The 9 Best Toys for 10-Year-Old Boys in 2019

• 01 of 09

  Best Overall: Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Discovery Kit

  Excellent

  Buy on Amazon

  

  Light up his life with this incredible, award-winning electronics discovery kit. There are more than 100 projects he can build with more than 30 color-coded circuit components, including wires, switches, an alarm circuit, speaker and music-integrated circuit. Projects include cool things like making a photo sensor, a flashing light, a voice-controlled lamp and an adjustable volume siren. There’s no need for tools, as all of the parts snap together on the plastic grid.

  Easy-to-follow directions with large, colorful pictures allow him to explore and complete projects himself without the need for adult help. Once he’s mastered the basics, he can experiment and build his own electronic devices, and extra kits can be purchased to add on and take projects to the next level. This kit is a great way for kids to develop important STEM skills while having fun.

  Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit Review
• 02 of 09

  Best for Harry Potter Fans: LEGO 75954 Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall Building Kit

  Excellent

  Buy on Amazon

  

  Whether he is into Harry Potter, Legos, or both this 878 piece building kit will pique his interests. He can bring Hogwarts Great Hall to life all in the comfort of his home with this new hot toy that includes 10 mini figures that will allow him to recreate his favorite scenes once he is done building.

  This set is intended for 9 to 14-year-olds because it is complex and time-consuming. When built the hall will measure 14" x 11" x 7" giving him plenty of space to play around with. Reviewers comment that this is both fun to put together and enjoyable to play with. Many commented that the whole family got in on the action.

  LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall Building Kit Review
• 03 of 09

  Best Game: Djubi Classic - the Coolest New Twist on the Game of Catch!

  Good

  Buy on Amazon

  

  They may not be able to pronounce it (it’s joo-bee), but they’ll love to play it. Not your average game of catch, Djubi Classic takes it to the next level of fun. There are no mitts in this game, but instead each player gets a paddle that has both a launching hook and a catching net. You aim, pull back on one of the balls, which are attached to the launching hook via a loop, and fire. The other player then attempts to catch the ball in their net, and back and forth you go. The balls can fly up to 100 feet, so you can cover some serious space too.

  Each set includes two rackets and two foam balls. It’s great for the backyard, beach (bonus: the balls float!), park or wherever you want to have an active good time.

  Djubi SlingBall Classic Review
• 04 of 09

  Best Drone: Newest Syma X20 Mini Pocket Drone

  Buy on Amazon

  

  It’s a bird, it’s a plane, nope, it’s this cool little drone. It’s perfect for first-time operators, but also has enough cool features to make it fun for those with more experience. It’s easy to manipulate and can be flown up, down, forward, backward and even do a 360-degree roll. The sky is truly the limit to what this thing can do. An automatic take-off-and-landing feature ensures the drone will return to the place it took off. An altitude hold mode can keep it at a predetermined height.

  The drone runs on a built-in, rechargeable battery, and for every 50 minutes of charging time you get about five minutes of flying time. The controller runs on four AAA batteries, which aren’t included. Extra blades are included as is a screwdriver for the battery compartment.

  Continue to 5 of 9 below.
• 05 of 09

  Best Robot: Ozobot 2.0 Bit Starter Pack, the Smart Robot Toy

  Buy on AmazonBuy on Target

  

  This teeny, tiny robot is just one cubic inch, but it does some pretty big things. Kids are straight up fascinated by it as they can control it with colors. With special markers, they can draw OzoCode color codes on paper or a tablet screen to send the robot moving at their command.

  This starter pack includes the robot, a charging cable, four markers, skins and stickers to customize their robot, and more than 20 games and activities. Once they’ve mastered the color-coding basics, there’s an Ozobot website and apps that allow them to take their coding skills even further. Mazes, maps, entire cities—there are no limits as to where they can take their Ozobot.

  Take a look at other product reviews and shop for the best robot toys available online.

• 06 of 09

  Best Multipurpose: Hamper Hoops

  Buy on Amazon

  

  He shoots, he scores, and mom wins! This over-the-door basketball hoop is the cleanest game in town, and there are no losers. He has fun throwing his dirty clothing through the hoop instead of leaving it all over the floor to pile up, and mom marvels at the lack of mess. There’s a backboard to bounce items off of, and the bottom is a detachable laundry bag so you can take off the whole thing and haul it to the laundry room, or you can unzip the bottom right into a laundry basket. Slam dunk.

  It fits right over any door, and is a great way to encourage skills on and off the court. Now, if only it would teach them to do their laundry too.

• 07 of 09

  Best Tech: Echo Dot Kids at Amazon

  Buy on Amazon

  

  If your kid has been clamoring for a smart-enabled speaker but you've been hesitant to make a purchase you can rest easy with the new Echo Dot Kids Edition. This device will provide your child with all of the great benefits of an Echo but with parental controls. This device can be used as a speaker for your child to stream their favorite music, they can also ask it questions like who was the 22nd President of the United States, and more. But, don't worry, certain hot topics like politics are blocked on this device so your child won't be able to access sensitive material.

