Finding the best gift for a 12-year-old boy is no picnic, let me tell you! 12-year-olds are no longer children, nor are they full-blown teenagers yet (officially, you still have a year left before the real hormones start kicking in). They are in that awkward tween phase where their interests seem to change at an alarming pace, where they are trying to find their identities, and where the thing that was totally ‘wicked’ a week ago is now just lame. So how the heck are we supposed to find a good enough present for a 12-year-old boy?
Luckily, we did our research and came up with a list of tween- and parent-approved gift ideas for a 12-year-old boy that he will actually appreciate. Regardless of whether you are looking for a cool Christmas gift for a 12-year-old or the perfect birthday present idea for boys, we’ve got you covered!
1. Sony Play Station Video Console
An awesome gift for a 12-year-old boy in the UK
Sony PlayStation is one of the best video game consoles in the world, to say the least. It is one of the most popular gaming and entertainment devices and it provides tons of fun to millions of its users. While it certainly isn’t an inexpensive gift, according to countless of its happy users ranging from kids to adults, it’s worth the expense. And you can be certain that every tween in the UK would consider it the best present for 12-year-old boys.
Before the hopelessly sold-out and newest version, 5 becomes available again, you can choose the Sony PlayStation 4 Slim console, Sony PlayStation 4 Pro, or perhaps PlayStation Virtual Reality.
2. Waterproof Action Camera
A cool Christmas or birthday gift for a 12-year-old boy
Buying your beloved 12-year-old a waterproof action camera will instantly make you one of his favourite humans on Earth. Action cameras are simply great. Every child, teenager, and adult thinks so. This amazing gift for a 12-year-old boy will allow him to take the coolest photos and videos of himself and his friends doing the coolest stuff, like swimming, snorkelling, skiing, snowboarding, etc. Not only will he love the gift, but it will also make him the star of every adventure and the envy of all his friends, which is a great bonus.
You can either choose the high-quality yet rather pricey GoPro HERO8 or perhaps a more affordable Akaso EK7000 4K Sports Action Camera.
3. Bluetooth Beanie Hat
Tech gift for a 12 year old boy
While he isn’t yet a teenager, he might be developing his own taste in music, one you don’t want to hear all the time. During cold weather this beanie will keep his head warm outdoors and allow him to listen to his music away from you.
4. Educational Robot
An educational toy for 12-year-old boys
A robot would make an educational, yet cool toy for a 12-year-old boy. An age-appropriate STEM robot kit will teach the tween to code and operate robots and thus provide him with invaluable knowledge. Plus, as these advanced devices are designed to recognise objects, detect motion, track, and even grab various items, your 12-year-old will also have tons of fun.
Opt for an educational STEM robot that can move in all directions and rotate 360 degrees or a popular programmable smart sensing music robot.
5. Desktop Punching Bag
Funny gift for a 12-year-old boy
As he gets older, his school work gets more complicated. This funny gift will help him relieve stress in between those difficult maths equations and thought provoking essays. Just make sure dad doesn’t take it to destress at the office. On second thought, buy two, so dad can have his own.
6. Shower Set
Thoughtful gift for a young man
Even though he is technically still a kid, he will appreciate those times you treat him like an adult. A scented hygiene set lets him know you understand that he is growing up.
7. Outdoor Adventure in the UK
A thrilling adventure gift for 12-year-old boys
Kids nowadays have pretty much everything. If the 12-year-old boy in your life is one of those lucky kids who already has everything he needs or desires, the best thing to give him is a thrilling adventure. The adventures are available all throughout the UK and you can either buy the experience for him and his family or join him yourself, which will also give you a wonderful opportunity to bond with the birthday boy.
You can buy him an exciting treetop challenge, zip trekking, axe throwing, a nets adventure, and more.
8. Gaming Chair
A useful gift for the 12-year-old gamer
What do 12-year-old boys like? Video games. In fact, all 12-year-old boys are gamers. The only question is how often they practice and how good they are. When we were growing up, playing video games was considered a waste of time, but today, some kids make serious money with it. Therefore, if your 12-year-old has a real talent, nurturing it may not be such a bad idea. Buying a good gamer a great gaming chair will take his game to the next level, plus, it will make him really happy.
Opt for the best-selling Play Haha gaming chair or the popular GTPlayer gaming chair.
9. Quality Tablet
A practical and versatile gift for a 12-year-old boy
As your 12-year-old is probably into gaming, he probably already has a laptop or uses a family computer or perhaps a video console. And while computers are great for gaming (which is probably what he is using it for the most), a tablet is a practical and versatile device that he may use for other perhaps more urgent things, such as homework, studying, reading books, etc. It will also enable him to stay in touch with friends, listen to music, and watch his favourite TV show.
Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 or a more affordable Fire 7 Tablet would both make a great gift for boys age 12.
10. Mini Projector
An entertaining gift for a 12-year-old boy
What is a good gift for a 12-year-old boy? I bet he would love to get a mini projector, which would allow him to convert his own room into a private home theatre in a matter of seconds. He can simply connect it with his smartphone or tablet and watch the latest Marvel movies the way they are meant to be watched. As some projectors are also compatible with PlayStation consoles, he would even be able to use it for gaming.
