Finding gifts for boys 6-10 years old can be very difficult, especially if you’re a family with a budget. Social media can make you feel like the worst parent in the world if you aren’t spending $500 on each child. My family’s budget is $75 a child. So that means I need to be a little creative when shopping for my kiddos. My oldest two boys are 8 and 9 this year and so I’ve been trying to find gifts that they are relatively inexpensive. Here are some of the ideas and gifts that I have come up with for my boys.
Most of these books and games either we have or my nephews have and love.
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Books
My oldest is an avid reader. He loves books with interesting facts or about how things work. I really wanted to get him some gifts that will promote his love for reading.
Nonfiction
My son loves nonfiction books so I really enjoy finding books that will spark his interest in the things around him. Here are some of his top favorites:
The Fascinating Science Book for Kids
The Fascinating Ocean Book for Kids
The Fascinating Animal Book for Kids
This book is great for kids that are just starting out in the kitchen and want to ease there way into learning how to cook. My son has been begging to start learning how to cook. We got this Cookbook for Young Chefs and it has been great for him.
Fiction
Fiction books are where I struggle more than nonfiction. I want to make sure that the books he is reading are books that are appropriate. Here are some of our favorites. I will remind you that my oldest son is only 8 and so therefore some of the books I recommend are more for the boys ages 6-9.
The Chronicles of Narnia 8-Book Box Set
The Book of Mythical Beasts and Magical Creatures
For the Yoto Player
The Yoto has been AMAZING for our family. The Yoto player, plays audiobooks, kid friendly radio stations, it has timers, alarms, etc. My kids love it so much. I like the Yoto more than the Tonie Box because the cards generally cheaper and there is a much wider range and selection for the older children.
The Swashboggling Collection by Roald Dahl
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
The Trouble Begins: A Collection of Unfortunate Events
Activity Books
The Hardest Hidden Pictures Book Ever
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way
Where’s Waldo? The Ultimate Waldo Watcher Collection
Scratch and Sketch Secrets Pokemon
Reading Accessories
Mark-My-Time Digital Bookmark has been really great for my boys. My oldest likes to time how long he can read in one sitting, while my second oldest enjoys setting his timer for 20minutes so he can say he read and then be done.
We got this Reading Book Light for my oldest because currently he shares a room with my 16-month-old and so if he wants to stay up at night to read after the baby has fallen asleep he needs a light that wont wake the baby. It’s just like back in the day with we would read our books under the covers with a flashlight.
Games
Puzzles
Honestly, you cannot go wrong with any of Ravensburger Puzzles. We have 5 of them and they are amazing quality and really beautiful pictures. Here are some of our favorites. My oldest can easily sit and complete a 300 piece puzzle, but they have them in all sizes.
Card Games
Puzl It– is a great face-paced, seek and find like game. It is competitive and a lot of fun. My boys have really enjoyed playing it.
Exploding Kittens Mantis– This game is so much fun for everyone. It is literally our family’s favorite game.
Exploding Kittens Happy Salmon
Board Games
Chess– We got our son this set for his birthday and he really loves it. It is durable and the pieces are magnetic so they don’t get bumped around easily. It also has checkers pieces as well.
Magnetic Chess– This game is so fun and also really suspenseful. You place your magnets within the circle and try not to attract any of the other magnets. Whoever has the least amount of magnets at the end of the game wins.
Battleship- My boys play this for hours. It is a really great strategy game for young minds.
Stratego- I will admit that we have the original Star Wars version which is no longer being made, but the game in itself is so good.
Laurence King Dinosaur Bingo– My kids have been obsessed with Bingo game since they were really little. My older two boys have been able to say the full name of every dinosaur since they were about 3 or 4. This game has been well loved.
Craft, Activity, and Building Kits
Crafts
Some kids are craftier than others. I like to find their type of crafty and lean into it. The ideas below are pretty well-rounded for whatever your kids are interested in specifically. A lot of the activities below also have different themes, if the ones my sons are interested in aren’t the same as yours.
National Geographic Kids Stained Glass Kit These are great two because they have different themes. I found dinosaur ones and space ones.
National Geographic Clay Dinosaur Arts and Crafts Kit
Axolotl Fused Bead Craft Activity Kit
My son has really been into magic and slight of hand recently so we got him this National Geographic Kids Magic Set and he enjoys learning all these tricks and performing them for his younger siblings and his uncles. It’s a really great set for beginners.
Activity Sets
These are always a hot in my house. I like to buy an activity like one of these and put it under the tree for my sons and my husband. My husband loves to be hand-on. It’s really great bonding time for them.
National Geographic Light Up Terrarium
Code and Go Robot Mouse Activity Set
Building Sets
Butterfly Edufields STEM kits– This kit has been challenging, but a really great hands-on kit for my son. It teaches principles of electricity and magnetism.
Legos and Magnitiles!!! You CANNOT go wrong with either of these and there are so many options. My toddlers enjoy them too, so my whole family can participate. My kids usually get Legos for Christmas and their birthdays because they love them! I don’t usually buy the big sets. I don’t really find it worth it.
Toys
Fidgets
These are really great stocking stuffers for Christmas or great for road trips too.
Tech/Science
Lite Brite Super Bright HD Pokemon Edition
Rocket Launcher for Kids– What kid doesn’t want a rocket launcher? This particular model is cool because it can launch super high in the air (up to 200ft), has a parachute safety land, and lights up. My kids play with this nonstop.
Adventure
These are really fun gifts for your boys. It really sparks their curiosity and adventurous spirit. I love to watch them take on nature with these items. It gives them so much confidence.
National Geographic Microscope for Kids
Sports
I like to gift my sons items that they will already need for the upcoming sports season. My oldest boys play baseball, so getting them items that will support them is really great.
Baseball Pitching and Fielding Rebounder
Religious Toys and Books
Paint by Stickers for Catholic Kids
Jesus Heart Building Set, Sacred Heart
The Vision Book Series– These books are wonderful! My oldest has really enjoyed reading about the saints lives through these books. We have St. Isaac Jogues, St. Francis, and St. Anthony. They have so many saints in the series that you will never run out.
Pricier Investments
Nintendo Switch– My kids love the Nintendo Switch. We have one for our entire family. We bought some more controllers so we could play as a family. My kids do not have their own. We did buy them some games that spark their individual interests that they can take turns playing on some Saturdays. Some of the games my kids have truly enjoyed include:
Mario Kart
Mario Party
Mario World
Mario and Sonic at the Olympics
Super Smash Bros
Pokemon: Let’s Go, Pikachu!
Minecraft
Lego Jurassic World
Electric Scooter– These are so much fun for the kids. They are a bit pricey and to be honest we have one for the family and kids take turns. It was a gift for the whole family and my kids love it.
Conclusion
Finding the right gift for my boys is a fun challenge. My boys’ interests are so diverse that they would be happy with any of the items above, especially because we don’t do cellphones or tablets. These are all gifts my kids would be so excited to receive.
Leave me a comment below if you have more ideas for 6-10yo boys.