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Best Gifts for Tween Boys

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You have a ton of holiday shopping to do and are overwhelmed by the thought of figuring out the perfect gift for each person and then making the time to go buy it all. I’m here to help! I have the same problem so I’m sharing my solution with you as I do my own list-making and holiday shopping.

Each day in November I’m sharing a new gift guide to help you buy for each person on your list. You can use them to collect ideas to create your own shopping list or you can shop right here within each gift guide. Today is Day 7 of 30 Days of Gift Guides (you can see previous guides by clicking on the image below) and today’s gift guide is full of the best gifts for tween boys.

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Best Gifts for Tween Boys

Tweens are hard to shop for. They aren’t kids anymore, but they still like to play. They aren’t old enough to drive or date, but they like some of the same things teens do.

On top of all that, the tween years are when they start to balance finding their own identity against going along with the pack so they want things that express who they are that will also be popular. With all of that in mind, here are the gifts that are likely to accomplish all of those things and be a hit with any tween boy.

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Have you ever noticed boys’ fascination with building AND destroying things? This catapult kit lets them do both.

First, they have to construct the catapult and then they can launch small, appropriate projectiles. Don’t worry, it’s tabletop-sized so the potential destruction is limited.
wooden catapult kit
You may have seen these before but didn’t know what they were called. Diabolos are basically an upgraded yo-yo.

Because of the two-handed operation requirement, this is sometimes more difficult for younger kids to manage, but perfectly within the capabilities of tweens. For those of you who have never seen them before, I’ve posted a beginner video directly below the image so you can see one in action.
Diabolos

Ozobot is the perfect toy for tweens who love computers. It’s a fun and easy way to learn coding.

Kids can create challenges and activities or play interactive games with Ozobot. Shh, don’t tell him he’s learning while he’s playing with it.
ozobot
When it’s dark, cold, or wet to play outside, it’s easy to bring the fun indoors with this hoop that is a miniature version of a genuine basketball hoop and backboard. The backboard is shatterproof and the rim is pro-grade steel.
indoor basketball hoop and backboard
Boys of all ages love playing with RC vehicles but tweens have the unique combination of skill level to control them and time and interest in playing with them often. Throw in a camera and the ability to fly, and you have the perfect gift for any tween boy.
drone
I love any toy that motivates my kids to get outdoors. Hockey is a great way to do that. This hockey set is slightly smaller than a full-sized adult set but sturdy enough to stand up to rambunctious tweens.
hockey set
My son in middle school says that a LOT of his peers love skateboarding. If your tween is already skateboarding, he might want to try longboarding. Ironically, longboards also make great starter boards so they are great for kids who are new to skateboarding.

This one is high-quality so it will hold up to stunts or beginner fumbles. Because when your kid is rolling around on one, the last thing you want to worry about is the safety of the board itself.
skateboard
Not quite ready to get your son a cell phone? Walkie Talkies are a great way to let him have fun talking with a friend who is out of sight with no monthly contract.

Don’t get them from the toy section though. Tweens don’t want to be viewed as little kids.

For this gift to be appreciated (and used) you need a set like this one that adult hikers would use. For the record, my 8th-grade son assures me almost every tween boy has a cell phone, but he and his friends have definitely used our walkies talkies to coordinate Nerf wars and airsoft games so I am sticking to my claim that they make a great tween gift.
walkie talkies
Transportation becomes a strange issue for tweens. They still like their bicycles, but they’ve been riding those for years.

An electric scooter is a fun way to get around before they reach legal driving age. And if you’re worried about them getting lazy because of motorized transportation, remember they will ride it to be outdoors and to go somewhere (ideally to play a game of basketball or hockey with their friends). At least they will be outside instead of stuck on the couch playing video games.
Razor electric scooter
Many tween boys are huge comic book fans. If your favorite tween also happens to draw his own comics, this Make Your Own Comic Book kit is perfect for him!
make your own comic book kit
The tween years are the perfect time for kids to start taking responsibility for waking themselves up in the morning. This alarm clock on wheels is a fun way to introduce the new responsibility and to make sure they actually get up. If the alarm isn’t silenced after a short while, it rolls off the nightstand and moves around the room until the tween gets out of bed and shuts it off.
alarm clock with wheels
Legos are always one of the most popular gifts for boys (and many girls). In their tween years, some boys begin to outgrow that phase. That’s the perfect time to make Legos interesting again by introducing more complex kits with innovative new features.

That’s why Lego Mindstorms is perfect for tweens. Lego Mindstorms combines the building fun of Legos, with the programming challenge of robots, and the thrill of remote control. It’s basically everything tween boys like in one package.
Lego Mindstorms
My son also wanted me to include designer sneakers. These are definitely in demand among tween boys.

I didn’t provide any links because not only are tween boys passionate about designer sneakers, they are extremely picky! If your tween boy is in this crowd, he has already been bugging you for months for the exact pair he wants.

Also, conspicuously absent from my list are video games. Again, these will be some of the most wished for gifts by tween boys but I didn’t recommend any because the tween years are when parenting differences really come into play. Some kids are content with rated E games, but many tweens are asking for popular rated M games.

I’m not going to weigh in on what you should do in these situations because there is no uniform right answer. I’ll leave those decisions up to you.

As to figuring out which ones they want? Like shoe lovers, if your tween is a video game fanatic, he’s already told you which ones he’s pining for.

Don’t forget to check out my other Gift Guides. And keep checking back because I have 23 more guides to go!

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