What skills should a 10-year-old be learning?

At school, 10-year-olds are hard at work mastering advanced mathematics involving geometry and early algebra including multiplication, division, and fractions. They’re learning to use reliable resources for research and to synthesize their findings, all with increasing independence. Ten-year-olds are also learning how to communicate their opinions and persuade others to accept their viewpoints—one reason why they might sound more like teenagers and less like children every day.

How do I choose the best toy for my 10-year-old?

The best way to make sure your gift is a home run is to ask your 10-year-old what toys are on their wish list. Otherwise, keep an eye on the toys your child tends to play with most or ask about what toys they most appreciate when playing at friends’ homes.

What should I get for a bored 10-year-old?

Oftentimes boredom stems from lack of ideas, not lack of toys. Games, crafts, puzzles, and sports equipment can all occupy a 10-year-old. Refreshing their collection of any of these items should help them beat boredom.

The 22 Best Toys for 10-Year-Olds of 2022

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

The joy of 10-year-olds is that they can play with most toys alone or with friends. Since most 10-year-olds are proficient readers, they can even read directions, assemble toys, and independently set up and play with their toys.

This doesn’t mean that 10-year-olds should always play alone. Game nights, family craft projects or other group activities are wonderful team-building activities for 10-year-olds.

Here, the best toys for the 10-year-old in your life.

Our Top Picks

Original Stationery Unicorn Slime Kit at Amazon

Perfect for 10-year-olds, this kit includes glue, unicorn beads, inks, textures, slime containers, and more.

Educational Insights Artie Max: The Coding Robot at Amazon

A coding robot that comes pre-programmed to teach kids how to code with Blockly, Snap!, JavaScript, Python, and C++.

Kids Against Maturity Card Game at Amazon

Easy to play and fun for a crowd, it’s like a kid version of Cards Against Humanity.

Good for You Girls Gift Set at Goodforyougirls.com

They’ll love their own skincare gift set made just for kids in the early stages of puberty

Raddish Kids Monthly Kit at Raddishkids.com

Comes with three themed recipes, a kitchen tool, culinary skills lessons, table topic conversation starters, and more.

Slackers Ninjaline Intro Kit at Amazon

Train like a ninja with this intro slackline kit that has everything to transform your backyard into an amazing obstacle course.

Clixo Rainbow 42 Piece Pack at Amazon

Flexible, durable, and portable, these open-ended building toys are fun for kids (and adults) of all ages.

Silk and Sonder Kids Monthly Subscription at Silkandsonder.com

Each month your kiddo will receive a monthly wellness journal, geared toward kids from 6 to 12 years old.

CreateOn The Beatles MagnaTiles at Amazon

Music-loving kids are never too old to enjoy the wonder of Magna Tiles, the magnetic, open-ended building blocks.

Doodle Hog Alpaca Squishies Paint Kit at Amazon

Show off your creativity by painting your very own alpaca, cactus, and smiling sun squishy.

Consider this a slime lover's essential kit! Perfect for 10-year-olds, this kit includes glue, unicorn beads, inks, textures, slime containers, and more. While older kids will likely be able to do it all by themselves, we suggest keeping an eye on them to avoid slime ending up in the wrong place.

Educational Insights Artie Max: The Coding Robot

Artie Max is a coding robot that comes pre-programmed and ready to teach kids how to code with Blockly, Snap!, JavaScript, Python, and C++. Clear instructions, built-in tutorials, and video how-tos help kids get started quickly. Parent reviewers praise this toy as easy to use, fun, and educational.

This game gets lots of laughs but does include some gross-out humor. Easy to play and fun for a crowd, it’s like a kid version of Cards Against Humanity. If your family isn’t a fan of potty talk, it’s best to skip this game since off-color comments are unavoidable.

Since 10-year-olds are in the tween zone, they’ll love their own skincare gift set made just for kids who are in the early stages of puberty. Produced in the U.S. with all-natural ingredients, the giftable set comes with lotion, wash, toner, deodorant, lip balm, and much more.

