What to Gift a Boy for His Birthday? Age-Appropriate Gift Ideas

My friends often ask me, “What should I get as a gift for a boy?” or “What do your son and nephews enjoy playing with?”   Giving money as a gift has become increasingly common, and invitations often specify what it will be used for. However, for children of a certain age, a tangible gift still holds more value than cash. Looking back at the presents my own child has received, I’ve noticed that many are used only once before being forgotten. That’s why I’ve put together a list of toys and games that have truly been enjoyed and frequently played with in our family.

The links in this post will take you to the products so you can get a better idea of what they are. However, in some cases, an item may be out of stock in certain stores, so you might need to search for alternatives online. While these recommendations are specifically for boys, most of them are actually great for any child. You can also check out our gift ideas for girls!

My own experience has shown that both boys and girls often enjoy cooking and baking more than almost any other activity at home. When a gift is both something fun to make and a treat to enjoy afterwards, it tends to be a real hit with children.

That is one of the reasons why a friend and I started creating Lastella DIY kits – designed by two mums for other families, with the simple idea of giving children something they can genuinely enjoy making themselves.

I can also recommend Lastella kits from my own experience, as they are used regularly in our home, especially when my son has friends over.

• The colour-changing lemonade kit combines a little science, a hands-on activity and, of course, lemonade. Whenever my son’s classmates come over, they still ask, “Can we make the lemonade again today?”

• The milkshake-making kit comes with three different flavours. It is perfect for a movie night or when a friend comes over, and the milkshake is ready in just a minute. All you need at home is milk, ice and a blender.

•  Foam Glider – Who can launch it the farthest?
•  Talking Hamster – A funny and interactive playmate
•   Sea Squad Spinning Dive – Swimming at the beach or pool just got twice as fun
• Wooden Train Set – Simple track-building with exciting playtime after construction
• Stacking Planks – It’s amazing what kids can create with such a simple toy!
• Interactive Animal Sound Book – Many options exist, but we love one that’s engaging for both kids and adults
• Penguin/Polar Bear/Dinosaur Ice Breaker Game – nocking, breaking, rebuilding, and excitement—perfect for this age!

Gifts for 6–9-Year-Old Boys

New experiences and the urge to test themselves define this age group. Boys’ games are often filled with speed, excitement, and engaging challenges.

• Dinosaur and gummy sweet fans can make their own dinosaur-shaped treats with the DIY dinosaur gummy kit. Whenever my son’s classmates come over, one of the first things they ask me is, “Are we making gummies today?”

• The chocolate button-making kit lets children make 20 different animal-face milk chocolates. The chocolate is melted in its pouch in hot water, poured into the mould and topped with colourful sprinkles. The chocolates are ready in about 15 minutes, and the chocolate included in the kit is enough for two batches. What I especially like is that the silicone mould can be reused afterwards – for example, with Lastella gummy mixes to make larger animal-shaped gummies, or for frozen treats and ice cubes.

• The mini disco ball craft kit is also a fun choice for school-age children. When my son was in second grade, we brought these kits to school for a craft lesson. Several of the children liked them so much that they wanted one to take home as well.

• Soccer ball or water gun for summer – always a great choice for active play
• Salvo, Plastkon, or Stiga sled for winter – every season, we somehow manage to break a few sleds
• 3in1 Lego sets – my son actually enjoys taking them apart and rebuilding them over and over
• Card games Bandido, Saboteur – fun, fast-paced strategy games
• Dinosaurs or dragons – perfect for expanding the imagination and creating fantasy adventures

Gifts for 10+ Year-Old Boys

Older kids look for more complex games and challenges that help them develop skills while keeping things exciting.

• The hot chocolate-making kit comes with three different flavours and is perfect for colder autumn and winter days. You can adjust the amount of milk depending on what you prefer – use less for a thick, spoonable hot chocolate dessert, or more for a lighter cocoa-style drink.

• The snowflake cookie-making kit includes pretty snowflake-shaped stamp cutters. While baking the cookies is better suited to older children, younger ones can also use the cutters when playing with modelling clay. The cookies can be made in different colours – pink, yellow, green or blue – and decorated with colourful sprinkles afterwards. The stamp cutters are also great for Christmas baking, as they leave beautiful snowflake patterns on gingerbread cookies.

• Ogosport Disk  – a fun and active game for catching and bouncing balls
• Bow, slingshot, or NERF blaster – check with the parents first to see if they’re okay with this type of gift
• Card game Bohnanza – requires a bit of strategy but is easy to learn on the first try
• Arduino Robotics Kit – creative electronics projects for tech-savvy kids
• Board game King of Tokyo – thrilling battles between giant monsters, with power-ups and strategic fights

A foam glider is something boys love to grab on their way outside. It’s also a great way to make new friends at the playground, as other kids often come over to ask if they can try it too. These planes come in different sizes, but in our experience, the smaller ones fly the best. Their durability varies—some have lasted for multiple summers, while others have broken within days. That’s why I recommend buying a few at once. They don’t wear out or expire, so they’re always handy to have, and they make a great small gift when visiting friends!

It might seem like every home already has plenty of balls, water guns, and sleds. However, in my experience, balls tend to disappear, and sleds and water guns rarely last more than one season. The last time I went to buy a soccer ball with my son, I was surprised to learn that they come in different sizes based on age. I’d recommend asking the salesperson which ball is best suited for the child you’re buying for. Naturally, my son picked the newest and most expensive option, but it turned out to be a great investment—since the weather warmed up, he’s been out playing with the neighbor kids every single day.
Water guns are always a gamble—some last, some break after a few uses. One interesting option, though, is a long water blaster tube, which even a three-year-old can easily fill in the bathtub. When it comes to sleds, the most durable one in our family has been a simple Salvo sled, which has lasted for multiple winters. There are all kinds of sled designs on the market, and we’ve tried a few different types, some of which have held up well. If you’re looking for a practical winter gift, a sturdy sled is always a good bet!

