What are the best toys for 9 year old boys? This often depends on what the 9 year old boy in question. At age 9 they likes and dislikes of each child varies considerably.

My own son (who's 9 at the time of writing) likes playing video games and riding his bike and scooter. He also likes drawing, making books and legos. He loves getting lego sets which he can work on and construct. He has started showing an interest in basic programming and uses an app on his tablet to program simple games. He likes playing soccer and we encourage him to be interested in other sports too. 

His friends are all different. Some are sporty and others are creative so there are a wide range of toy and gift ideas for this age group. Many boys this age show a great curiosity in the world around them. Their Interests can range from discovering technology, playing video games, building things, star wars and outer space. Of course toys and gifts that are fun are also fantastic. 

So read on for a list of toy and gift ideas that will be suitable for lots of different 9 year old boys.

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The Dangerous Book for Boys

Even though we limit it, my 9 year old spends a lot of time on his ipad playing games. Sometimes we forget what we used to do before all these screens came along to occupy our time. 
This book helps us to remember things kids can get involved in to get them away from the video games and TV. 
I think it's a book for a childhood. 9 is a good age to get it as through the years you can take different things from this book. 
At age 9, it may be a book that you need to explore with a parent but there's lots you can get from it. There are lots of pictures and diagrams you can look at to help you understand the text.

Nerf Guns 

9 year old boys and their brothers, sisters, friends (even Mom and Dad) will love playing Nerf Wars with Nerf guns. A nerf gun or a bow and arrow like the ones featured below are some good choices. 

nerf Gun

It's hard to go wrong with a nerf gun for this age group.
 
The nerf gun featured is a good choice. It can fire 6 darts up to 90 feet.  

There's also a slam fire slide lets you rapid-fire all 6 included Elite darts

It's a fab nerf gun for nerf wars with siblings or friends. 
Or use it for target practice. 

Nerf Fortnite TS-1 Blaster

If he loves Fornite and Nerf guns, he's going  to love this blaster. 

The TS blaster is inspired by the blaster used in the Fortnite video game but the gun is fun to use, even if he is not a Fortnite  player. 

Users can blast 4 darts in a row from the pump-action blaster that's hand powered. 

Tactical Vest Kit ​

Does he love nerf gun wars? 

Then get him kitted out with a tactical vest kit 

It features the vest, 20 refill bullets darts, 2 quick reload clips, 1 hand wrist band, 1 protective vision gear, 1 seamless scarf and 1 tactical face mask. 

No more running back to pick up darts, they are all fixed in your vest!

target practice! 

A nerf digital target toy doubles fun when playing with a nerf blaster. 
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It measures 9.25", so it's not a large target but it gets players to keep their battle aim sharp! 

It can be used as a stand alone target or you could wall mount it (tools and hardware aren't included). 

It has interactive lights & sounds target and the digital scoreboard features solo and team game play scoring. 

​ZING AIR HUNTERZ Z-CURVE BOW

Get 9 year old boys running around, playing zombies and having fun with the hunterz z-curve bow. 

It's the ultimate foam bow and arrow.

Set up some cans for target practice, or shoot against a wall for whistling bounce-back action. Next, load up with the Zartz suction-cup arrows. Pick your target and fire away. Watch it fly through the air for an incredible 100 feet. 

Lots of fun. 

Construction Toys

My son has always been into construction toys and there are lots of options available from legos to knex. They are at the age when they are able to work on putting together a construction set on their own.  Check out some construction toy ideas below:

Lego 

My 9 year old son loves building lego sets and displaying what he's built in his bedroom when completed. He is particularly interested in Star Wars lego but any lego sets which look impressive when finished appeal to him. Reading and following instructions are great for literacy skills. To challenge a 9 year old look for more complex lego sets.

Lego Technic sets like the car featured are fun because once it's been built it can be used as a pull back car.

​Pull back,  let go and watch the Whack racer zoom into action at maximum speed. 

lego 3 in 1 creator sets

The lego 3 in 1 creator sets are excellent value for money as you can build 3 different creations from the same kit. 

The dinosaur kit featured has instructions to build a T-rex. It can also rebuild into a Triceratops or a Pterodactyl. 

The T-rex has tons of fun features which include right orange eyes, posable joints and head, large claws and an opening mouth with pointed teeth.

