Gifts for 12-Year Old Boys

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.)

Magic The Gathering Core Booster 2020 
If you love combat, strategy, and art in an epic card game, this is a must-own! You’ll get 36 Core Set 2020 (M20) booster packs, each with 15 Magic cards. Pick your favorites, put them in your deck, and battle. Crack your box and booster draft with up to 12 friends for an unforgettable game night filled with epic creatures and devastating spells.

LEGO Forest Machine
Build a durable Forest Machine with motorized pneumatic crane boom and grabber with this advanced building set. This is a 2-in-1 model that can be rebuilt into a Log Loader both logging equipment toys are powered up with LEGO Power Functions.

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.

Holy Stone HS170 Predator Mini RC Helicopter Drone
This reasonably priced drone flies for 6-8 minutes in a 30-50 meter range and three different speeds. A great gift for 12 year old boys.

The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1) by Richard Paul Evans
SCIENCE FICTION / ADVENTURE
This is a fantastic series about a boy with electrical powers and an evil group who wants to control him and others like him. So good you won’t want to put it down! BOXED SET HERE.

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 Millenium Falcon
Star Wars fans — Han Solo’s infamous plane is a must-own. Now you can build this newest version with 1414 pieces. You’ll also get the figures of Han Solo, Chewbacca, Qi’ra, Lando Calrissian, and Quay Tolsite plus a Kessel droid and DD-BD droid.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
REALISTIC
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

XBox One S
Get the latest in disc-free gaming with digital games. This newly-released bundle includes your Xbox One S plus Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Fortnight. If you don’t have one already, this is a top gift for 12 year old boys.

iPad Pro + Apple Pencil
Both the Pro and the Apple Pencil haves 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

Bluetooth Record Player Portable Suitcase with Built-in Speakers
Isn’t this the coolest? 3 speeds with vinyl to MP3 recording, Bluetooth, rechargeable battery, speakers, headphone jack and more.

Snap Circuits 3D Electronics Discovery Kit
Build 3D projects snapping together these parts that come with circuits! It’s the coolest electricity kit I’ve seen. Give this gift to your 12 year old boys and they’ll be able to build over 160 projects using 60 pieces.

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.

GoPro Hero
Ready to start making movies with this touch-screen, waterproof camera? Who do you know that would want this gift? Because I know a bunch of boys who want this for Christmas.

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

LEGO Star Wars Tie Fighting Building Kit
A large-scale LEGO-brick rendition of the classic Imperial Starfighter. Great for Star Wars and LEGO fans alike.

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 

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen
REALISTIC
I can’t recommend this book enough — it’s life-changing and profound! Angry at the world, 15-year old Cole beats a classmate into a coma and brain damage. To avoid jail time, Cole agrees to spend a year by himself on an island in Alaska, thinking he’ll escape as soon as possible this form of Native American justice. But after Cole almost dies, he decides to give the year-long process a chance. Throughout the experience, you’ll feel Cole’s pain and anger deeply which makes his healing and transformation that much more powerful. I just finished this amazing story and want to reread it again.

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!

Playoff Soccer Table
This quality built, action-packed foosball table is constructed from CARB certified MDF. Soccer balls glide easily across the smooth, life-like green grass playing surface. The table features dual manual slide scoring systems, goal boxes with built in automatic end ball return, 1/2 in. chrome-plated tubular steel rods, ergonomic handles, and ABS molded durable players. Also see: Tabletop Foosball Table.

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.

Anki Overdrive Fast and Furious Edition 
We LOVE our Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious. My kids are addicted. They like how it’s super interactive with technology (their favorite). They love building and rebuilding the track and racing against each other, friends, dad, or the computer — both literally one of the most fun things they do every day! Download the free app which connects you to your race car. The magnetic track pieces easily fit together and you’ll have tons of possibilities for races and race tracks.

Foldable Hi-Fi Wireless Headphones
These aren’t just highly-rated, they’re really a good price, too! We also love that they fold up and come in 7 colors! Other features: stereo sound, ear cushion, wireless mode or wired, and a built-in mic.

Bot Wars by J.V. Kade (sci-fi / adventure)
Trout’s dad disappeared in The Bot Wars. When Trout makes a plea for his missing dad on a vid that goes viral, things go crazy FAST. Like the government trying to kidnap him. What to they know that he doesn’t know? A fast-paced, excellent adventure!

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.

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.

Gift Guides by Age

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Best Gifts for 10 Year Old Boys
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Best Gifts for 11 Year Old Boys
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