Top Gifts to get a 9 Year Old Boy
Looking for some top gifts to get a 9 year old boy for his birthday or for the holidays? These gift ideas for nine year olds are fun and fabulous – and definitely a step up from the best birthday gifts for 8 year old boys! This post contains affiliate links and compensated products.
As kids get older, it can get tougher to purchase gifts for them. Today, I’m sharing some of our top gifts to get a 9 year old boy, tried and tested by my very own, M. This post was originally published in 2022, and is being updated in 2025 with toys and gifts that Y tested. Since they have different personalities, I am able to offer even more good ideas.
I also share some insight into what’s a good gift for a 9 year old boy.
Now, I need to address the elephant in the room: the boy bit. As I mom, I believe in giving my children all sorts of experiences. And as the mother of a boy who loves to craft, I can definitely relate to the struggle of having a child who likes things outside of stereotypical norms.
I label my gift guides “for boys” or “for girls” for one very honest reason: it’s how my posts have a shot of ranking on Google. I’m not in the big leagues. I’m just a mom sharing ideas. And when you’re a smaller website, you need to be as specific in your posts as possible.
So since it’s my boy testing it, I’m labeling this gift guide as one for boys.
However, many of these ideas are fabulous for girls as well! It’s based primarily on M and Y’s interests and capabilities. So if you happen to be the parent or grandparent of a girl who would love these, I hope you enjoy the ideas as well.
Finally, these make fabulous birthday gifts and year round ideas for gifts to get a 9 year old boy. I purposely keep things non-seasonal and open for year-round use, to make this a fabulous 9 year old birthday boy gift guide as well.
Enjoy!
What’s a good gift for a 9 year old boy?
When looking for gifts to get a 9 year old boy, you’re at a huge advantage if you know the things he loves. Does he have a favorite character? Is he STEM-inclined? Is he creative or artistic? Is he more the active type?
Note: none of these gifts are sports related because M does not enjoy playing sports. However, for a child who is interested in sports, new equipment can be a fabulous gift.
Gadgets are ALWAYS a win with gifts to get a 9 year old boy. Always. I mean, which 9 year old doesn’t love something that does something? Have you ever given a child a toy and had them ask “but what does it DO?” They don’t necessarily do. They want the TOY to do.
This is the age to go back to exploring non-toy gift options as well. You don’t get adults toys, and as kids get older, they start to appreciate non-toy items as well – as long as it’s within their interest range.
Hobby Gifts for 9 Year Old Boys
Hobbies are a great place to start with gift giving in general – and 9 year old boys are no different!
If you have a 9 year old who loves creating – whether it’s crafting, art, or just putting things together, these top picks will be winning gifts! Y is my creative guy and so many craft kits seem so girl-targeted. We’re always excited when we find something more neutral or that directly suits their interests!
And even if their hobby isn’t creative (think sports) it’s the perfect place to start with gift giving!
3Doodler Start+ Essentials 3D Pen Set for Kids
We are such big fans of 3Doodler and my kids are thrilled about the Start+ pen for kids! How epic is it that kids can use this 3D printing pen safely?
A 3D pen is kind of like a 3D printer but the “hand-drawn” version of it. You’re melting filament to create 3 dimensional objects that can be connected to each other with more filament.
The pen doesn’t get hot at all on the outside and comes with a template sheet. Kids can make all sorts of cool creations, including the dog cord wrap pictured below.
Marvelโข Superheroes Diamond Painting Stickers
Diamond painting is a mesmerizing hobby and when my kids saw this Marvel sticker set, they were hooked! They loved watching me do my diamond painting, but were a bit intimidated by it. These stickers are small and make a functional end project.
The kit comes with everything kids need to make 15 superhero stickers – including the rhinestones, the applicator tools, putty, a gem sorting tray…
And there’s even enough to share with a sibling. My kids are making these to decorate their binders and folders for school. You can save 20% off your first purchase with Diamond Art Clubยฎ – use the discount code MOMS20.
Stomp Rocket Stomp N Pitch Baseball Pitching Machine for Kids
For the kid whose hobby is sports, this super cool low tech baseball pitching machine is the baseball equivalent to shooting hoops in the driveway! It comes with plastic balls and bat – keeping it totally safe- and a stomp and pitch device. Just stomp on the button and it winds up, giving your kid a moment or two to get ready and then pops up a ball.
Y has been loving the ability to practice his hitting without having to wait on someone to help him with it. It’s been getting him outdoors, and has been a winner for us.
Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike
For the kid whose hobby is STEM and making things that work, Geomag is a win! It’s the type of toy that you can constantly expand on! M loves building their “machines”.
These low tech cause-and-effect builds are made from plastic interlocking components, magnetic connectors, and metal (not magnetic) balls.
