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Tween boys are curious and complex, with interests that run deep, whether it’s for a particular manga series, Lego, music, or basketball. They can take on complex engineering and building kits, navigate technology, and increasingly express themselves through their music, how they display their most prized possessions in their room, and through their play.
Many of the tweens we talked to recommended toys and games — card, video, and tabletop games — that allow them to play with or against friends. This includes Nerf and Beyblade battles, or playing MarioKart and flying drones together. Below are more than 60 gifts that a dozen tween boys told us they’d love to receive. And if you’ve got kids of different ages to shop for, don’t miss our other gift guides, including for tween girls, teen girls, and teen boys, or the meticulously curated Strategist Toy Store, filled with all our greatest hits.
Update on November 22, 2024: This guide has all new picks.
Arts, crafts, and building kits
Enzo, a 10-year-old in Brooklyn, recommends this set of acrylic paints along with some “new brushes because ours are old and crusty!” The colors are rich, and can be mixed to bold effect. “This paint is good for canvases and we used it for our pumpkins this year too! I’d love a new set because I love painting.”
“Paper and pencils are always good — simple and easy to work with,” says Duncan, 9, from Seattle. He recommended this colored pencil roll set that also comes with a handy pencil sharpener, because it can easily be tucked into a backpack or tote bag.
This 35mm toy camera is famous for its slight imperfections, light leaks, and the way it vignettes photos, giving each frame a unique and analog feel. Duncan likes it because “it looks like it’s smiling. It’s really easy for kids to use.”
Crunch Labs’ subscription boxes (which require a minimum subscription of 3 months), each contain the supplies and instructions for a tween to build a new toy. “I love it because the games are really fun. You can build a disc launcher, a rocket shooter, a paper airplane launcher, and a bunch of other really fun games,” says Dhillon, 10, in Los Angeles. “There’s also small chance of winning a platinum ticket that might allow you to go to the Crunch Labs headquarters!”
KiwiCo offers both subscription and à la carte building kits for budding engineers and tinkerers, with surprisingly sophisticated options for the tween set. My own tween and her little brother loved the Chain Reaction Set, a Rube Golberg-like sequence machine that transports a ball along a variety of tracks, levers and poles. The KiwiCo Labs club, designed specifically for ages 9 to 11, also sends monthly kits with all the materials and instructions needed for a build, to be used with a complimentary app that includes additional videos and community features.
For a splurge-y option, this mini 3D printer is a great entry point to this technology. “It’s super small, it’s really easy to set up, and it’s got a super easy-to-use interface,” says Desmond, 12, from Dobbs Ferry, NY. “You can download files and import them. I’ve made a custom key chain, a little dog tag for my dog, an Air Jordan 1 key chain, a mini glider, and a wall hook.” Bambu Lab also has ample instruction videos and how-tos on their website to guide both new and more experienced users.
Toys and games
The vast world of Nerf blasters can be a fun way to expend energy in the playroom, backyard, or at the park. “It’s fun to do battles with friends and they look really cool!,” says Cem, 10, from St. Paul, Minnesota. Nerf blasters come in many styles that hold varying numbers of darts. This particular model has a six-dart drum, and comes with 12 foam darts in the set.
Ambitious tweens with advanced Lego skills are often ready for the sets that are marketed as “18+.” The Lego Icons line offers multiple, highly detailed miniature replicas of cars, including the Porsch 911, the DeLorean from Back to the Future, and this Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole, recommended by Sasha, 11, in San Francisco. “After you build them you can also play with them afterwards. This one is cool because the doors open up, like a real model.”
This set adds a new layer of gaming and interactivity to LEGO play. After constructing the set and inserting some batteries into Mario, kids can take the character through the set, prompting a wide range of reactions like those you would get in the video game. “It’s fun because it’s interactive. I like putting them on the fire and hearing them go ‘Yeeowch!’” says Zeke, 9, from Brooklyn, who also notes: “Some of these Super Mario sets don’t come with paper instructions so you have to download the Lego app.” In addition to instructions, the app offers more ideas for play.
For this balancing card game, anywhere from two to eight players try and stack cards atop a bottle until they all come toppling down. “It’s fun for the whole family, easy to play, and the rounds are quick so no one gets bored,” says Sam, 11, from New Orleans. “For a fun time, we like to balance the cards on top of my parents’ empty wine bottle.”
