The 25 Best Gifts for 10-Year-Old Boys in 2021

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Our Top Picks

Sound Activated Light Blocks at uncommongoods.com

"Stack this set of blocks into a nightlight, skyscraper, or robot, and watch your creation light up."

Adidas Badge of Sport Hoodie at dickssportinggoods.com

"Keep your tween cozy with a classic sporty hoodie, featuring a kangaroo pocket and a front graphic."

Vans Old Skool Checkerboard Canvas Backpack at nordstrom.com

"Vans’ canvas backpack securely fits all the essentials as your 10-year-old travels from home to get-togethers to practice."

GearLight LED Headlamp at Amazon

"Ideal for camping, hiking, nighttime adventures, or even a low-key evening with a book, this LED headlamp is a fun gift."

Ray-Ban Junior Wayfarer Sunglasses at Amazon

"The junior version of the classic Wayfarer, this pair can be worn year-round with its lenses that offer full UV protection."

Magnetic Dart Board at Amazon

"With darts that have been childproofed, this version offers a safe magnetic tip so your tween can practice his aim."

The North Face Resolve Reflective Jacket at thenorthface.com

"Features an attached hood, zip-up pockets, and a breathable fabric that makes it ideal for year-round wear."

4M Crystal Growing Kit at Amazon

"Turn your home into a science lab with this crystal growing kit, which features an interactive instructional app."

Nike Kawa Slide Sandal at kohls.com

"Great for warm days, lounging in the house, or sliding on after practice, these sandals will be well-loved by your 10-year-old."

ThinkFun Gravity Maze Marble Run Brain Game at Amazon

"Containing 60 challenges with increasing difficulty, the Logic Game provides a fun mental challenge for kids."

Ten is a tough age for boys, because they’re starting to dress and act older as they head into the tween years, but they’re still young enough to enjoy some toys and games. This in-between stage makes finding a gift for a 10-year-old boy a bit of a struggle. From shoes and science kits to books and sunglasses, there's a lot to choose from.

Here are the best gifts for 10-year-old boys with every interest.

Our Top Picks

Sound Activated Light Blocks

If he likes LEGOS, he will love a set of these building blocks that light up. Available in packs of either 50 or 240, these blocks are rechargeable and can be lit up constantly or set on sound-activation mode to help extend charge life. Kids as young as 6 years old can safely play with these.

Adidas Badge of Sport Hoodie

Hoodies are a lounge staple and never go out of style. With a cotton fleece-like fabric, this pullover sweatshirt is soft and cozy and is safe to toss into the washer and dryer. It has a kangaroo pocket and screen-printed logo on the front. This hoodie is available in six color options and in youth sizes extra-small through extra-large.

Vans Old Skool Checkerboard Canvas Backpack

Vans Old Skool III Backpack — Courtesy of Dick's Sporting Goods

Your 10-year-old can use this backpack for school, sleepovers, or for just toting his things along with him when he’s out. It has a carrying handle at the top as well as two padded should straps that can be adjusted for the right fit. The bag has a zipper closure, lined interior, and an interior laptop sleeve.

GearLight LED Headlamp

Whether he wants to go on adventures in the backyard at night or just wants an easy way to get a little extra light while he reads in bed, this LED headlamp is a fun gift your 10-year-old will enjoy.

It can be set to seven lighting settings and can last up to 45 hours on three AAA batteries in the low setting (and 3 hours on high). It’s also weather resistant, has a variety of adjustment options, and is super lightweight.

Ray-Ban Junior Wayfarer Sunglasses

Wayfarers never go out of style, so your 10-year-old will love wearing the youth-size version of the classic shades. The lenses offer 100% UV protection, and the glasses come with a case to keep them safe when they’re tossed into a backpack between outdoor adventures.

Magnetic Dart Board

This dartboard set is great because instead of darts with sharp points that can injure someone, these have a safe magnetic tip. Kids ages 6 and up will enjoy the game itself while also further developing their hand-eye coordination. This set comes with one dartboard and six safety darts.

The North Face Resolve Reflective Jacket

North Face Reflective Jacket — Courtesy of the North Face

Since it’s waterproof and lightweight, this reflective jacket can be worn throughout most of the year. It comes with an attached hood, has pockets with zippers, and is made from a breathable fabric. The jacket zips closed and has an extra velcro covering to keep it secure. It’s available in youth sizes extra-extra-small through extra-large.

4M Crystal Growing Kit

This crystal growing kit has everything needed for seven different crystal experiments. There’s also an app your 10-year-old (or you) can download which provides interactive step-by-step instructions for each experiment. The recommended age for this popular kit is 10 years old and up.

Nike Kawa Slide Sandal

Great for warm days, lounging in the house, or sliding on after practice, these sandals will be well-loved by your 10-year-old boy. They have a soft cushion sole and a flexible upper material to ensure comfort. The sandals are available in big kid sizes 4 to 7.

ThinkFun Gravity Maze Marble Run Brain Game

If you’re looking for a gift with some educational value that requires critical thinking or engineering, go with this. It comes with instructions for 60 different challenges with varying levels of difficulty, nine towers, a game grid, three marbles, and one target piece. This STEM toy is best for kids between 8 and 15 years old.

