A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World
Updated on Oct. 17, 2024
Whether you're shopping for a teen, a tween or a little guy, we're about to make your life a whole lot easier with these awesome gifts for boys.
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Not sure what to get the little (or not-so-little) guy in your life? You’re in the right place. This guide to the best gifts for boys of all ages and types will rival even Santa’s workshop. Whether you’re searching for this year’s hottest Christmas toys or just the right thing for a birthday or other occasion, we’ve found them all. These thoughtful presents will surely bring a smile to his face.
For toddlers and preschoolers, we’ve got this year’s coolest trucks, dinosaurs and more. And if you’re looking for gifts for tween boys or teens who are incredibly picky, you can’t go wrong with our selection of sports and STEM toys. We also found an impressive selection of winning art supplies, tech items and gear to honor their adventurous side. The only problem you’ll have when shopping for these gifts for kids is choosing just one.
This heavy-duty smartwatch, designed for kids ages 5 through 12, is one of the best smartwatches out there. It’s waterproof, drop proof and shockproof, meaning you don’t have to worry about it slipping out of little hands. Global Positioning System (GPS) location tracking allows you to know where he is at all times, and with a 62-hour average battery life, you don’t have to worry about his watch dying while he’s out with his buddies or at an after-school activity. Better yet, this smartwatch doesn’t have games, virtual pets or internet access, so he won’t find himself distracted in class.
“My daughter has had a TickTalk watch for years now, and I love that my husband and I have complete control over who she talks to,” says our writer, Marisa Hillman. “This watch allows FaceTalk video calling through the parental control app, voice calling with parent-approved contacts and secure messages with account admins, aka you, through the TickTalk app.”
This lightweight soccer goal is set up in minutes so your soccer star can practice anywhere. It’s made of fiberglass and metal that’ll withstand goal after goal. When he’s finished playing, simply break it down and store it away in the included carry bag. Add a shiny new soccer ball to complete this gift.
Buying gifts for boys doesn’t have to be difficult. The newly released Meta Quest 3S is shaping up to be one of the best tech gifts of the year. It includes a virtual reality (VR) headset, controllers and Batman: Arkham Shadow. Moreover, it includes a three-month trial of Meta Quest+. Immersive, exciting gaming and thousands of unreal experiences with mixed reality make it one of the most popular gifts for boys this year.
His imagination will run wild as he uses this 4D Build model kit to build Seasmoke, Vhager and Meleys from HBO’s House of the Dragon. Each dragon is crafted with sturdy punch-out cardboard pieces that fit together without glue, tape or tools. These impressive puzzles will be the coolest things in his room.
Hilarity will ensue at the next family game night, thanks to this fast-paced board game. Players have to use their flying squirrels to release the nuts and grab all the peanuts and acorns they can. The nuttiest squirrel at the end of the game is the winner!
Follow Hiccup and his dragon, Toothless, through a series of adventures in this 12-book series. The books, which feature several illustrations, are engaging and hilarious for kids and parents alike. With characters like Big Boobied Bertha, Fishlegs and Dogsbreath the Duhbrain, how could they not be?
“My 10-year-old daughter couldn’t get enough of these books, so they’re also an excellent gift for girls,” says Hillman.
He’ll spend all day ridding the world of evil villains with this Gotham City Guardian playset. It stands at an impressive 30 inches tall and is actually four fun toys in one. It transforms into the iconic Batwing, BatTank and Batcycle. The set also features over 40 sounds and light-emitting diode (LED) lights that make for thrilling and imaginative screen-free play.
Baby will adore this sweet plush playset. It has a squeaky squirrel and fox, a crinkling snail and an acorn rattle to stimulate his senses. And when playtime is over, all four toys fit inside the adorable mushroom house for easy storage.
If he’s dino-mite (he totally is, isn’t he?), he’ll get the biggest kick out of playing with this Jurassic World building set. This science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) set comes with 70 magnetic pieces and accessories that he’ll use to create his very own dinosaur escape. It even comes with action tiles to create a working elevator.
When it comes to gifts for boys, he’s never too old for Pokémon. This mechanized building set, which is designed for Pokémon fans ages 12 and up, contains a whopping 1,366 pieces. Once he’s finished building and posing Eevee to his liking, he’ll delight in turning the hand-activated crank to make Eevee run.
Hours of safe, outdoor fun for boys ages 8 and up is what this heavy-duty styrofoam plane promises—and delivers. He can watch it soar through the air in straight mode or move the rear wing to the boomerang setting for a “loop-de-loop” flight. At just $20, this is an affordable gift for boys.
He’ll spend hours constructing and reconstructing this set of tubes and connectors, which will allow him to experiment with air flow. This STEM gift uses a kid-safe fan that sends foam balls flying through a network of modular tubes. It features a rechargeable battery that lasts up to an hour at full speed and up to three hours at half speed. This fun and educational toddler gift has a simple on/off button and a large dial with LED indicators so he can easily adjust the airflow as he sees fit.