This tabletop game is like a magnetic version of foosball. Each player tries to strike a ball into their opponent’s goal, which can be quite a challenge. Players can block each other with obstacles and must try to control the ball against the unpredictable forces of the magnets. “It gets really kind of fun and competitive,” says Enzo. There’s also a four-player board available.
“This is a very distracting, very good way to spend some time,” says Asa, 10, from Brooklyn. “The goal is to swing the ring attached to the string and get it on the hook. There’s a board that comes with it to keep score. Every time you score a hoop, you move the piece towards the winner. We always have it at the table for breakfast or dinner, and it’s a nice way to spend time with your family.”
“Me and my mom take this RC car to a local park and drive it around there where there’s a lot of dirt,” says Sasha. “We have a lot of RC cars but this is my favorite. It comes with two different shells. It doesn’t just go fast, it’s good for off-roading. It’s also pretty durable and pretty easy to steer.” It also runs on rechargeable batteries, which are included.
Beyblades are a series of spin-top toys with unique designs and movement patterns that kids can pit against one another. “This is the newest one, Beyblade X,” says Zeke. “You need a launcher to use it. There’s a ripcord and you pull it really hard and it starts spinning. And two people fight. It’s nice because you can play with your friend.”
Bakugan are collectibles, shape-shifting toys, and a game all in one, so tweens can play with them in multiple ways. This set comes with six Bakugan figures, each of which is morphable on its own, as well as in combination with others. “They’re a ball and then they pop open, and it’s such a surprise,” says Zeke. “The figures come in all different sizes. There are mystery packs and sometimes you can make a giant robot with all the ones you have. They all transform into different geometrical shapes, mostly spheres. They come with cards, and there’s a spot where you place it and it opens up.”
Sports and outdoors
If you have the outdoor space for it, Sam recommends this trampoline, which comes with a basketball hoop attached. “Some people say trampolines are dangerous, but both my friend’s parents are doctors and they have one at their house.”
Basketball aficionados will enjoy this mini hoop that can be affixed to any door in your house. “You can pretend you’re really good because it’s not really high up. My friends and I all have one so when we go to each other’s houses we play each other and dunk on it,” says Sasha. This set comes with inflatable rubber basketballs, and depending on how close your quarters are, you can supplement them with foam basketballs.
“All my friends love playing football, so I recommend a youth-size leather Wilson football,” says Sasha. “They have a lot of sizes, so you don’t have to get the NFL size. There’s a little 49ers one but they make other team ones too, depending on which team you like.”
Asa recommended this upright sled that has the feel and silhouette of a non-motorized skimobile. “You sit on it, and there’s a steering wheel, so it’s a sled but you don’t need to hang onto the sides.” The seat can be adjusted for more stability and speed, depending on the size of the child and their comfort navigating the sled.
“A lot of kids my age like to carve and build stuff,” says Henry, who recommends getting a multitool and a carving knife, or a multitool with a built-in carving knife. “But safety rules are important. I never carve unless people are more than 3 feet away, and I never leave my knife unsheathed.”
Tech, electronics, and gaming
“For kids who aren’t in the city, a drone is a good gift. I like this foldable drone that I can unpack,” says Desmond. “It’s super duper fun to play around with it and do tricks with it. I can go out with my friends to fly it.” The drone comes with a mounted camera, rechargeable batteries, and can be flown with either a remote control or the accompanying app.
“You can use the GoPro for doing everything because it can go underwater,” says Sasha. “I taped it to the RC car once and did jumps with it. There’s a plastic case that can protect it from getting banged up, and there are a lot of attachments, like for your helmet. I like to scooter a lot, and me and my friends go to the skatepark with our scooters and put on our GoPros. It’s like a video game but you’re the person.”
Dhillon suggested a Yoto Player, which also comes in a portable mini size (and which is also featured in our guide to the expensive toys that are actually worth it). “During daytime it plays energetic music, at night time there’s relaxing music,” he says. “They release a great daily podcast with games and fun facts, and you can purchase read-aloud stories.” They have a broad collection of purchaseable music and audiobooks, which come on credit-card-sized Yoto Cards that you insert into a slot on the side of the player (you can also stream your purchases via Yoto’s app). Or you can buy blanks to make your own cards from audio files you create or own. “This is something I would recommend for people who like to fall asleep to a story,” Dhillon says.
