Gifts for 12-Year Old Boys

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

ALSO VISIT: Best Gifts for 12 Year Old Girls

Gifts for 12 Year Old Boys

Nintendo Switch
The hottest gift of the 2017 Christmas season — this cool gaming system can be taken on the go for tabletop mode or connect it to your TV. You’ll get two Joy-Con controllers for multiple players. If you have kids who like gaming, this is a top gift choice.

LEGO Star Wars First Order Destroyer
The elaborate destroyer has so many intricate and authentic details including a working elevator, transparent-element engine, and a bridge with seating for the crew! Kids will have endless role play opportunities and the set makes an impressive display.

LEGO Technic Extreme Adventure
How cool is this? Build this cool vehicle using the over 2,000 pieces to make a vehicle that can go on all sorts of terrains. it has a working suspension, front steering, and a v9 engine. But, it includes so much more — this is a great gift choice for builders who like to play.

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2018

It might take a kid 100 hours to read this book. Maybe more. The beauty of it, besides the dense content of fascinating facts, is that kids can skip around to what interests them to read at that moment. As you expect from National Geographic Kids, the layout, colors, and photographs are fantastic making the information jump out at the reader. This is a great gift for kids who love nonfiction books of facts. Or any kid actually.

littleBits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit
How cool is this, right? Kids get to create and control their own customized droid using electronic blocks and an app. I especially love that this STEM kit allows for kids to be creative as well as teaches them about electronics, creative inventions, and problem solving.

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. Build over 160 projects using 60 pieces.

Massively Epic Engineering Disasters: 33 Thrilling Experiments Based on History’s Greatest Blunders by Sean Connolly
Learn about engineering disaster 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.

Anki Overdrive Fast and Furious Edition
We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE our Anki Overdrive Fast & Furious. Like, 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.

Powerbeats 3 Wireless In-Ear Headphones
Essential for the iPhone 7 and the latest in headphone technology. These work with any Bluetooth enabled device, last up to 12 hours, and are sweat and water resistant. If you’re looking for a less expensive option, try the Bose SoundSport Wireless Headphones instead.

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

iPhone 7

iPhone 7 Shock Absorbing Case

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.

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.

LEGO Creator Mini Cooper (experts only!)
Authentic replica that features opening doors, hood and trunk, spare wheel in separate compartment, detailed engine and 2 fog lights.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak HISTORICAL
Death narrates the story of Liesel, a girl lives in Munich during the time of Nazi Germany. Through impossibly hard times, she has a burning desire to read. Her first stolen book, which her foster father uses to teach her, is The Gravediggers Handbook. It’s a powerful story of growing up, friendship, and the human condition.

Timberland Magic Glove with Touchscreen Technology

DALIX Cuff Beanie Cap 12″ — 14 colors

Kindle Fire

Flash and Thunder
You play in the true story of a Native American paratrooper on D-Day, Turner Turnbull, a young lieutenant in the 82nd Airborne and make the decisions he faced on D-Day. The game comes with an 108-page graphic novel and collectible paratrooper figure, which tie to a free-to-play mobile game. Game includes: 15 card Operations Packet, 2 detailed maps, 108-page graphic novel.

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

Doctor Strange Pops!
Marvel’s Doctor Strange, Karl Mordo, Kaecilius, and the Ancient One.

Dragonwood
Collect sets of adventurer cards to earn dice, which you will use to roll against your foes. Stomp on some fire ants, shriek at a grumpy troll, or strike the menacing orange dragon with a magical silver sword. Choose your strategy carefully because the landscape of Dragonwood is ever-changing. Only the bravest will overcome the odds to emerge victorious! It may be hard to imagine, but Dragonwood, with its vast array of richly illustrated cards, started out looking much different than where it ended.

Booked by Kwame Alexander REALISTIC
Alexander skillfully writes about the teenage human condition — he just gets it! 12-year old Nick struggles with his parents’ separation, a school bully, and the awkwardness of a first crush. The only thing that feels right is soccer. That is, until he gets injured and can’t play. Written in free verse, this is a lyrical, fast-paced story that feels honest and relatable.

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.

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.

The Prisoner of Cell 25 (Michael Vey #1) by Richard Paul Evans (sci-fi, adventure) (Books 1-3 Set)
This is 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!

littleBit Electronics Synth Kit
An easy to use modular synthesizer that helps you unleash your inner rockstar. I love the combination of music and science.

Small World
Small World is a zany, light-hearted card game in which 2-5 players vie for conquest and control of a board that is simply too small to accommodate them all. Picking the right combination of fantasy races and unique special powers, players must rush to expand their empires – often at the expense of weaker neighbors. Small World is inhabited by a cast of characters such as dwarves, wizards, amazons, giants, orcs and even humans; who use their troops to occupy territory and conquer adjacent lands in order to push the other races off the face of the earth.

Miposaur
The intelligent robot dinosaur that responds to you! Whether it’s with your hands, his Trackball, or with an app, MiPosaur is smart enough to take on your every command- and mischievous enough not to! Train, tame and game with multiple game modes within the Trackball and free app, available on iOS or Android devices.

Embossed Dragon Journal with Lock
Perfect for the tween writer, this is a handcrafted journal with 120 pages of linen parchment paper and a swivel lock. Okay, I wouldn’t mind this gift either.

Disney Infinity 3.0 Starter Pack (Nintendo WiiU, XBox, PlayStation)
1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Video Game (Unlocks Play Set and Toy Box Modes), 1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Base, 2 Star Wars Figures: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, 1 Star Wars Twilight of the Republic Play Set Piece and 1 Web Code Card. This is HIGH on my kids wish list!

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!

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!

Imhotep
Take on the roles of ancient Egyptian architects and transport stone blocks on ships from your quarry to different construction sites — requires strategy and planning.

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.