You want gifts for little boys they’ll love even after the box is thrown away. Every gift on this list is kid tested and approved.
Shopping for gifts for little boys is just plain fun.
There are so many things that will bring them true joy…as long as you know where to look.
Because after all, we live in a world filled with overwhelming choices. So it helps to narrow gift ideas down to things that are tried and true.
With four boys in our family, we’ve had hundreds of toys cycle through our home over the years.
Sadly, I’ve seen a ton of toys get tossed in a corner and never played with again.
But I’m now an expert at which toys get played with time and time again.
These are the winners. The toys that are tried and true…well loved and played with until they’re worn.
I’ll let you in on a secret…9 times out of 10, the ignored toy is one that lights up with bells and whistles (and batteries).
Sure, those are pretty exciting at first. But after a few times, the kid realizes that this toy never does anything new. It’s loud and flashy…and really boring.
The best-loved toys are ones that involve imagination.
Tried and True Gifts Beloved By Little Boys
Train Set
Every boy seems to be enamored by a nice train set.
This train set is easy to assemble. You can change the look of the track every time you play. (And it’s much more affordable than other train sets!)
So as your child grows older, their creation can become more elaborate. PLUS you can buy additional pieces, which means you’re set on gift ideas for a while.
Imaginext
Get a big building for them to play with. One of our boys loved the Bat Cave and would play with it for hours.
If you don’t want to spend that much, no problem. They have toys in all price ranges, and they’re all fun.
They have tons of choices, from timeless boy favorites like pirates and dragons to popular sets like Jurassic Park and Toy Story.
You’ll definitely find something that sparks imagination in your boy.
Some of these toys do take batteries, but they aren’t necessary. Even if you run out of batteries, the toy is still plenty of fun!
BluTrack
If you have boys, you probably already have a pile of Hot Wheels cars. Yeah, we do, too. And we’ve tried a bunch of different Hot Wheels tracks and toys with them.
But they always seemed to fall apart quickly. They were difficult to play with. It was frustrating.
Then, we finally found the BluTrack. It’s the perfect way to race your toy cars!
It comes with a giant suction cup (one that has worked for years…even the kids can use it easily). You can suction it to a window or door.
Then the kids can race their cars down the ramp.
They can even create loops and ramps to make the cars do neat tricks. My 2-year-old plays with this every single day.
Balance Bikes
Your first bike probably had training wheels.
But these days, there’s a better way.
Get your child a balance bike for their first bike. You can skip the training wheels completely!
They’ll learn to balance on their bike properly from the start, making it a lot easier to transition to a regular bike faster.
Bilibo
If building creativity and imagination is important to you, there might be no better toy to give than a Bilibo.
Kids can spin around in them, pull things with a rope… the sky is the limit!
Great for indoors or outside.
Look for videos on Youtube to see ways other children have played with this unique toy.
Nerf Guns
A Nerf gun is a must for boys of all ages. I’ve even bought them for my Hubby!
Look for guns of all shapes and sizes.
Or accessories to go with their guns such as extra darts, vests, and masks.
We have a huge stack of Solo-type cups the kids stack and shoot over all the time.
Legos
Legos have been around forever, and they are as popular as ever!
Get Duplos for the little guys and bigger sets for the older ones.
You won’t believe what a selection there is these days.
Magformers
My boys discovered Magformers a few years ago, and now we are all hooked on them!
They can be expensive, so look for a sale on them. (They usually go on sale around November/December.)
These special magnets allow you to create a variety of things by laying them in a specific pattern on the floor. Then you can pull them up to create a ball or tower or any number of things!
Be as creative as you like with them.
Pin me!
If you’re stumped about buying gifts for little boys, these gifts are sure to please!
Be the favorite when you show up with any of these gifts.
You’ll also want to check out these cheap gifts that are a hit with anyone!
What great gift idea for a boy did I miss? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
Though I don’t have little ones anymore, love all of these gift ideas for little boys! Great ideas!
Thanks so much for reading!
boys are boys through all the generations – my “little boy” is 29 now but a lot of these things were on his Christmas list back when he was younger. Lego will always be a favourite (he still treats himself to Lego occasionally!)
Legos are fun for everyone! It’s amazing the things you can build with them. And I love the inventions my boys come up with using Legos. 🙂
These are some cute ideas. I have pinned to a couple boards, so I sure hope you get some more traffic from it.
Thanks so much!
I loved the Geotrax when my son was little. We had so many fun hours playing with them. I don’t know how they are priced now, but years ago they were way more affordable than the Thomas trains. I loved that I could get him something he loved without breaking the budget. Great list, I am pinning!
I have a 3 year old boy and am always looking for new ideas. That track looks awesome – thank you for the idea. 🙂
Happy I could help!
Hi, super cute ideas!
I’ve always liked the “boys” toys better. Poor me.
They all look like fun.
Thanks a lot for sharing these ideas on Tip Tuesday!
Me, too! I was never much on Barbie dolls as a girl, but I would play with my brothers toys all the time.
Awesome list!! We are a family of small boys right now and I’m sure this will be useful. Just shared 🙂 Thanks!
I don’t think you really missed any great ones, all of the best ones are here. I’m never seen the magna form one, I’ll have to check that one out. I have several young nephews under the age of 7 and I think they would enjoy it. Who grows up without a nerf gun, a ball, or a bike? These are the top 3 in my opinion.
A GREAT LIST!!!
At the risk of falling into the world of double entendre, balls are great for boys and men of all ages! Give most any male a tennis ball and he can be entertained for hours, if not days. Bouncing it off a wall, a floor, ceiling, another person, or painting a face on it and talking to it (a la Wilson and Tom Hanks). As long as they aren’t totally sports-phobic, a ball of any size or shape is a classic go-to that is almost flawless…
haha! Great point. I used to cut a slice in a tennis ball and put googly eyes on it to inspire my elementary aged students to sing with an open mouth back in my music teacher days. That is pretty amusing for folks of all ages!
Great little list – funny thing this is the 2nd post tonight that I’ve seen someone mention Magformers, we’ll have to check those out to see what all the hype is about 🙂 We are a Thomas the Train family at the moment, but you know that can change at any time. Thanks for sharing, I’m pinning this one!
Thanks so much! Magformers are so cool that even I sometimes play with them. 😉
Trains, cars, balls and anything to build are always a great choice for boys. Love your list! I have four boys and they would agree, too.
I love your list! Even though I have no boys of my own, I know several of these are a hit with the kids. Magformers are probably one of my favourite toys – it keeps the kids so busy and you can do so many things with them.
Thanks for sharing (and for linking up to the #SHINEbloghop).
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
xoxo