  With the purchase, you'll get a free 1-year subscription to Free Time Unlimited which gives your kid thousands of hours of educational content like books and games. Plus, you'll also get a 2-year worry-free guarantee which ensures you that if they break it in the 2-year time frame Amazon will replace it. Since the Echo Dot Kids Edition is still so new Amazon keeps coming up with new features and parental controls so the device keeps learning more and more! Your child will love being able to ask this device endless questions, and hey maybe they will learn a thing or two.

• 08 of 09

  Best Video Game: Warner Bros. The LEGO Ninjago Movie Videogame (Xbox One)

  

  Buy on Walmart

  

  Most boys this age are very into their video games. One of the newest games on the block is the Ninjago for Xbox game which brings their favorite movie to their fingertips. They can play as their favorite ninja as they battle the evil Lord Garmadon and his Shark Army. They can do this all in eight different locations that are unique to the game and have their own Challenge Dojo. Of course, there is an option to play against friends and family as this game is suite for up to four people. This game is suited for children 10 and up, and many commented that this is a fun game for anyone who enjoys the movie.

  Continue to 9 of 9 below.
• 09 of 09

  Best Outdoor: flybold Slackline Kit

  Buy on Amazon

  

  If you want to get them away from their devices and outside why not get them a slackline. These kits are all the rage and will have your child perfecting their balancing skills all in the comfort of your backyard. Think of these kits as a sort of tightrope that has a wider base. This kit has all you need to get started including a main and training lines as well as travel bag unless he wants to take the act on the go. This line can extend up to 57' so he can really go the distance. You'll be impressed with the progress he makes in such a short time and also be happy with both the mental and physical exercise he is getting. This slackline is so fun, many reviewers say the whole family gets in on the action.

Products Tested by The Spruce

How We Tested

We bought three of our readers’ favorite toys for 10-year-old boys that our reviewers tested for 21 hours. We asked our testers to consider the most important features when using these toys, from their entertainment value to their skill-building potential. We’ve outlined the key takeaways here so that you, too, know what to look for when shopping.

What to Look for in Toys for 10-Year-Old Boys

Learning and development Choose toys that will expand your child’s mind and encourage curiosity, without becoming frustrating. Look for items that have clear, easy-to-read instructions or are already familiar activities. This will open a world of self-exploration without your 10-year-old needing assistance every step of the way.

Technology It’s no secret that 10-year-old boys are becoming increasingly fascinated with technology. The key is to channel it into productive outlets. The best technology toys are those that will teach useful and relevant skills, such as coding or basic principles of engineering.

Skill building Sharpening fine motor skills and honing more major motor skills will make your 10-year-old more adept at fixing small-scale items or scoring that game-winning basket. Look for toys that will encourage tinkering and assembling parts and pieces to train the hand and eye to work together. Or you can opt for more physically-intense activities that involve targets or nets to burn off some energy while improving coordination.

Test Results: Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100 Electronics Discovery Kit (Best Overall)

Excellent

Buy on Amazon

What We Like

• Good for STEM skills

• Tons of projects to choose from

• Easy cleanup

What We Don't Like

• Some pieces are fragile

Our testers found this toy to be highly educational and entertaining for 10-year-old boys. “I like how kids feel successful after completing a project and that this is something that kids can do independently or with someone else,” one reviewer explained. Our testers loved the kit's emphasis on STEM skills, how easy it was to clean up, and the variety of included projects, which ensured kids didn’t get bored. While one tester mentioned that a few pieces seemed fragile, he still thought the kit would “last through years of usage.” Overall, the toy was a win for both parents and kids: “I like how educational the toy is, yet it doesn't feel like that to a kid,” one reviewer said.

Test Results: LEGO 75954 Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall Building Kit (Best for Harry Potter fans)

Excellent

Buy on Amazon

What We Like

• Sparks imagination

• Highly detailed pieces

• Engaging

What We Don't Like

• Some flimsy pieces

Our testers found this LEGO set to be extremely entertaining and intriguing for 10-year-old boys, with one reviewer calling it “a stellar representation of a famous fictional spot.” The “exquisite detail” of the figurines and overall set were most impressive, according to our testers. Building the hall did require several hours of dedication, one of our reviewers mentioned, so it’s definitely geared toward advanced LEGO builders. Bottom line: “It invites imaginative play. As children put this set together, they can reenact their favorite scenes from the Harry Potter series,” one of our testers revealed.

Test Results: Djubi Classic - the Coolest New Twist on the Game of Catch! (Best Game)

Good

Buy on Amazon

What We Like

• Exciting outdoor game

• Great for beach or pool

• Very active

What We Don't Like

• Requires high level of athleticism

• Potentially dangerous

Our testers found this to be an entertaining outdoor game for very active kids. “If executed correctly, the slingshot can launch balls up to 100 feet,” observed one of our reviewers. However, it’s not for everyone: “Setting up the Slingball requires strength, dexterity, and motor skills,” warned one of our testers, so it could easily become frustrating. Our reviewers loved that the balls float, making it perfect for the beach or pool, but one tester noted that the hard foam could inflict injury if a child was hit with a ball directly. According to one of our testers, this is the perfect game for “athletic, coordinated kids who are always looking for a new way to have fun outside.”