Tried and True Gift Ideas for Young Boys

Looking for a gift idea for a boy in your life that won’t just be tossed to the side after his birthday or the holidays? These are toys and books that have stood the test of time in our house!

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My boys have a lot of toys! Too many toys, really! But there are some toys that were really worth it! This is a list of toys, books, games and arts and crafts supplies that my boys have played with consistently over time.

Yes, girls can play with and use these things, too, but I have two boys, three nephews and just one niece, so my adult life has pretty much been spent thinking about what gifts I should buy for boys! 😉

My experience in this area has thus far been limited to boys who are 8 and under and I want to make sure I give you an accurate idea of the ages for which these gifts are most appropriate. I hope this list of gift ideas for young boys gives you some ideas of presents that will stand the test of time!

Toy Gift Ideas for Boys:

1. Bruder Toys CAT Excavator

These trucks have not only kept my boys attention for years, they are sturdy and built to last for years, too! My boys have loved the construction vehicles in particular and the take them inside and outside to dig, whether it be dirt, sand or picking up LEGO Bricks! You can see a whole list of Bruder Trucks here! Also popular with my boys are the trash truck and fire truck!

2. LEGO Building Set

My boys are obsessed with LEGO® bricks! In particular, they love the LEGO CITY line: police, fire, construction, etc. The Mobile Command Center pictured above has been particularly popular with my boys!

The great thing about LEGOs is that they can be used over and over again in millions of different combinations. Some kids like to build sets and keep them together and other kids love to take them apart and build their own creations. Whatever your gift-recipient’s personality it’s hard to go wrong with LEGO bricks! Another great thing about LEGO toys is that there is something for every price range!

Related: The Ultimate Guide to LEGOLAND Discovery Center Columbus – If you have LEGO lovers in your life, another gift that will continue to give all year round is an annual pass to LEGOLAND or LEGOLAND Discovery Center!

4. Magna-Tiles

Magna-Tiles are another toy that my boys can play with for long spans of time. These toys are an investment, but they continue to be popular at home and at local play cafes and indoor play areas! We have a slightly cheaper version called Dreambuilder Toy Magnetic Tiles that work pretty well but are a little bit smaller.

5. Playmobil

My boys have been fans of Playmobil across all ages. This is another toy that has spanned several years of playing! Again, my boys are particularly drawn to the Fire and Police lines of this toy, but they pretty much enjoy any vehicle or building. The Playmobile Fire Station was a hit a few years ago for Christmas and it continues to be played with on a regular basis! My boys love the police car and fire trucks.

6. Road Rug

Do boys come out of the womb obsessed with Matchbox cars? I think mine did! One of the best places to drive your toy cars is on a “road rug”! A rug like this one and a pack of Matchbox cars will provide hours of entertainment! My boys have used their road rugs as an action scene for LEGO vehicles, dinosaurs, Playmobil cities and more! These rugs provide the setting for imaginations to run wild!

7. Matchbox or Hotwheels Cars and Transport er

As mentioned in #6, Matchbox or Hotwheels cars are super popular with all ages of boys! My kids started playing with them at age 2 and they’re still playing with them! It’s easy to collect these cars in mass numbers and one of the things we have used to store them is this Toy Truck Transport Car Carrier!

8. Wooden Train Tracks

Wooden train tracks have been played with at my house in some form for many years! Both of my boys have gone through their train phases and these tracks stand the test of time! There are a lot of related brands of train products that fit together.

The Thomas the Train line is probably the most popular train toy, but my boys have played with all kinds of trains! And no matter how many tracks you have you can always add more to make your scene bigger!

Check here for the wooden Thomas the Tank Engine train.

9. Kid Galaxy White House

This gift is a surprising one on the list, but recently my boys got really into learning about the US Presidents! When I shared about this in my Instagram stories, I got a lot of interest in this toy that friends of ours found for my boys, so I figured my boys are not the only ones into US history!

This set comes with a plastic White House that opens up and has 4 play rooms. There is a figurine for each president of the US and a set of cards with info about each president. It was amazing how much my boys played with this one!

Book Gift Ideas for Boys:

1. My Truck is Stuck

This is a funny, rhyming book my boys have read over and over! A great picture book for young boys!

2. Alphabet Trucks

If your boys love trucks, they will love learning the alphabet with this book that features a truck that starts with every letter of the alphabet!

3. Cars Galore

Cars, cars and still more cars! This is another great car book for vehicle lovers!

4. Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go

A classic by Richard Scarry here! This book has scenes from all over featuring, you guessed it: vehicles!

5. Sticker Books

Books like these sticker books have kept my boys busy for hours! They love these books that have stickers to put on all the pages in the book. They especially love the Trucks and Cars themed sticker books! Friends of our family have given my boys these books as gifts and they even regularly look at them even though all the stickers are in place!

Board Game Gift Ideas for Boys:

1. UNO Attack

My kids love playing UNO Attack – even if they’re making up their own rules most of the time! 😉 UNO is a great game for kids because it involves matching colors and recognizing numbers and it’s pretty easy to learn at a young age! Adding in the Attack feature is extra fun for kids! They love the suspense of wondering if and how many cards are going to come flying out!

2. Payday

Payday is a classic game that is pretty easy for young kids to pick up! My kids have loved this game and love learning about the concept of money! There is a surprising amount of life lessons to be learned when playing this game! 😉 Introducing the concept of bills, insurance, jobs and the responsibilities of adulthood is never a bad idea!

3. Connect 4

This is a really simple game for young kids to play! Even a 3 year old can play Connect Four! My youngest son recently made up his own version of Connect 4 where we took turns making a pattern. Maybe it’s not in the rule book, but I thought it was a great learning exercise that was fun for him at the same time! (As a side note, check out this awesome life sized, yard games version of Connect 4!)

4. Sorry

Sorry is another great game for younger kids! I am not a fan of this game because it always made me cry as a kid! LOL! But my kids love it so I will swallow my pride and play it with them. It’s a great way to learn counting!

Arts and Crafts Gift Ideas for Boys:

1. Melissa and Doug Reusable Sticker Pad: Vehicles

My kids have this sticker pad and love using the stickers over and over again to make different scenes! The price on this pad is very reasonable (usually less than $5) which is pretty good considering that the stickers are reusable! There are several themes available for these pads including My Town and Adventure!

2. Water Wow! Reusable Coloring Books

We recently discovered these books as they were gifted to my kids by one of their grandparents! This is another mess free coloring option that’s great for travel or keeping kids busy in restaurants or doctor’s offices and the like! You fill the pen with water and then you can paint the scenes and they turn colors! The great thing about this pad is that as it dries, the picture turns white again and it is reusable!

3. Imagine Ink Magic Ink Picture Books

These mess free coloring books are great for car rides and pretty much any time you need to keep a kid busy! My kids have had tons of these books and they love them! This is a great idea for when you’re traveling with kids or want them to be able to color without worrying about making a mess. The ink is clear unless used on the special paper within the book!

4. Crayola Washable Water Paints

You can’t go wrong with these classic water paints! Kids love to play and paint with water. We have huge rolls of paper that we just roll out on the table and let the kids paint on! Don’t forget paint brushes!

If you’re looking for a great gift idea for young boys, I hope this list gives you a starting point! These gifts are classic and have stood the test of time in my house! If you’re looking for a gift for a boy that won’t get tossed to the side the day after opening it, pick one of these gifts that can be used again and again, even in different ways, as kids grow and change!