The set also includes the dinosaurs prey in the form of a buildable rib cage

Knex K-FORCE – K-25X RotoShot Blaster Building Set

This is a really cool building set that will allow you to  build four different blasters and target models by following the step-by-step building instructions. 

This is a great project for 9 year olds to work on. There are 165 parts in total so the building on its own will keep him occupied for quite a while. It's very educational too as he will follow the instructions to build the blaster.  

It comes with five foam darts, a blaster chamber, a quick-fit grip, a preload ring, and two dart holders to create a variety of bows and targets.

This is a great toy to show off and actually use once completed. 

Lego Boost

This is a great lego set. 

You can use the lego to build 5 different models. 

When the models are complete, use your device to program the models including a robot and a guitar to do different things. 

There are 847 LEGO pieces that kids can build and rebuild into 5 cool multifunctional models. 

Catapult wars

Construct and put stickers on 2 catapults with the easy to read instructions. 

Then have fun trying to knock down the ready made targets with the mini bean bags. As there are two catapults you can have a competition to see who knocks down the most. 

Everything you need is included from all the precut wooden pieces, 8 mini bean bags and 2 rubber bands. 

Fun to build and even more fun to play with. 

Smart Phone Toys

There are a range of toys that can be controlled via smart phone or other mobile device that kids this age will enjoy. Examples include robots and toys such as the Anki Overdrive race track featured below. 

Anki Overdrive

If you're looking for a fun toy this could be it. 
Use a mobile device to control one of the cars and race it around the track (otherwise known as a battlefield). Just download the Anki overdrive App to get started on your iOS or Android device.

There are two cars included in the set so you can race them. 
The track has 8 different configurations and they are quick and easy to set up. They take seconds to build and rebuild. Each car has a weapon which can be used during play as well. 
There are a variety of battle and race modes to play. 

CoZmo

.Cozmo is a real life robot which is educational and lots of fun. 

Cozmo has it's own personality and can express hundreds of emotions. From curious to clever, persistent to playful. 

Besides all the games and smarts he comes with out of the box. You can code him to do lots of things.  He comes with a beginner-friendly interface so is the perfect educational robot for kids and adults to learn to creatively code. Simply drag and drop a few blocks and you’ll see Cozmo act out your creation. You will need a compatible iOS or Android device and the free Cozmo app.

It's recommended for ages 8 and up. 

Doinkin Darts 

This is great fun to have in a boy's bedroom and his friends can enjoy having a go when they visit too. 
Essentially it's a dart board but the darts are magentic to you don't have to worry about them damaging the walls or doors. The magnets are powerful and stick to the board really well. 
The dartboard has a hook on the back so you can hook it up wherever you want to play.  
It's a great toy for all ages so siblings and friends can enjoy playing. And adults will probably won't to join in on the action too. 

OUtdoor toys

9 year old boys will love getting outside and playing on some super cool toys. Bikes, scooters, trampolines and electric ride ons are all top outdoor toys for this age group. Check out a couple of ideas below. 

Ripstik Flashrider 360 Caster trike

The Flashrider is awesome fun for older kids. They love it. 

It throws quick 360 degree spins and still keeps on moving. 

It's smooth and easy to ride. 

For extra fun, pull the lever to watch sparks fly. 
Kids can't get enough of spinning on this thing. 

madd gear kick extreme stunt scooter

Scooters are great for 9 year old boys. They will love scooting from a to b on their scooters. 

Many kids this age will love to be able to do a few stunts and tricks on their scooter. If this is the case it's best to get them a stunt scooter like the one featured. A stunt scooter is designed to be a bit stronger than a traditional kick scooter so that it can withstand the shocks of the jumps. 

The Madd Gear Kick extreme stunt scooter is perfectly designe for the beginner stunt scoot rider. It is super strong to stand up to the impact and punishment kids put it through at the skate park. It also looks super cool and is backed by a 3 year manufacturer's warranty. 

Mini launch ramp 

​This is a great mini ramp to get kids started when doing their first jumps and tricks on a scooter.  It's quite small but great to get started with some first tricks.

It's lightweight, easy to move to different locations. 

Reviewers have also tried using it with their skateboards and bikes. Could also use with a remote control car. 

It features push fit rubber feet to stabilize the ramp to prevent movement

electric scooter

Another cool option of outdoor toy is an electric scooter. 
It's super fun for kids to add a bit of speed to their outdoor activities. 

The Razor E100 scooter featured goes up to 10mph. 
It will last up to 40 minutes on one charge. 