Amazing for kids who like to cook, or eat, a membership to Raddish Kids is a thoughtful gift. The monthly subscription service comes with three themed recipes, a kitchen tool, culinary skills lessons, table topic conversation starters, and more. Since food is not included, families can shop together and prepare the meals at a convenient time. Select shipments from one month up to a full year.

Train like a ninja with this intro slackline kit that has everything to transform your backyard into an amazing obstacle course. Easy to set up, the line stretches to 36 feet and includes seven obstacles. Change the skill level by increasing or decreasing the distance between, and order of, the obstacles.

The 9 Best Indoor Toys & Games for Active Play in 2022

Flexible, durable, and portable, these open-ended building toys are fun for kids (and adults) of all ages. Simply click, snap, stack, and flex to create anything that you can imagine. They store flat for easy storage or to take on the go.

The 9 Best Building Toys of 2022

Silk and Sonder Kids Monthly Subscription

For more introverted kids, celebrate their personality with a Silk and Sonder monthly subscription. Each month your kiddo will receive a monthly wellness journal, geared toward kids from 6 to 12 years old. There’s a fun theme each month, interactive activities, coloring pages, recipes, and much more.

The 9 Best Backpacks for Kids of 2022

Music-loving kids are never too old to enjoy the wonder of Magna Tiles, the magnetic, open-ended building blocks. The set features 53 blocks, decorated with unique images that can be created in the shapes of the Magical Mystery Tour Bus, The Beatles album collage, a bass drum, and much more.

The 6 Best Construction and Building Blocks Sets for Gifted Children of 2022

Fans of squishies and projects will love this innovative kit. They can show off their creativity by painting their very own alpaca, cactus, and smiling sun squishy. Along with the blank squishies, the set includes paint, brushes, and decorating accessories.

10 Nature Crafts To Do With Your Kids

Fun for school, play, art, or fun, this Shine Bright bundle features a pencil pouch journal, a matching set of six pencils, a unicorn twist pen, and sweet-scented erasers. This sweet set is perfect for any note-loving 10-year-old.

Samantha Parkington’s™ 35th Anniversary Collection

Older kids who still love dolls may treasure their very own American Girl doll. Choose from dozens of dolls or design your own to create a mini-me. While a splurge, these dolls are well-made and sure to last a long time. Be prepared to enter a world of dolls and accessories if you go this route.

Fun and foldable, this soccer goal is perfectly portable. Great for one kid or a crowd, all your kiddo needs to do is add a soccer ball, and they’re ready for non-stop fun. If you prefer a full field game, order two.

Mondo Llama Sticker by Number Poster Kit

Roll out the beautiful 34.5 by 19.5-inch poster and your kiddo will love matching the 400 plus stickers in the right spot to create a beautiful tiger. A perfect rainy day or quiet time activity, this project is fun and satisfying, and builds hand-eye coordination.

Brush up on world geography with a beautiful 1000-piece world map puzzle. Made of high-quality cardboard pieces, this puzzle is an appropriate mix of challenging and educational. Once the puzzle is done, you can identify the different parts of the world.

The 8 Best Puzzles for Kids of 2022

Ideal for two to five players, this game is quick to learn and takes just 15 minutes to play. The goal is to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by. Kids learn strategy and probability in this fun foodie pick.

Look just like mom or dad with a colorful, kid-sized fanny pack that has plenty of room to hold just what your 10-year-old needs. Made from canvas with an adjustable cotton strap, buying this bag supports a Black-owned business.

Toss a 10-year-old this oversized kickball and see how much fun they’ll have. Sized just right to kick, throw, bounce, or play, a kickball is a welcome addition to any backyard, park, beach, or anywhere else playdate.

BeyBlades let it rip! This set includes everything you need to battle, including a Beystadium, two right/left spin launchers and two spinning tops. A great set for either seasoned BeyBladers or newbies, this toy is tons of fun.

An instant download, simply purchase and print this multi-cultural paper doll set. Fun alone on a rainy day or with friends, older kids have the patience and dexterity to cut out and then play with these dolls.

