Table of Content
This game can be played alone, as the player tries to beat their own high score or against others by taking turns. Send me exclusive offers, unique gift ideas, and personalized tips for shopping and selling on Etsy. Stop hunting for the best products and deals—get our expert scoop on secret sales and discounts, gift ideas for everyone, and can’t-miss products. Tell him to go take a hike in these Merrell Nova 2 sneakers and he’ll happily oblige. They offer the comfort and support of Merrell’s best hiking shoes with added flair and tween-friendly colors. If you’re in the mood to coordinate, you can pick up some of the brand’s walking shoes for men as well.
The Fuzion X-3 Pro Scooter is fitted with top-of-the-line components and comes with numerous upgrades, including an aircraft-grade aluminum deck, high-tensile steel V-bars, and more. It’s lightweight and durable, making it ideal for entry-level riders who are looking to build their skills. As they're fumbling through these sometimes awkward years, it’s important to make sure that your gift choice is appropriate for a 12-year-old boy.
Animal Crossings New Horizons Digital Code – Nintendo Switch
While non-toy gifts are not evaluated in the Lab, editors still look for gifts put out by trusted brands, gifts with great reviews from purchasers, best-sellers and editors' favorites. Playing with Nerf blasters is a great way to improve hand-eye coordination and develop spatial awareness as a 12-year-old handles and aims the blaster. This can be a popular social activity for 12-year-old boys who often like to play imaginative, strategy-based games with their Nerf blasters, encouraging critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The Kan Jam Portable Disc Slam Outdoor Game is great for all ages, develops a whole host of physical skills and has a quick easy set up too. A great gift for a 12-year-old boy who loves sports and playing outdoors.
This means you risk missing the boat and meaning you need to always be on your toes when thinking of gift ideas for 12-year-old boys. Lover of all holidays, prolific wedding attendee and always up for a celebration. Always on the lookout for the most unique gifts, cozy clothing and cool products. If your child spends the majority of their time roaming the realms of Minecraft on their Xbox One, this brilliant controller is the best gift that you could ever get them.
UBARBAR FUNNY PLACE TO STAY Fun Brick Mug
She was a teacher from 2012 through 2019 and has been writing professionally since 2016. Alicia's writing has been featured in Scholastic, Brighter Higher Ed, Popsugar, AARP, and Yahoo News. Alicia Betz is a freelance writer for Insider Reviews, where she specializes in parenting and education. She researches and tests products from the hottest new toys to the most tried and true parenting products.
The best gifts for tweens are the ones where he’ll have fun while learning. (Shhhh, don’t tell him!) This National Geographic kit is packed with more than 15 scientific experiments. He’ll get to make a volcano erupt, grow crystals, generate a water tornado and more.
PoolCandy Illuminated Giant Floating LED Volleyball Set
It keeps one of his most important belongings safe thanks to foam padding and a zipped top. Most importantly, it gives a witty glimpse into his game-loving personality. That makes it a tween gift he’ll use and remember for years to come. 10 Pokémon GO booster packs, 65 sleeves, a foil promo card and 45 energy cards that will rock his Pokémon-loving world. It’s one of the best gifts for tween boys who have graduated from Pikachu plushies and are ready for the next level of training. For the creative child who wants to explore as much of their talents as possible, you cannot go wrong with the impressive and comprehensive Darice 80-Piece Deluxe Art Set.

Creepers are the unofficial mascot of Minecraft, so there are a lot of kids who’d love to have their very own creeper to explode. Sure, it costs more, but in terms of power and stunning visuals, the Honor 10 Lite is where it’s at. It feels like a true, premium phone, and if they think it cost more than it did, you know they’ll be sure to look after it more than a potato phone. And what could be more fun for a young boy than punching something repeatedly? This board in particular is made from maple wood, which is strong enough to withstand riding and tricks as they’re still learning. When it comes to skateboarding, you can right ahead and avoid anything under $20.
Kids tend to drop things but fear not, these are also shock absorbent. This flying orb ball has a powerful engine and because its functions are based on aviation flight principles, it has a variety of flight modes. It can be controlled to float, glide, ascend, or be thrown and be made to return like a boomerang. For your budding action star, get this waterproof camera and watch them go.

If they’re looking forward toRogue One, the Black Series K-2SO figure makes for one of the best gifts for boys this year, thanks to its high build quality and attention to detail. Control the Altair Aqua Fast RC Boat with the included remote and watch it reach speeds of up to 18 mph. The 390-size brushed motor gives you the power you’re looking for while the child-safe propeller ensures the littler ones can handle the remote-controlled boat without safety concerns. There's one year left before you have a full-blown teenager on your hands. But that doesn't mean finding gifts for 12-year-olds is any easier than reading the mind of a testy teen.
Plan the perfect movie night with this inflatable movie screen perfect for the living room or the backyard. Pre-teens can watch movies with the family, play video games with friends, or watch the game on Sunday's in a fun and innovative way, sure to spice up any gathering. A great place to start your gift search is to consider the hobbies and interests of the kid at hand. Whether they're into sports, video games, anime, clothing, music, TikTok, travel, or movies, you can find inspiration from their passions.
Claire's Exclusive Milk Carton Flip-A-Mallows plush toy is a great addition to any Squishmallow collection. The Hydroflask stainless steel water bottle has an eye-catching design that comes in a variety of colors, so your teen will want to take it with them wherever they go. The Hydroflask performed well during our tests to find the best water bottle.
The Altair Falcon comes with two batteries so you can stay in the air longer. The Altair Falcon is ready to fly right out of the box, even if you’ve never handled a drone before. This isn’t like one of those overcomplicated drones, which take hours to learn and even longer to master. Fully assembled and equipped with autonomous hover and positioning systems, the Falcon is a cinch to fly. It is pricier than the generic $20 headsets, but the difference between the two cannot be understated.
The best gaming laptop we tested is the Asus ROG Strix G14 thanks to its excellent battery, fantastic performance and sleek form factor. Marisa has covered all aspects of the world of parenting, from the postpartum years through the empty nests, since 2015, and she's pitched in with Good Housekeeping's toy coverage since 2018. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter, who are both avid toy collectors. This would make a great gift for a 12-year-old boy who likes to set himself challenges and play independently.
It also has interchangeable paddles and rubberized diamond grip for reduced sweaty hands. The weight of the Elite controller is probably its most impressive feature, though, as it feels like you’re actually holding something that won’t break. Thanks to their new console, Microsoft has seen an impressive boost to their video game division, selling more consoles in both August and September than Sony. I’m not saying it’s a better console than the PS4 Pro that will hit the market soon, but it’s certainly a much more formidable opponent than the 2013 edition of the Xbox One.
Sphero is absolutely out of control with their cool ideas, and one of our favorites is the R2-D2 App-Enabled Droid. Basically, it works like the BB-8 from a couple years ago, and it has an integrated speaker and LEDs as well. If you watch films from the Star Warssaga with it, it’ll react as it watches. You're never too old for stuffies or plushies, and the stuffed toys that are all the rage right now are Squishmallows. If you know a teen girl who's a fan of all things cute, this will brighten up her Christmas. If her room is already filled to the brim with Squishmallows, don't worry—you can never have too many of these collectible items.