Other features include  a kick start, high-torque, chain-driven motor, a twist-grip throttle, a hand operated front brake and a retractable kick stand

It has 8" pneumatic front tire, urethane rear wheel  and soft rubber handle grips which give a comfortable and smooth ride. 

Games

There are tons of fun games for kids this age. Check out a couple of options below

Gravity maze

This is a fun puzzle game, that can be quite addictive and is a good option to pull them away from video games and screens.

It's a simple concept.  It's a marble game with towers. There are 60 cards with different challenges to complete (beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert). The towers in the game can be arranged in a variety of structures but, for each challenge, you'll have to to build a path that will carry your marble to its target.

Kids will probably also love to build their own creations. 

Adults will enjoy having a go at this as well. 

Flipside

Flipside is an addictive and fast paced puzzle game that kids of all ages will enjoy. 

The aim of the puzzle is to match the colored blocks to the lights. 

There are different modes which you can play, including flip to find the colour and slide to match the lights.

There are four different modes you can play in (speed mode, multiplayer mode, memory mode or level mode) 

Lots of fun, kids will find it hard to put down. 

Ultra Dash

This game looks tons and fun and gets kids moving around. 


Set out the targets to design your own Course however you want!

Use the Tagger to choose from 3 game modes: beat the clock, target tally and relay race!
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Whatever color your Tagger flashes, race to that color target and "tag" It; Tagger detects targets and scores on accuracy!

Ribbon Ninja Active Play

This is a brilliant game to get kids away from their screen, playing with other kids. 

Players each get 3 ribbons attached to wristbands; Last ninja with a ribbon wins

It can be played indoors or outdoors. 

The idea is to grab the opponenet's ribbons before they grab yours. 

It ​coordination, strategy, quick thinking, friendly competition

Vtech Camera

The Vtech camera is essentially like a go pro camera for kids. It's designed for use by kids in mind so should withstand some of the extra knocks a child age 9 and under may give it.
The camera shoots video. You can shoot video underwater (so great for taking shots while swimming and doing other watersports). 
You can mount it to the handlebars of a bike or scooter and use it to record the journey. Or you could mount it to a helmet. 
The camera also  comes with kids games, fun photo effects, frames and filters. 
It's fantastic for kids to capture all the escapdes out in the backyard, on trips, in the pool or wherever they go. 

Mini BAsketball

A mini basketball set is a great toy for a 9 year old to have in his bedroom. 

Hang it over the door and he can have fun shooting basketball hoops from the comfort of his own room. 
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A great toy to have when friends come around, they can have a go to (instead of just starting a video games). 

stem toys

There are tons of educational toys that provide tons of fun while kids learn. Stem toys stand for science, technology, engineering and maths toys. Check out some options below.

Technology toys

There are lots of cool toys to introduce programming and coding. If you have a 9 year old who is interested in doing this, check out the MBlock robot below. 

Makeblock mBot Robot Kit​

This toy has a lot of play and educational value. 

The MBot is a real robot that has many modes to play with, like obstacle avoidance and line-follow. 

It is easy to build within 15 mins and can be controlled by remote or smartphones through Makeblock App

The Blockly App is a great way to start learning entry-level coding skills. Children can create their own commands by simply dragging and dropping codes in the easy to use App.

​Watch mBot respond in real time.

The mBot is one of the Family Choice Awards toy winners of 2018.

science Toys

snap circuits

Snap circuits is a fun way to introduce 9 year olds to electronics. 

The set makes it really easy to put together an electric circuit for lots of different projects. The parts for each circuit really easily snap together.  Children can build working models of a photo sensor, a flashing light, and an adjustable-volume siren

The set includes 30 parts, and instructions for over 100 projects. 

There are tons of snap circuit kits that are a really fun and easy way to learn about electronics. 

The pieces just snap together to form circuits. Kids just follow the instructions and can build multiple things. 

This kit allows you to build over 175 projects with over 55 colorcoded circuit components. 

You can also plug in your in your iPhone or android phone or any MP3 player and see your circuits react. 

Glow in the dark slime

Most 9 year old boys will love a bit of slime. 

This set includes 8 cool varieties of slime & putty including magnetic putty, fluffy slime, glow-in-the-dark putty, DIY slime lab, liquid slime, color changing putty, snotty slime and bouncing putty.