He’ll be the coolest baby on the block once he masters this Fisher-Price DJ table. Three piano play modes, multi-color lights and over 100 songs, sounds and learning phrases will keep him busy for quite a while. He’ll especially love hearing your voice mixed into a funny song, thanks to this table’s record and playback feature.
He’ll be the talk of the town when he zips up and down the street on this Little Tikes bright orange bike. This street burner features a large back tire with training wheels for stability and an adjustable seat back that allows him to keep riding as he grows—and boys do a lot of growing.
This kid’s tool bench comes with 75 tools and accessories, so he can work right alongside Dad. It includes a working drill press, miter saw action, bendable work light, hammer, saw, screwdriver and more. It even comes with the blueprints to build his very own tool caddy.
Musicians of all ages will appreciate having this infographic poster hanging on their wall. It features 64 of the most iconic guitars from rock history. Each guitar is labeled with its make and model and the name of its player. This 18-inch by 24-inch poster will arrive rolled up in a poster mailer tube, but ordering a frame ahead of time will make this gift a cinch to wrap.
Treat a young cyclist to a flashy new trail-ready bike, and he’ll love you forever. This one from Woom has 24-inch wheels and is ideal for ages 7 to 11. What makes this one of the most exciting gifts for boys is that the grip shifter and gears make it easy to conquer even the biggest hills. Regardless of the trail, this bike promises a safe ride.
He’ll feel like a superhero with this authentic replica of the Monster Jam Spiderman truck. This giant, all-terrain vehicle has performance tires to take it through grass, dirt and rocks—or just the living room carpet. This highly engaging toy is a surefire way to keep him off the couch and outside for hours on end.
If he’s a fan of Harry Potter and Lego builds, he’ll be thrilled when he opens this 1,229-piece Lego set depicting the arrival of competitors at the Triwizard Tournament. He’ll build the Durmstrang Ship and Beauxbatons Carriage to carry the included five minifigures to Hogwarts.
He’ll have a blast racing his favorite toy cars around this light-up Supercharge Speedway. Inspired by the over/under track seen at the World Finals, this playset comes with a booster that launches vehicles through the figure eight loop track. He’ll be delighted every time his cars make a super jump and through the crushed cars to the victory podium.
Whether a toddler or a teen, he’s never too old to snuggle. This plush robe features a large hood, on-seam pockets to hold all his stuff and an attached belt to keep it closed. Add his name or initials for a personalized touch. There are also men’s and women’s robes in this collection, and since it’s so cozy, you should probably just go ahead and order one for every member of your family.
This cult-favorite gaming controller turns his smartphone into his favorite gaming device. The second generation controller is the newest version and is compatible with all smartphones via universal serial bus (USB)-C and lightning port versions. He’ll play his favorite games by connecting this controller to his console or PC with Remote Play. Or he can stream thousands of games from the cloud with services like Xbox Game Pass and GeForce Now.
He can hang with a good book, his Nintendo or just take a snooze in this cool pod swing. Made of durable cotton canvas with an inflatable cushion, this hammock swing has built-in side pockets to hold small treasures and comes with everything he needs to hang it inside or out.
Whether he’s in the mood to nap with his favorite stuffy or build an epic fort, Nugget lets him do it all. Designed with four foam pieces (base, cushion and two triangle pillows) and covered in a washable fabric cover, this comfy play couch is infinitely configurable. Order the matching ottoman for even more fun!
Get tweens excited about science with this subscription-based kit. The Science Expedition introductory box includes a tote, science lab notebook, forensic science experiment kit, fingerprint analysis cards and an ink pad. Expect loads of fun games and activities with this subscription service.
Laid-back tweens and teens will rock this hooded sweatshirt all day, every day. This beloved hoodie comes in five colors and is offered in youth and adult sizes. Pair it with a pair of OG fleece joggers to complete their just-rolled-out-of-bed-chic look.
These real binoculars have a 2.4-inch video screen for easy viewing of plants and animals. They’re equipped with night vision, so he can keep an eye out for nocturnal creatures. When he comes across something extra cool, he can capture and save a picture. There’s also a handy field guide and fun game to keep him busy when he’s not searching for backyard critters.
This mostly depends on the kind of person you’re gifting to. Boys who are into sports may like receiving sporting equipment (footballs for NFL fans, basketballs for NBA fans, etc.), but they also might like sports-related things, like a jersey from their favorite player. If they’re big on superheroes and cartoons, those properties usually have toys available to buy (an action figure for a Batman fan, for instance). And video games are a multi-billion dollar industry, largely because they’re so popular among young men (although girls are increasingly into gaming, too). If you’re ever unsure, you can always ask (and that might be the safest bet).
Even if you’re shopping for a kid who seems to have everything, they definitely don’t. Children’s toys, clothing, etcetera, are all seasonal. What’s in style and popular right now isn’t going to stay that way for very long, and some kids love getting in on the latest and greatest trends.
