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Shopping for the 10-year-old boy in your life may seem like a difficult task, especially since tweens have such varying interests. Luckily, there are tons of options out there that are sure to be a hit and a bit educational, too.
While you shop, look for something that will keep them engaged, while also being age-appropriate and safe. Parents and kids alike love gifts that teach them something new, especially if they are high-tech and cool, two things that many 10-year-old boys love.
Here, best toys for your favorite 10-year-old boy.
Snap Circuits Jr. Electronics Exploration Kit
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An award-winning electronics discovery kit is the perfect gift for a 10-year-old boy. With the toy, he will get 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 photosensor, 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.
"The pieces are well made, including the surprisingly sturdy plastic base, which seemed resilient enough to withstand some abuse. One downside is that the kit requires two AA batteries, which aren’t included. If you’re giving this as a gift, make sure you buy those before you start wrapping."—Sarah Wassner Flynn, Product Tester
flybold Slackline Kit
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If you want to get them away from their devices and outside, a slackline is a smart toy. These kits are all the rage and will have your child perfecting their balancing skills from 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 to take the act on the go.
"While slacklining, or walking along a suspended length of flat rope, takes time to master, the Flybold Slackline Kit is a comprehensive set that includes everything your family needs to get started: a smooth, 2-inch-wide lime green main line, a 1-inch-wide bright orange training line and arm trainer, ratchets for the main and training lines, a ratchet protector, dark green tree protectors, a tote to put it all in, and an instruction manual."—Sarah Vanbuskirk, Product Tester
LEGO 75954 Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall Building Kit
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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 with this toy that includes 10 mini figures that will allow him to recreate his favorite scenes. When built the hall will measure 14 x 11 x 7-inches giving him plenty of space to play around with.
"From the tiny turrets to the moveable spiral staircase, this kit did a wonderful job of recreating the famous fictional School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Devout Harry Potter readers will immediately notice that the design seems like it was plucked right from the pages of the books, featuring everything from floating candles to a fireplace."—Sarah Wassner Flynn, Product Tester
Blue Orange Djubi Classic
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They may not be able to pronounce it (it’s joo-bee), but they’ll love to play it. There are no mitts in this game, but instead, each player gets a paddle that has both a launching hook and a catching net. 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.
"The design for the Djubi SlingBall Classic is simple. All you need is a racket and a slingball. The set comes with two of each, which made it a perfect game for partners."—Sarah Wassner Flynn, Product Tester
Nintendo Switch
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This scaled-down gaming console works either with television for family fun or as a handheld device to be used solo. There are more than 2,000 games that work with the Switch, including Mario Kart, with its high-energy races, and problem-solving games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
If you're trying to keep an eye on your child's screen time, you can use the intuitive controls to set time limits, track minutes, and ensure that only age-appropriate games are being downloaded and played.
Jetson Rave Extreme Terrain Hoverboard with Cosmic LED Wheels
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Just watch their face light up when you gift this hoverboard. And speaking of lights, the wheels on the board feature LED flashing lights. The tires are sturdy and there's an anti-slip mat to get off and on easily. Speeds can range up to 10 miles per hour and Bluetooth connectivity makes it easy to play music.
Spin Master Rubik’s Perplexus Hybrid 2 x 2 Game
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This is a new twist, literally, on the classic Rubik's Cube. The Perplexus has to be twisted and turned to align the tracks and have the small ball make it through the maze. With tons of barriers in the way, your kid will feel an amazing sense of accomplishment when they succeed.
SanDisk Clip Jam MP3
The dilemma: Your kid wants to be able to chill out and listen to their own tunes, but you're not ready for them to have a smartphone just yet. This MP3 player is lightweight, wearable, and has up to 18 hours of battery life. The large, easy-to-navigate screen makes it easy for kids to move between songs and create playlists.
Taylor Toy Store Basketball Hoop Hamper
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-making this the perfect gift for a 10-year-old boy (and mom!). There’s a backboard to bounce items off of, and the bottom is a detachable laundry bag.
