Finding the perfect toys and gifts for teen boys might seem like a daunting task. What do they like, other than sleeping and eating? Teenage boys, and their interests, appear to be a bit of a mystery, but help is on the way.
Before you begin your gift search, consider the personality of the teenager you’re shopping for, as well as their age/maturity level. The teenage years are a time when boys begin to figure out who they are and to clarify what their interests/passions are. They begin to figure out what things they think define them and to gravitate toward those interests. Most teenage boys are acutely reliant on how they are viewed by their peers.
Some general personality types of teenage boys:
1. The Athlete.
This teen is quite competitive and loves playing very active games. He doesn’t mind breaking a sweat and enjoys team sports. He thrives in a competitive, physical atmosphere and is gifted with good hand-eye coordination.
2. The Daredevil/Prankster.
This teen boy regularly gives his mother mini heart-attacks with his fearless nature. He looks before he gleefully leaps. He thrives off of thrills and enjoys pushing himself out of his comfort zone. The Prankster also fits into this category and often overlaps with the Daredevil. The Prankster loves pulling pranks on those around him and delights in watching their reactions.
3. The Gamer.
The Gamer loves playing video games and being among the first to try out every new game. He keeps informed on all the latest game releases, preordering as many as he can in order to be the first among his peers to play and master each game.
4. The Artist.
The Artist loves to create and generally enjoys learning about many different art mediums. Your young artist is in his element when he is doing something creative.
5. The Fashionista.
This teenage boy is very conscious of fashion trends and definitely has a style. He spends a lot of time shopping for clothes and shoes and loves putting together the perfect outfit. He is likely to be voted, “Best Dressed.”
6. The Thinker.
This self-proclaimed “nerd” loves strategy and role play. He enjoys activities which require a lot of brain power and excels at planning and outwitting his opponents.
Obviously, this is only a generalization of a few personality types of teen boys, and many boys will fit into more than one category, but this guide can be quite useful in helping you figure out what type of gift your teenage boy would love.
Top 10 Best Toys And Gifts For Teen Boys (in no particular order):
Lightning Reaction Reloaded Shocking Game
This game is perfect for the Daredevil/Prankster in your life. This game requires a lot of bravery and a good dose of hand-eye coordination. Participants each hold one of four handles while suspenseful music plays. When the music randomly stops, the last person to push their button receives a shock.
This inventive game is a real test of reflexes and the intrepid Daredevil in your life will love challenging his family and friends to a modern game of quick-draw. The Prankster might even catch a few unwitting victims off-guard.
This game is not recommended for teens under 14.
Capture the Flag Redux – Glow in the Dark
Your Athlete, Gamer, and Thinker will all love this remake of the classic game, Capture the Flag. Meant to be played at night, this new twist is a glow-in-the-dark version, complete with glowing field markers and mission cards to bring variety and strategy to your game. Players don glowing team bracelets and attempt to find, and snag their opponents glowing orb.
This game encourages your teen to strategize and plan, while also providing plenty of opportunity for physical gameplay. Combining problem-solving with physical activity helps your teen to develop good cognitive skills, which in turn, improves performance at school and with general life-skills.
This set can accommodate up to 32 players and is suitable for all ages.
Dynasty Toys Laser Tag Set and Carrying Case for Kids Multiplayer 4 Pack
For some great screen-free fun, this is the perfect gift for any teen boy, particularly your Athlete, Gamer, or Thinker. This set of four Laser Tag blasters utilizes the blasters as the targets, making the use of vests unnecessary. The blasters have different pause and reload settings and sounds which add variety to the game. This game encourages cooperation between teammates while honing the development of strategy skills.
The portability of this set, and included carrying case, makes simple work of setting up a battle zone anywhere. The blasters have four settings which can be adjusted for team play or 1 v 1. For a massive laser tag battle, you can easily expand team size by adding additional sets. This laser tag set is suitable for all ages.
Spikeball 3 Ball Game Set
The Athlete in your life is sure to love this highly active game. Intended to be played with 1, 2, or 4 players, this game was featured on Shark Tank. Spikeball is extremely popular on college campuses, with youth groups, and in beach communities. The game involves players taking turns bouncing and spiking a ball off of a net, which is stretched across a circular frame.
The game comes with 3 balls, a carrying bag, and the playing net. The tension on the net can be adjusted to a greater level of difficulty as your teen’s skills increase. The legs on the sturdy frame of the playing net fold up for easy portability, which allows your teenage boy to easily take the game wherever he wants to play.
Your teen can hone his skills alone, with buddies, or learn the value of teamwork by joining a Spikeball league (they have an app which lists all the leagues nearby). One thing is certain, your teen will work up a sweat while having a blast. Suitable for all ages.