In the smaller Mechanics Challenge Goal set, you build a magnetic cannon and a goal. It’s not just about building it – it’s fun to play with when you’re done too!
This game is a fabulous way to teach about the forces that you don’t see – but you see the affects of: magnetism and gravity. But, again, the kids don’t need to know you’re teaching!
Game Gifts for a 9 Year Old Boy
Games are the perfect gifts to get a 9 year old boy. They are at an age where social skills are already quite strong but can still use some help, and the cooperation needed for game play is a great way to develop them. And even single player puzzle games help build patience, math, and computing skills.
Qwirkle Board Game
Quirkle feels like a mashup of dominoes and Rummikub and is a really easy to learn game. Each player starts with some tiles on their display. Players place tiles in the center to connect to the existing rows/setup.
The more matches in a row you get, the more points you score.
Points are tallied on a 1-100 score board, with each player’s game piece moving up a number as they score. The first to reach 100 wins.
Quirkle follows easy and familiar concepts, with logical rules that kids can pick up easily. While not super fast, the game play is quick enough to retain their attention and it’s a game that feels like a classic but is totally fresh!
Dลteki – Tabletop Battles
If you’re looking for a game that is truly innovative and unique – and not a typical board game – TOMY has your back with their new game Dลteki. This battle system feels like it’s part pinball, part table hockey, with a video-game inspired twist, and lots of fun.
The goal is to hit the target behind your opponents flippers. When you hit it, the health key moves over a notch and the player loses a life. When all lives are lost, the health key ejects and releases the band and that player’s Dลteki character falls.
We got to try out the Dลteki Battle Training Pack and Multiplayer Battle Pack and it has everything a 9 year old loves in a toy! It’s got trading cards, a little healthy (but doable) competition, and even some simple setup that’s right up Y’s alley – and part of the fun!
The system is modular. All the battle systems are compatible and expand to fit more players, making it super fun for Y who is very social! It features suction cups (play on a good, smooth surface) and a controller with flippers for each player that you use to hit the ion balls at your opponentโs target. The game play is familiar but fresh, and features lots of active fun.
The Trainer packs make great add-ons, definitely start with a multiplayer pack at least – and expand your set with the trainer packs, or add them later as additional gifts.
Disco Island Escape Board Game
Hootenanny games tend to be quirky with fun themes – and totally unique, and Disco Island Escape is no different. Lemurs need to boogie to safety to escape the volcano on Disco Island. My boys love to boogie and this game got them going!
Each player has four lemurs, and needs to move them from the center of the board to the corner, using the lava streams. Moves are played by matching the symbols on one of the players cards to the symbols on the lava streams.
But of course, it’s not just about matching – you’re color mixing too! Secondary colors can be played by combining the colors that make that one (for example, yellow and blue play green). But there are twists! Boogie to safety if you score that card – meaning, your lemur gets to exit the stream. Displace another lemur to send them right back to Disco Ball Mountain. Then flip it over to the “groovy” color side, and they can now move through two consecutive streams with a single card.
The game play rules are that you need to get three of your lemurs to safety – but you can modify! Make game play faster or do practice rounds with one or two lemurs. Add to the challenge by requiring all lemurs to escape.
This is such a fun game for 9 year old boys who love anything disco or dance themed, and is really easy to learn and play. And it’s a fabulous game for those who already have a big stash of games and need something totally unique!
Hootenanny Early Bird
For kids that like really quick, rapid games that include a little physical activity, Early Bird is a new release from Hootenanny that includes it all! It comes with a squishy worm and a deck of cards.
The goal is to be the first to empty your hand of “bird food” cards to win that round. Numbers are placed sequentially on a pile, or match the card to reverse the play direction.
To play a challenge card, you need to shout the name and then race to complete the action: flap wings to move playing positions, make a bird house by leaning two cards against each other, etc. The best challenge card is the worm card. When played, the player throws it across the room and other players need to race to find it.
The rounds go really fast and while the official game is five rounds, once again, you can play fewer or more to increase or decrease game length.
Early Bird is a fabulous game for kids with a shorter attention span or who need to move a little, or for larger groups (up to six players).
Smart Games IQ Stixx and IQ Six Pro
Two brothers close in age does not mean that they coordinate their game play! That’s why we love Smart Games solo puzzle games. Not only do they work the brain, but no collaboration is required. And yes, while we love when they get along, they do sometimes need personal space!
They’re travel-friendly and fun through adulthood.
Smart Games IQ Stixx features sticks with grooves in very specific locations. The booklet features 120 different starting layouts and you need to figure out how to place the rest of the sticks so that they fit.
IQ Six Pro follows the same pattern, with 2D and 3D challenges. You need to either place all the pieces to fill the slots, or build a pyramid.