This mini puzzle only measures eight inches in diameter and features 70 tiny puzzle pieces that will challenge and delight older kids. Fun on the go or at home, kids will love completing the sugary sweet image.

hand2mind Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker

Homemade ice cream is yours in 30 minutes with this all manual ice cream maker. Producing a pint of ice cream at a time, kids will get hands-on experience learning about the properties of movement, freezing, and ice cream science.

Final Verdict

Even the most active 10-year-olds will need some down time, so an educational puzzle like the World Map 1000-Piece Puzzle (view on Maisonette) would be a wonderful family activity. For an outdoor toy, a kickball (view on Amazon) is always fun. And any kid with stuff to carry could benefit from their own fanny pack (view on Kido Chicago).

What to Look for in Toys for 10-Year-Olds

Interests

In order for a toy to be well-loved (and used), it needs to play into a kid’s interests. What makes this difficult is that what a child is interested in can change drastically over the course of a year or even a couple of months. “Certainly as kids develop... their interests evolve,” says pediatrician David L. Hill, MD, FAAP. And this evolution can be based on age, education, social development, and more.

By the time a kid is 10 years old, they will likely be putting more emphasis on friendships, teamwork and collaboration, and their general social status. So when picking out a toy or game for the 10-year-old in your life, something they can play within a group setting it is likely to be of interest.

Aside from social status, kids at this age also tend to lean more into toys and games that allow for more exploration, are centered around specific sports, and give them an opportunity to be active.

Milestones

Dr. Hill explains that in the first years of life, it’s easy to find toys that play into milestones because development is pretty straightforward. However, he says, milestones “tend to cluster from ages five to 10” which makes it a little more difficult to identify toys and games that will aid in development for a 10-year-old. That being said, there are some milestones that are fairly common for 10-year-olds, such as:

Increased attention span: Kids around this age can focus on more complex and time-consuming toys and games, like the Educational Insights Artie Max The Coding and Drawing Robot (view on Amazon).
Physical skills: By 10 years old, children typically have improved agility, speed, coordination, and balance, so the Slackers Ninjaline (view on Amazon) makes for a great (and fun) toy.
Self-awareness: Ten-year-olds are putting more emphasis on physical appearance, making toys like the Good for You Ultimate Gift Package (view on Good for You Girls) an appealing option.

Entertainment Value

If you want a toy to get used, it needs to be entertaining enough to keep a kid’s attention and make them want to go back to it again and again. Dr. Hill explains that sometime around age 8, kids stop being as engrossed in imaginative play and, instead, will enjoy toys and games that align with their cognitive development. Look for toys that are more complex and require some critical thinking and exploration, such as STEAM toys or sets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What skills should a 10-year-old be learning?

At school, 10-year-olds are hard at work mastering advanced mathematics involving geometry and early algebra including multiplication, division, and fractions. They’re learning to use reliable resources for research and to synthesize their findings, all with increasing independence. Ten-year-olds are also learning how to communicate their opinions and persuade others to accept their viewpoints—one reason why they might sound more like teenagers and less like children every day.
How do I choose the best toy for my 10-year-old?

The best way to make sure your gift is a home run is to ask your 10-year-old what toys are on their wish list. Otherwise, keep an eye on the toys your child tends to play with most or ask about what toys they most appreciate when playing at friends’ homes.
What should I get for a bored 10-year-old?

Oftentimes boredom stems from lack of ideas, not lack of toys. Games, crafts, puzzles, and sports equipment can all occupy a 10-year-old. Refreshing their collection of any of these items should help them beat boredom.

Why Trust Verywell Family?

Maya Polton is a former marketing manager and current freelance writer who covers food, home, and parenting. She's also the mom of a 10-year-old son, 7-year-old son, and 3-year-old daughter. Her kids are super active, so she's always looking for toys that get them outside and playing for as long as possible. She's found that chalk, scooters, and stomp rockets are perfect for one-size-fits-all fun.

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