3 Doodler Create 3D Pen With 50 Strands
This 3D Pen is a fantastic creative outlet for your Artist. Your teen loads his 3D pen with one of the included plastic strands. The pen melts the strands and extrudes them out of a fine tip nozzle. As the plastic cools, it hardens quickly, allowing your teen to build all kinds of amazing creations. This set includes changeable nozzles, 50 plastic strands, and accessories.
With practice, and perhaps viewing some YouTube videos, your Artist will be able to build impressive architectural structures, modify toys, or even start his own business repairing broken toys. Your teen will practically see the application of physics in action as he learns what it takes to build and brace a sturdy structure. Once your artist has worked his way through the included 50 strands, he can easily order replacement strands. The 3 Doodler is suitable for all ages, but younger teens may need some assistance.
Holy Stone HS200 RC Drone With WiFi Live Camera Feed
This awesome entry-level drone is perfect for the Artist and Thinker in your life. Scratch that, it’s perfect for any teen boy! The drone has around a 10-minute flight time and 4 speeds. Mobile Control, and the phone holder on the controller, allows your teen to control the drone through his cell phone. Equipped with real-time Wi-Fi transmission, through the use of its HD camera to your teen’s cell phone, this quality drone encourages your budding filmographer to explore the world around him in an entirely new way – from the air.
Your Artist teen will love the ability to create and record incredible videos or aerial photos straight to his phone. Your Thinker will learn about aeronautics as he grows in his piloting skills.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of this drone, and the one most useful for a teenage boy, is the “One Key Return Home” function. If their drone is getting a little too far away, your teen can simply push this button and the drone returns back to him! This drone is probably best for older teens.
Xbox Live Gold Membership
Does your teenager have an Xbox? If he does, he needs an Xbox Live Gold membership. An Xbox Live Gold membership allows your Gamer to play video games online with his friends or some of the millions of players worldwide. All games with an online capability (which is practically any game he would want to play, e.g. Fortnite) require a Gold membership. A Gold membership also provides your teen boy with 2 free downloadable games each month, around a $700 value! An additional benefit to a Gold membership is that it allows your teenager to save 50-75% off of games in the Xbox store.
Believe it or not, when used appropriately, video games can actually be beneficial to the development of a teenage boy by aiding in the development of his hand-eye coordination. Additionally, the skills needed to successfully plot out a game-plan, help your teen strengthen his problem-solving and cooperative skills.
Suitable for any teenager with an Xbox gaming system.
Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook
This handbook is, “The essential reference for every Dungeons & Dragons roleplayer”, and it’s highly likely that your Thinker will love it. What teenage boy doesn’t want to be a hero and save the day? D & D lets players unleash their imagination as they immerse themselves in a mystical roleplay world of dragons, weapons, treasure, and monsters.
Your teen, along with some of his friends, will exercise their creativity as they progress along their journey. This handbook contains rules, background information for characters, info about spells, and tons more.
A teen who is typically a reticent writer, might find himself eagerly filling up pages and pages of writing as he works on his character development.
Due to the roleplay aspect and curation of character progress, this may be more suitable for older teen boys.
Original Wayfarer Sunglasses by Rayban
For your Fashionista, it doesn’t get more iconic than a pair of Rayban Wayfarers. Their classic shape and logo are instantly recognizable and they look great on any face shape. Admit it, you know you just pictured Tom Cruise in Risky Business! The timeless quality of these shades ensures that your gift will be used and loved for many years.
The acetate frames of these glasses are lightweight, yet durable, and their polarized lenses help to significantly reduce the glare off of shiny surfaces and bodies of water.
These glasses are sized for an adult male face, so keep that in mind when deciding whether these are right for your teen.
Beats Studio 3 Wireless Headphones
For your Fashionista teenage boy, these headphones are a coveted style statement. Your Audiophile will appreciate the Pure Adaptive Noise Canceling technology, which blocks out background noise so that your teen can better enjoy the beautiful sound quality. Many students rely on music to assist them in eliminating audio distractions while studying and these headphones great for that task.
The wireless capability of these headphones means that when paired with your teen’s Bluetooth device, they have a range of 30 feet.
Fast Fuel Charging means that a 10-minute charge will give your teen over 3 hours of play time. Additional value is added through controls on the headphones, which your teen can utilize to answer calls, skip songs, and activate Siri.
These are probably best suited for teens who are mature enough to understand their value and properly care for them.
The toys and gifts for teen boys on this list are certain to please your boy, and hey, there’s always cash!