If you’re considering gifting a bow or slingshot, it’s best to check with the parents first to see if they’re comfortable with it. One of the most wanted toys among boys is NERF blasters, but personally, I’ve avoided bringing them into our home. However, bows and slingshots are something I played with as a child myself. In our family, we have clear rules—these toys can only be used outdoors and at our countryside home. Before playing, we always set up a safe target area together to ensure responsible use. One of our favorite targets has been empty water bottles, which make a satisfying knock-down challenge!

My son and I love visiting the spa together—it’s a great way to relax and spend quality time. During one of our visits, I bought a squid-shaped diving toy, and ever since, it has become a must-have whenever we go swimming. When friends join, they take turns throwing and retrieving it from the pool, making it a fun challenge. But even when he’s alone, my son enjoys playing with it for a long time, keeping himself entertained in the water.

We first discovered Ogodisk paddles while visiting a friend, and finding them in Estonia turned out to be quite a challenge—but it was absolutely worth it! They come in different sizes, and I highly recommend getting the largest ones for the best experience. It’s a fantastic game for both kids and adults, as everyone enjoys bouncing the soft, lightweight ball back and forth.

Most kids—and let’s be honest, adults too—love LEGO. I’m sure our family isn’t the only one with a cupboard full of different sets. One thing I’ve noticed, though, is that the best investment is the 3-in-1 sets. With these, my son is much more willing to take apart his creation and build something completely new. I’ve also found that smaller sets are great for travel, as they keep kids entertained without taking up too much space.

A wooden train set with tracks, bridges, and carriages has been a long-lasting favorite in our family. We keep ours at the summer house, where it has become the perfect rainy day activity. It’s one of those timeless toys—our kids loved playing with it at three years old, and even now, as school-aged children, they still enjoy building and expanding the tracks.

Another great wooden toy in our family has been stacking planks. These are uniformly sized wooden blocks that allow kids to build freely and creatively without instructions or fixed designs. Since my child was already a big LEGO fan, I initially feared this gift might be left untouched. However, for my nephew, it quickly became the favorite present among everything he received. If your child enjoys building, designing, or hands-on creativity, this is truly an amazing gift!

Save the Penguin Ice Breaker is a fun board game where players take turns hammering out ice cubes while trying to keep the penguin from falling. It’s an exciting balance and coordination game that adds plenty of laughter and suspense—especially as the ice starts to crumble! Younger kids, in particular, find it incredibly entertaining.

One year, Santa brought us a talking hamster. You speak to it, and it records your words, then repeats them back in a funny voice. The kids absolutely love chatting with it! But the real fun started when they invented their own game—one hides the hamster in another room, and the other has to find it by following its voice.

When it comes to dinosaurs and dragons, I can’t recommend just one specific toy because we have so many different ones. My son plays role-playing games almost exclusively with them, and he enjoys every single one. If you’re looking for something more unique, I once ordered a Godzilla figure and its little offspring from Amazon for his birthday, which turned out to be a real hit! Funko Mystery Minis: Godzilla 3 Pack, MulticolorI haven’t seen these available in stores, so you can be fairly certain that gifting one would be something unique and special!

A relative gifted my son Jan Pedersen’s book “Animal Sounds“, and it has been a fantastic addition to our home. The book features detailed descriptions of each animal, along with real sound recordings—including different calls for larger animals, such as alarm signals or mating calls. While it wasn’t suitable for my son to read as a toddler, we still enjoyed listening to the sounds and looking at the pictures together. Now that he’s older, we read and listen to the sounds at the same time. This book has been in use for years—even the batteries have been replaced!

We received the card game Bandido as gift andhave beenplaying frequently with it in our home. It suits players of different ages and don’t take too long to play—making it perfect for a quick game on a weekday evening. Bandido is a cooperative game where all players work together to prevent a bandit from escaping prison. You must strategically block all tunnels using cards, and the game offers both an easier and a more challenging version.

Saboteur is another favorite among boys, mainly because of the peek card, which lets them secretly check where the gold is hidden. While the game is designed for at least three players, we’ve often played it just the two of us by adjusting the rules. Instead of assigning only one role per player, we draw multiple character cards, which often results in both of us playing as dwarves working together. This way, what is normally a competitive game turns into a cooperative adventure, making it just as fun!

Bohnanza is a card game where players grow and trade different types of beans to earn as many coins as possible. What makes the game unique is that you cannot change the order of the cards in your hand, which adds a layer of strategy and requires careful planning. By trading with other players, you can make better deals, but at the same time, you need to watch out for your opponents’ strategies. The game is fast-paced and engaging, making it an excellent choice for 3 to 4 players.

King of Tokyo is a fast-paced and exciting dice game, where players take on the roles of giant monsters, robots, or aliens battling for control over Tokyo. Players must roll dice, gather energy, attack opponents, and heal their character to survive and rack up points. Strategy and risk-taking play a crucial role—should you stay in Tokyo to earn more points, or retreat to avoid destruction? This game has been a huge hit in our family, as my brother plays it often with his sons, and it has become one of their absolute favorites!

The Arduino electronics kit is a fantastic choice for tech-savvy kids who want to learn programming and the basics of electronics. The kit includes various sensors, wires, and components, allowing children to build simple robots, smart lighting solutions, or other creative projects. It’s an educational and skill-building gift that helps develop logical thinking and hands-on technical abilities. Since Arduino kits can be quite expensive, it’s worth considering whether the child has enough interest and patience to make the most of its possibilities before purchasing.

I hope you found some great gift ideas here!