Gadget Gifts for a 9 Year Old Boy
Which little guy doesn’t love a good gadget? My experience with gifts for 9 year old boys is… “what does it do?” Yes, that is a typical question they ask. They expect their toys to DO stuff. If you’re going for that angle, here are some favorite electronic toys and gadgets that are fabulous for this age group.
Silverlit ROBO DASH D Interactive Robotic Puppy
Y still loves RCs at 9, but we’re getting past the point of a plain old remote control car really nailing it. But this robotic dog is insanely cute, elicits lots of laughs, and is totally innovative!
Forget that slinky-inspired body – that on its own won Y over. But the coolest part of this toy is the sensor. If you toss the ball past it, it’ll actually follow it! And yes, the ball is the remote too – very ergonomic and easy to use.
But ROBO DASH D goes beyond remote control – it’s got gesture controls too! It wags and chases its tail, fetches, walks, avoids obstacles, and more!
Since the dog will follow the ball, you can simply walk and the dog will follow – no need to use the remote for every movement.
Tamagotchi R2D2
Welcome back to your childhood – but an epic version of it! If you’re faced with a gadget-loving Star Wars fan, the R2-D2 Tamagotchi is the perfect under 20 gift choice! It’s pretty much the “keep your pet alive” toy we grew up on, only you need to keep R2-D2 clean and charged, of course. He’s a robot, he doesn’t eat!
It features 19 skills to learn and seven mini games to play. The key chain goes right on your kid’s back pack and it’s the perfect little travel toy for your 9 year old.
Thames & Kosmos Code + Control Robo Dozr
If you’re looking for gifts to get a 9 year old who loves to take things apart – and build new things, Thames & Kosmos makes the best STEM robotic kits! We have loved them for years, and M is a master at assembling them.
He enjoyed the Code + Control Robo Dozr – it’s one of his favorites to date. Assembly was very straightforward. He was able to do it on his own, only asking me to hold things a couple of times when he needed an extra set of hands. This is a very involved building kit, and the assembly is a major part of the play value.
The manual is kid-friendly and easy for M to follow along in We also love the additional education
However, it doesn’t end there. When you’re done building, you’re left with a really cool programmable RC car! And it’s all on the control – no device needed for this one.
You can either use it as you would a traditional RC, or code it with sequences. The Robo Dozr features, lights, sounds, and everything your nine year old loves in a new toy!
Osmo Coding Starter Kit
If you’re not yet an Osmo family, you’ll want to put that emphasis on the yet.
Kids will want their screen time – it’s one of the inevitable facts of life. But there are so many opportunities for learning with devices. One of my favorites is the Osmo system. You get a tablet stand and reflective piece that positions your device and angles your camera just so that it can read what’s on the table in front of the device. The app interacts with and “understands” the pieces it reads through the camera.
That way your child doesn’t need to have their nose in their tablet the whole time. They can do, manipulate, and interact in a more authentic manner. And the kids think it’s the coolest thing!
Each kit’s pieces comes neatly packed in its own storage case.
The Osmo Coding Starter Kit (starter because it comes with the basic stand/camera reflector) features coding tiles that your child can use to give cues within the game. Three compatible apps (which don’t cost extra) are at three different levels, extending the play.
It’s fabulous for the child who hasn’t started with coding yet and wants to know how his – or her -gadgets work! This is one of my favorite gifts to get a 9 year old boy!
Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway
If you’ve got a 9 year old who has everything, why not get something to go with one of his favorite gadgets?
One of the hot games this holiday season, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3 allows your child to race their favorite characters in an action packed game. It features Nickelodeon shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Avatar: The Last Airbender and more. Play with up to four players locally or twelve online.
Non-toy Gifts to get a 9 year old boy
At this stage, non-toy gifts can actually be pretty darn cool. You just need to know what the kid likes. Here are some non toy gifts to get a 9 year old boy that are totally cool.
Timex Camo Watch
Which little guy doesn’t feel incredibly smart with a timepiece on their wrist? We love Timex watches for a good, budget-friendly but decent quality watch for kids.
A poster or bedroom wall art
Let them personalize their bedrooms to their interests! Some thought starters: favorite games, movies, athletes… or just opt for something motivational or artsy!
Books
As kids get older, we tend to lean into gifting books as gifts more. I started picking up copies of Calvin & Hobbes for friends’ birthdays and requesting Garfield from grandparents who ask what to buy. Kids can read these again and again, they FEEL like a toy-type gift, and they’re not very clutter-creating.
Some ideas:
- Newer graphic novels, such as Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man series, Investigators, Hi-lo
- Older comics such as Calvin & Hobbes and Garfield
- Interest-based books, such as Minecraft or Pokemon guides, STEM activities, animal fact books.
- Classic boxed gift sets of whole series, such as Harry Potter.
What are your favorite gifts to get a 9 year old boy? Comment below!
