game (under $10), Elmer's Fluffy Slime Kit ($10–20), Spin Master Games ($20–25). None of them looks cheap.