Opt for the best-selling Elephas Wi-Fi mini projector or the sleek Yaber Wi-Fi portable projector.
11. Udemy Course
A meaningful gift for a 12-year-old boy
Knowledge is power and at 12, kids are really good at acquiring knowledge. They are growing up so fast and soon they will be adults forced to make it on their own. To make sure our tweens face the world full of knowledge and wisdom, we should make sure they are well educated. The school will surely provide him with some valuable knowledge, but you can also make sure he finds some knowledge online. Udemy offers tons of different and useful courses for both children and adults and opting for a field he is actually interested in would make a valuable gift for a 12-year-old.
You can choose coding for kids, a sports course, or a course on memory and study skills.
12. Lego Technic
A cool toy for 12-year-olds
What would a 12-year-old boy like for his birthday? Age-appropriate Lego Technic sets are always a great idea! Boys never really grow out of the Lego phase – even when they are adult men they love to play with Legos. Besides, some of the most advanced and most exciting Lego Technic sets are actually only suitable for kids age 12 or more.
Depending on his interests, you can choose a cool Lego Technic Land Rover, a Ferrari, or a heavy-duty tow truck.
13. Jet Heel Wheels
A gift for cool 12-year-olds
The average 12-year-old will tell you that walking sucks. Still, they have to go to school, meet with friends, to the cinema, etc. and oftentimes they simply have to use their legs to get to places. So then if walking is lame, your 12-year-old might just love to use jet heel wheels instead. He can simply step up, strap down, and take off with these wicked heel wheels.
Buy him the cool neon green Razon jet heel wheels or the black Razon jets.
14. Mini Drone
A gadget gift for a 12-year-old boy
Men are just big boys with advanced toys. At a certain moment, they switch from toy cars to gadgets and electronic devices. And that moment is just around their 12th birthday. And a mini drone with a camera is on the very top of men and boy’s favourite gadgets. Thus, it would make an amazing birthday or Christmas gift for boys that are 12 years old.
Opt for a quality mini drone with a camera or a mini quadcopter drone.
15. Dungeons and Dragons Board Game
An exciting board game for 12-year-old boys
Board games are fun for both girls and boys, the young and the old. However, 12-year-old boys may find both board games suitable for 3-year-olds and the ones that adults tend to enjoy quite boring. As such, when buying a board game that could make a nice gift for a 12-year-old boy, make sure to opt for a cool age-appropriate one, such as Dungeons & Dragons: Wizards of the Coast.
Alternatively, you can opt for Dungeons & Dragons: Adventure Begins or Dungeon Fantasy.
16. The Don’t Laugh Challenge Joke Book
A hilarious gift for a 12-year-old boy
If you are looking for an affordable gift for a 12-year-old boy that will make him laugh, the Don’t Laugh Challenge Joke Book (12-year-old edition) would be a great option. It will allow him to have fun with his friends, his family members, and you, of course! Laughs are guaranteed!
Alternatively, you can opt for the general edition or the teen edition for teenagers and tweens.
17. Cool Tween Hoodie
A cool fashion present for 12-year-old boys
Unlike 12-year-old girls, 12-year-old boys are usually not that much into fashion. Still, they worry about looking cool. And while wearing a loud Christmas sweater his grandma knitted for him will make him look ridiculous, a cool hoodie may earn him respect and admiration from both his friends as well as the girls.
Choose a cool ‘Do Not Disturb Gaming Mode Activated’ hoodie, the ‘All I Need in Life – Food, Sleep, Wi-Fi’ hoodie, or perhaps a Fortnite hoodie for true Fortnite fans.
18. Neon Light
An awesome gift for boys age 12
While tween and teenage boys tend not to worry about their rooms being clean (at all!), they do want it to be cool. And the thing that makes a room cool (according to tween boy) is that it’s rather dark, moody, mysterious, and subtly lit with ‘wicked’ neon lights. Therefore, he would simply love a cool neon sign to decorate his room.
Choose a personalised LED game controller light, a custom batman LED light, or perhaps a personalised football night light.
19. Tricky Riddles for Bright Kids Age 12
A great gift for the clever kid
If you are looking for a book that will spark your 12-year-old’s imagination, stimulate their brain, develop a sense of humour, and above all amuse and entertain him, the Tricky Riddles for Bright Kids Age 12 might be a great choice.
Alternatively, you can choose another book, such as the Difficult Puzzle Book for Smart Kids. In case he is not a big reader, you can also opt for the 100 Pics Brain Teaser Optical Illusions flashcard game.
20. Hoverboard
The coolest toy for 12-year-olds
In case you are still wondering what would a 12-year-old want, which is highly unlikely, you can always opt for one of the coolest toys for 12-year-olds, teens, and adults – a hoverboard. It’s fun, simple, and since tweens think walking is ‘uncool’ (as we have discussed before), your 12-year-old will most likely love the coolest alternative.
Choose a self-balancing hoverboard with integrated speakers or a funky one with LED lights.
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