Nike Sportswear Club Fleece Pants

Nike Fleece Pants — Courtesy of Dick's Sporting Goods

Your 10-year-old will keep cozy in these drawstring sweatpants made with fleece fabric. They have a standard, relaxed fit, ribbed cuffs, and side pockets to keep them functional. The pants come in a variety of color options and in youth sizes 6 through 20.

‘My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish’ Box Set (3 Books)

With this box set you get three paperback "My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish" books, which are great for kids between 7 and 10 years old. The set includes the first three books of the series: "My Big Fat Zombie Goldfish," "The SeaQuel," and "Fins of Fury."

Snap Circuits Classic SC-300 Electronics Exploration Kit

Any 10-year-old with an interest in or curiosity for electronics will love this circuit experiment kit that includes everything they need for more than 300 experiments. Every part is numbered and color-coded and snaps in and out of the plastic grid for safety—no soldering necessary. It’s a great set for beginners ages 8 and up.

LED Bike Wheel Lights

For the 10-year-old who loves to ride his bike, these waterproof wheel lights will be a hit. There are 10 color options available (including multi-colored), and the lights can be set to be constantly on or flashing. The lights fit wheels between 12 and 29 inches. With the set, you get two packs of lights (one for each wheel), clips to hold them into place, battery packs, and batteries.

Klutz / LEGO Chain Reaction Science & Building Kit

You get 33 LEGO pieces, six plastic balls, string, and other materials needed to create 10 different moving machines in this kit, which is best for kids 8 years old and up. Each machine has its own complexities, so the kit also includes an instruction book to help guide you through each step of the process.

Vans Classic Checkered Slip Ons

Vans Asher Kid's Checkered Skate Shoes — Courtesy of Kohl's

All you have to do is take one look at these shoes to see why they’re such a great gift. Your 10-year-old can easily slip them on and off, but you don’t have to worry about them being too loose because they’re designed with two little elastic pieces on the top to make sure they fit snugly. They have a canvas upper design and a rubber sole, and they are available in big kid sizes 4 through 7.

Discovery Kids Mindblown Solar Robot Creation

This STEM kit comes with blueprints and 190 parts that can be used to build 12 different motorized robots. There’s even a solar panel that can be attached to the robots to help give it some energy. Kids 8 years old and up can safely tinker with this fun kit.

Kindle Paperwhite

If your 10-year-old is a reader, the Kindle Paperwhite is a great gift idea because it can store thousands of digital books. The screen display is designed to look like a piece of paper, so there’s no glare—even on bright sunny days. It’s also waterproof, can be paired with Bluetooth headphones, and holds a charge for weeks.

Educational Insights Kanoodle

Kanoodle comes with a puzzle instruction book that includes 200 puzzle challenges, each with their own level of difficulty ranging from simple to seemingly near-impossible. The game includes 12 puzzle pieces, a board, carrying case, and instruction book and is made for anyone 8 years old and up.

Flybar Master Pogo Stick

Great for a kid with a lot of energy, this pogo stick has foam grip handles and foam framing so there won’t be any spring-pinching injuries. It’s also designed with a large, no-slip bottom grip to help kids keep their balance and reduce the risk of falls. You can get this pogo stick in a variety of color options, and it’s best for kids 9 years old and up and between 80 and 160 pounds.

Nintendo Switch

With the Nintendo Switch, your kiddo can download all kinds of games. The handset is rechargeable and just has to be docked to power back up (and can be played on the TV while it’s docked). It also comes with two removable controls for two-player games. It’s basically the gaming system of every kid’s dreams.

National Geographic Slime Kit

You can’t go wrong with slime, and this kit has eight different kinds, including glow-in-the-dark, magnetic, and color-changing slimes (all of which use only nontoxic ingredients). It also includes all the materials needed for a kid to make their own slime. This set is great for kids who are 8 years old and up.

Ugg Canoe Waterproof Sneaker

With a molded foam footbed and microfiber lining, these shoes are both comfortable and stylish. The upper part of the shoe is made from waterproof leather, and the sole is designed with extra traction to avoid falls. The shoes lace up for an adjustable fit and are available in big kid sizes 4 through 6.

LEGO Creator Mighty Dinosaurs

This LEGO Creator kit comes with all the blocks needed to build a T-Rex, Triceratops, or Pterodactyl. It comes with detailed instructions for building the dinos and is designed for kids between 7 and 12 years old.

‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ Collection Set (12 Books)

Your kid can have a "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" collection in their library with this box set. You can choose between paperback or hardcover versions of the first 10-12 books in the series (depending on which set you buy). These books are written for kids between 8 and 12 years old.

Why Trust Verywell Family

Ashley Ziegler is a staff and freelance writer who covers lifestyle, home, parenting, and commerce content for a variety of platforms. She’s a mom to 1-year-old and 3-year-old daughters, and an aunt to three nieces and two nephews ranging from 5 to 10 years old. In addition to regularly scouring the internet to find the best things for herself, Ashley spends multiple hours a week researching, comparing, and writing about products specifically for kids and families.