Spin Master Marvel United Super Hero Cooperative Strategy Card Game
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This is a board game the entire family can enjoy because it's all about team work. The players, or superheroes, must join together to defeat the Marvel villain. While some games can be boring as you play them repeatedly, this one offers a lot of variety based on the cards you choose.
DoDoeleph Adults Mini Drone RC Helicopter Without Camera
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.
Klutz LEGO Make Your Own Movie Activity Kit
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Kids have been making stop-motion animation LEGO movies for years, but this kit takes the guesswork out of the process for newbie filmmakers. It comes with several mini-figure actors (with different faces, outfits, and accessories like hats and wigs), props, backdrops, and an 80-page instruction book with different plot ideas for inspiration and even tips like how to build a homemade tripod.
Hot Wheels id Smart Track Kit
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This slick racetrack works with the compatible Hot Wheels app using Bluetooth. Players can compete by tracking their speed (it's scaled to reflect how fast you'd go in a real car), number of laps, distance, loops, jumps, and other stats. In free play mode, they can scan in new cars, measure their achievements, and build new track configurations (it's fun to watch what you're physically building appear on screen). In campaign mode, the pressure is on to beat challenges, which get increasingly harder, to earn rewards.
L.L. Bean Sonic Snow Saucer DLX
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Go for a classic toy for a 10-year old with this Sonic Slider that will have him cruising down the hill on a snow day. The saucer is lightweight and the side handles make it easy to carry back home or up a hill. Besides letting him have hours of fun this will also get him outside and keep him active.
ThinkFun Thinking Putty Puzzle
If he loves the stretchy, can't-stop-messing-with-it substance known as Thinking Putty, this puzzle, which is a bit like Rush Hour without the cars, offers a creative way to use it. Using the included challenge cards (they get progressively trickier), kids will solve puzzles by building different paths through the grid, without crossing colors.
Disney Sketchy Tales
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Doodling becomes a group sport with this fun game. Players pick a character and an action (example: Piglet and singing karaoke) which they have to draw and then pass along to another player to complete the drawing. Others have to guess exactly what the sketch is. Needless to say, there will be a lot of laughs and hours of playtime.
National Geographic Mega Slime Kit & Putty Lab
This comprehensive kit comes with eight different substances, all designed to teach about scientific principles. The putty properties include magnetic, glow-in-the-dark, and color-changing (activated by the heat of your hands or the chill of the freezer), as well as several types of slime. Run out of slime? This has the ingredients and instructions to make some more.
IELLO King of New York Board Game
Up to six players can enjoy this fast-paced, strategy-heavy game, which is themed around the Big Apple and a follow-up to the popular King of Tokyo. It's meant to be played in about an hour, making it ideal for parties and game nights, and the object is to defeat the monsters and become ruler of the city.
What to Look For in Gifts For 10-Year-Old Boys
Recommended Age
While 10-year-old boys are likely ready for some increased independence and autonomy, these tweens may still need some guidance and supervision when it comes to more mature concepts and ideas. For this reason, it’s best to stick to a gift that is recommended for their age.
Safety
If you are looking for a gift for a thrill-seeking 10-year-old boy, make sure that you include the recommended safety gear. This can be a helmet, knee pads, or eye protection. This is also a great time to talk about online safety, as they may be getting into technology that connects to the internet.
Educational Value
Some of the best gifts for 10-year-old boys incorporate learning into play. Whether it is building on an interest or passion they already have or helping them develop a new skill, an education gift is sure to be a hit with both kids and parents. The best kind even includes group participation to get everyone in on the fun.
Creativity
Think about how your 10-year-old boy likes to engage with his interests. For an adventurous, outdoor kid, it may be in creating a new game or course to enjoy with his friends. Future engineers may enjoy building and constructing. Budding artists can spend hours creatively. No matter what his interests, a great gift allows him to express himself.
Chuck English, Virginia STEM Coordinator at the Science Museum of Virginia, recommends that parents get involved in play as well. “It’s a good opportunity for parents to play with their kids,” he says. “Kids teach them how to do an activity or use a toy.”
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