This music player gives kids another portable way to listen to music, without parents needing to worry about managing Spotify or Apple music accounts. “It’s a no-screen mp3 player, so it’s kind of low-tech. My mom put a lot of songs on it; one of them that I like is Frank Black’s “I Heard Ramona Sing.” There’s a lot of Depeche Mode and Faith No More on there too,” says Asa.
Sasha recommends upgrading to a pair of wireless headphones. “I have a pair of these and they’re nice and sound good. My old headphones had cords and sometimes they would get tangled up. You can control the volume directly on them and pause it.” The headphones come in four colors — white, matte black, slate blue, and cloud pink — and include a carrying case.
For listening to music at home, this record player pulls double duty as room décor. “I’d love a record player along with some records because kids my age like to listen to music in their rooms,” says Henry. “I’d also like some records: the Green Day ones or The Proclaimers.” This model has built-in speakers and Bluetooth connectivity so you can use it with other devices.
Kids exploring music-making will enjoy this introductory synthesizer, which allows them to create beats, modulate and arpeggiate sounds, and choose from hundreds of different sounds — just note that it does need to be plugged into a computer or into other music equipment, including speakers, to produce those sounds. You can unlock a sample library and editing tool online for free, and my own resident tween, who’s currently 9, says, “you can make sounds and songs like Jamie XX,” the electronic musician and DJ.
Joshua says the Nintendo Switch is “the coolest gift I could imagine getting,” and most of the boys I spoke to agreed: They either wanted it or already had one. Rajan, a 10-year-old, says he likes that it’s portable and that you can get the same games as you would on an Xbox, if not more. If your tween already has a Switch, the boys recommend gifting more games or controllers.
“The new Zelda game is exciting and really fun. You get to play as Zelda, a brave princess, instead of playing as Link, a boy character. She can even make monsters,” says Cal, who plays it on his Nintendo Switch.
“I want one of those handheld gaming devices that looks like an old Gameboy,” says Desmond. It comes preloaded with tons of classic games from Gameboy, PS1, and other old consoles, with the ability to download more. It’s available in several color options, and has a battery that lasts for four hours. “They’re really good for travel,” says Desmond.
The FlashPad 2.0 “has lots of games in one thing,” says Duncan, who received one as a hand-me-down from an older brother. This vintage electronic game board has lots of light- and touch-based games that test memory, hand-eye coordination, pattern recognition, and coordination. There are many available from online resellers.
Books and magazines
“This is fun because it is very funny and science-y,” says Cem. “It has questions like, ‘What if Jupiter was shrunk down to the size of a house and placed in your neighborhood?’” As the title promises, What If? — which is based on author Randall Munroe’s popular webcomic xkcd — poses complex hypothetical (and often preposterous) questions, then answers them through science and reasoning. “The book always explains it in a funny, but understandable way,” says Cem.
The first installment of a beautifully drawn three-part fantasy graphic novel series, The Girl & the Galdurian is “a good adventure book for D&D fans,” says Enzo. It would also appeal to anyone who enjoys intricate world-building and epic quests.
“It’d be great to get the newest D&D Monster Manual, which has new monsters in it. The Dungeon Master in D&D needs it to know all the monsters’ stats so he can control gameplay,” says Enzo. “I like playing because it’s fun and brings people together. It’s really family-friendly.”
“One Piece, the manga series, is great because there are so many good characters, a really good story, and awesome fights,” says Cal. “Reading One Piece is even better than watching the show.” Eiichiro Oda’s series started in 1997 and now spans over 100 volumes.
Henry recommends Brian Jacques’ epic Redwall series “because it’s got really cool animal characters and it’s also funny, but sometimes serious too.” Centering on the animals of Redwall Abbey, the critters must embark on adventure, go to battle, and do all that they can to fight evil. The series has a whopping 22 titles, but we recommend starting with the first six.
Nine-year-old Jonah, an avid soccer player and Brooklynite, suggests gifting this middle grade series about Leo, an aspiring soccer star from a small town, who gets scouted to try out for a Premier League team in London. The four-book series features plenty of tense competition, bullies, and navigating the complicated path of following your ambitions.
