Gifts for 12-Year Old Boys

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Discover cool gifts for 12 year old boys: books, games, and technology!

Gifts for 12 Year Old Boys

Apple AirPods
Anyone who has a 12 year old knows that their music is EVERYTHING. These are a very popular tween gift that kids and their parents like. (For different reasons.)

Go Pro Hero
Record all your action with a GoPro HERO8 camera. Includes a head strap, 32GB SD card, and 2 rechargeable batteries.

Magic: The Gathering Adventures in The Forgotten Realm
A team up between Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, creating the ultimate fantasy card game.

Audio Gaming Chair
We first saw these at the neighbor’s house– they are pretty cool, right? Listen to music, watch TV, read, play video games, or just relax. It’s got 4 speakers plus wireless receivers and transmitters and is compatible with most gaming devices.

Gone to the Woods by Gary PaulsenThis is a compelling, disturbing, and hopeful childhood story of hardship and survival with moments of kindness and time in nature that sustain the neglected, determined young boy. If you love Gary Paulsen’s stories or just enjoy survival and growing up stories, DON’T MISS this powerful book! Also, Paulsen writes his memoir in the third person which is an interesting choice and one that works extremely well…

littleBits Avengers Hero Inventor Kit
Marvel fans, make your own gauntlet! Snap together the electronics to build circuits the customize your gauntlet. Videos for over 18 in-app activities, wearable Tech sensors, in-app block coding, customizable LED Matrix light design, and authentic Marvel Avengers sound effects.

Bose SoundLink Color Bluetooth Speaker
My teenager LOVES this speaker — it’s such high-quality sound and has a waterproof, silicone exterior. Charge up to give yourself 8 hours of playtime on the go. It’s compatible with Google Now and Siri.

LEGO Death Star
Use the 4000+ pieces to build the Death Star battle station. Includes tons of mini figures! This is the ULTIMATE gift for a Star Wars fan!

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Because this is written in verse, this is a fast read but packs a big punch. Basketball player and twin Josh narrates his life in quarters, just like the game he plays. He writes about missing his twin when his twin, Jordan, gets a girlfriend; about getting in trouble when he hits Jordan in the face with a basketball; and about watching his father as his heart fails. This is a coming-of-age, gripping story about a boy who is just trying to figure out life like most boys at age 12.

NFL Jersey

Screaming Goat Book & Figure
Give him a gentle press and make your goat scream!

iPad Pro + Apple Pencil
Both the Pro and the Apple Pencil have been much-used gifts for both my kids. They’re loving the pencil for drawing apps and think the functionality of the Pro rocks.

Nintendo Switch Lite

Now you can hold a Nintendo Switch in your hands enjoy even more on-the-go games and fun.

Allies by Alan Gratz

Written from many different voices about one day in history, readers easily can see the massive amount of cooperation, planning. and troops from different countries involved in D-Day (when the Allies invaded France at Normandy.) We hear from an American teenager soldier who was born in Germany, a French Algerian girl whose mom is a recently captured spy, a Canadian paratrooper who lands in the wrong spot, and an American black medic. It’s violent and disheartening yet despite terrible losses, racism, and injuries, the fighters persist despite everything to accomplish their goal — to take back the area for the Allies. What an incredible retelling of this day, appropriate for middle grade readers.

PopSockets: Expanding Stand and Grip for Smartphones and Tablets
Tweens use to pop, tilt, wrap, prop, collapse, and grip electronic devices.

Alexa Dot
The Alexa Dot was our successful compromise with our daughter who still wanted to listen to her music in her room but wasn’t allowed to have screen time in her bedroom. Now it’s become a favorite way to play music for both our girls. It’s voice-controlled and you can use it as an alarm, speaker, timer, and more.

Lockwood & Co The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
In historical London, dangerous ghosts and spirits aren’t just stories — they’re real and murderous. But, only kids can see and fight these sectors. We follow the perilous adventures Anthony Lockwood who owns his own agency (with no adults in sight) to combat the supernatural with his teen team of Lucy and George. Creepy and exciting!

Tinkering Labs Electric Motors Catalyst
This is quite the cool educational Maker kit! It’s filled with parts and challenge cards so that kids can explore, experiment, and learn.

Timberland Men’s Glove with Touchscreen Technology

DALIX Cuff Beanie Cap 12″ — 14 colors

Kindle Fire
Reading and writing take practice. Good writers are avid readers. Keep your growing writer reading with a Kindle loaded with books.

Swiss Army Knife
15 functions for your everyday adventures: blade, Phillips screwdriver, scissors, and more.

Bounce Off
We laugh through this entire game — it’s a blast! Set up on any flat surface then race to recreate the pattern on the challenge card by bouncing balls into the grid. It’s harder than it looks! The first color to complete the pattern wins the card. Earn 3 cards to win the game.

One by Wacom Digital Drawing Tablet
The original Wacom tablets cost $500+ so this is a more affordable option at $60 for kids who want to get started with digital art. Plug into your computer and start drawing!

The Maze Runner by James Dasher
What a wild ride! Kids can’t put these books down. In this dystopian world, kids are either killed or must kill to survive. There are tons of plot twists that kept me surprised and entertained. Boxed Set HERE.

Awesome Achievers in Technology by Alan Katz, illustrated by Chris Judge
Kids will zip through this excellent middle-grade biography because the author makes the information relevant and relatable. The writing is conversational, the author is totally hilarious (especially when he talks about his own ridiculous inventions or the questions he asks Siri) plus there are illustrations, quizzes, fast facts, activities, and a wealth of fascinating information about each inventor’s life. You’ll read about the inventors of video games, the television remote control, the cell phone, windshield wipers, the first web browser, and the microwave oven.

Swish
Match pairs of cards that complement each other — so the color circle matches the color ball. It’s not easy for me but my kids rock at this game. The player with the most matches wins. One day, I’ll win. I hope.

Wireless Headphones
These aren’t just highly-rated, they’re really a good price, too! We also love that they have good sound, LED lights, and volume control.

Foosball Table
A reasonably priced competition-sized foosball table brings fun to any setting, perfect for home game rooms.

LEGO Star Wars Imperial Light Cruiser
Mandalorian fans, now you can build the Imperial Light Cruiser and get 5 minifigures with it.

Christmas Light Charger
If you’re going to charge a device, why not make it cool?

Massively Epic Engineering Disasters: 33 Thrilling Experiments Based on History’s Greatest Blunders by Sean Connolly
Learn about engineering disasters like the Roman Colosseum’s collapse or the unsinkable Titanic then do experiments that fix those engineering issues using everyday household items. Illustrations accompany step-by-step directions for each activity. You’ll learn a lot from this engineering-focused STEM book.