This book is really awesome “because it shows us the experiences of a kid going to France, traveling by himself for the first time, and what Generation X was like,” says Dhillon. “There are a lot of facts about the trip and interesting pictures at the end. The book reflects how kids might feel about life. Like, Dan was a shy kid, and if you’re a kid who is a little shy, this book will show you that you’re not alone.”
“This book is very surprising, with great characters and a great background story,” says Duncan. Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris’ 2023 Newberry Medal-winning middle-grade book is told from the perspective of Johannes, a free dog who lives in a city park near the sea, and is about how you see the world around you.
Duncan also recommends a subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine, which has 10 issues a year. “It’s full of lots of great facts.” His mom adds, “Duncan is really interested in science and tells us unbelievable facts about the natural world, space, animals and more — all from the magazine.”
The Week Junior comes out every week, true to its name, with an age-appropriate breakdown of current events, stories from kids around the world, and activities and games. “I eagerly check the mail for it every Friday or Saturday. I like that it has stories about the news, and how to get involved in your community, but also fun things like recipes and puzzles,” says my own tween.
Room décor
“After a looong day at school, we want to rest our heads with a comfy pillow,” says Cem, on the large cushion he’d love for his room. “Ikea’s cushions like these are great.”
If their room has enough space, this lounger or a bean bag chair were recommended by multiple tweens. “It’s great for playing video games or watching TV and sitting around during family time in my room or the playroom. All my friends love it,” says Sam. “I think a lot of kids want bean bags for their room, so they can sit, relax, and chill out after school,” adds Desmond.
“Lights for your room that touch activate are cool,” says Cem. He recommends these strip lights with adhesive that can be used to decorate a room. “Mine has a remote and reacts to music.”
“I’d like some wall decals like these basketball ones that can be removed,” says Theo.
Grooming
“I just started skin care and this moisturizer feels really good on my face,” says Sam.
Sam also recommends this pomade to add some texture and hold to your hair. “It’s a hard-hold gel, but it’s really soft and it smells good.”
These electronic toothbrushes are house favorites because of their sleek profile and are now out in two glow-in-the-dark colorways, a luminescent neon green and neon pink. “I think it’s fun that you can brush your teeth in the dark,” says my tween, who can always use any teeth-brushing encouragement possible. “These would make a great stocking stuffer.”
For longer hair that gets tangled, Sam says, “You can use this for wet or dry hair and it really brushes the knots out without hurting. Best brush ever.”
Clothing, shoes, and accessories
Sam recommends Crocs because “they are easy and comfortable slip-on shoes that you can wear anywhere — at summer camp, after soccer practice, on the beach.” Desmond also recommends Crocs Slides, adding that if they already have a pair, “a great stocking stuffer is Jibbitz. I get my initials or the sports I do. I have a pair of headphones and a Coca Cola one too.”
Classic Sambas are a popular choice for all ages. “They’re just cool. I like them in black or white,” says Duncan.
Sam recommends the Nike Air Max 270s for daily wear. “They’re great all-around shoes. They’re very comfortable, and easy to slip on and go.”
Sasha recommends a replica of one of soccer superstar Lionel Messi’s jerseys, especially one from Inter Miami FC. “Messi’s pretty famous. Everyone was excited when he came to the US to play. A lot more people have his pink jersey because it’s his team’s home jersey.”
“I like to wear metallic pants because lots of other pants are boring and shiny ones are cooler and more dressed up,” says Jonah.
“This is a great school backpack with two cup holders, two big pockets in the front and lots of pockets on the inside, and it comes with a whistle,” says Sam.
“I see a lot of kids going around with crossbody bags. I walk around and keep all my stuff in it — gum, cash, keys. Mine is from Zara and I was using it just today when I was out on a walk,” says Desmond. This style of bag is also a great alternative to a more lose-able wallet, and can be accessorized with bag charms or key chains.
“A watch is a great gift. I got a watch, and I was like, this is amazing, now I know what time it is. Swatch is really good,” says Desmond. The legacy brand has a wide variety of designs so a kid can pick their favorite theme or color, with options like The Simpsons line, or the bold neon collection.
If you have travel coming up, this neck pillow is “like a hug around your head,” says Asa. “It goes around your face and has a strap going around your eyes, with a giant pillow going around your head.” It comes in 10 colors with a soft, machine-washable cover made of bamboo.
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