It comes with storage tins and accessories for a complete lab kit

Explore the science behind slime and putty with the 16 page, full-color learning guide.

It includes a 16 page full color learning guide which explains the properties and uses of slimes found in nature.

4M Crystal Growing Experiment

This science kit contains all the materials needed to perform seven different crystal growth experiments.

9 year olds will need some supervision as you need to use hot water to make it but it is a fun kit to do with an adult. 

A special display case is included to admire the crystals once they are fully grown.

Perfect for young science enthusiasts, especially those with an interest in geology.

Complete instructions for each experiment are included with the kit.

Lazer tag

Lazer tag is a lots of fun to play and is fab choice for kids of all ages although I think adults will love it too. 

The set includes 4 blasters.  An infrared receiver tracks and registers hits, while the long-range infrared light has a strike distance of 130ft. 
Playeres can choose from 4 blaster settings: pistol, shotgun,submachine, and missile launcher.

Each setting different ammunition levels and can be changed during battle

3 lights indicates how many lives you have left with each player given 9 lives (1 light= 3 lives) for each battle

Pranklopedia

Boys love pulling pranks and this book has it all. 

Discover the homework hoax, the squirting blister and the movie popcorn that grabs you back.  Freak out your friends with food pranks: a self-peeling banana and the “misfortune” cookies. 

There's lots of ideas in this book and it's a cool way to get boys reading too. 

laugh out loud jokes for kids

KIds enjoying telling jokes and this book is full of ones they can impress you with. 

If you want to encouage a reluctant reader to sit down and read, this could be an excellent choice. And even if they do read, it makes some light enterainment and reading before they go to bed too. 

The jokes are age appropriate and 9 year olds will appreciate the opportunity to make people laugh. 

5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything!)

This book is jam packed with really interesting facts that will appeal to 9 year olds. 

The book has tons of photographs to keep kids engaged. 

It's a great book to dip in and out off or read cover to cover and you can learn some really impressive things to tell everyone else. 

It's fun to read and adults will enjoy learning some new information as well. 

For the 9 year old gamer

Boys love to play video games so why not get them a video game related gift like the ones featured below. 

fortnite T-shirt

If he plays fortnite, he will love this "Floss Like a Boss" t-shirt. 

It comes in different sizes so you can get the right one to fit him. 

He can wear it and be nice and comfortable when he is playing the game or if he can pull himself away from the game for running around outdoors too. 

pokemon super deluxe handbook 

If he loves Pokemon and Pokemon hunting he will be delighted to receive  the Pokemon Super Deluxe Essential Handbook. 

It has 496 color pages and it is jam packed full of info on over 800 Pokémon.

It'll keep Pokemon fans entertained for hours. It's great for encouraging 9 year olds to read and is perfect to dip in and out of when they want to. 

Or read cover to cover. 

Gaming chair 

If he loves gaming in his bedroom,  a gaming chair is perfect. 

This gaming chair can be used for playing video games, watching movies and TV, listening to music, reading, and relaxing.

The  chair incorporates wireless audio transmission, two speakers near the headrest and subwoofer positioned to pound your back with bass-heavy sounds intensifying your game, movie, or music.

Plug in headphones and adjust the bass and volume control on the side jack for personal usage.

nintendo labo

If the boy you are buying for already have a Nintendo Switch, they will love the Nintendo Labo to play with.

Nintendo Labo is a gaming and construction toy platform. You use the cardboard cut outs to construct five different projects which include two Toy-Con RC Cars, a Toy-Con Fishing Rod, a Toy-Con House, a Toy-Con Motorbike, and a Toy-Con Piano. 

Putting together the toy-con projects is very educational. Kids follow the instructions to make each one. Concentration is required!

Then kids can then bring each toy to life with the Nintendo Switch console and Joy-Con controllers. Use the constructions to play video games. Play musical notes with the piano, reel in fish with the fishing rod as part of a game and lots more.

It really is a fun toy with a lot of play value. Highly recommended. ​

For the Budding You tuber

My 9 year old loves making videos for youtube and emulating his favourite youtubers.

But he does struggle collating his ideas and having a proper structure for his videos. 

If you have a 9 year old like this, they're going to love this planning book. It encourages them to leave their screens for a little while and hones their writing, planning, organising, editing and writing skills.  

It is predominately a notebook with prompts to help them plan and space to write their ideas. But it does include tips on how to make good videos, how to stay safe online and a review section to keep thinking about what you do and how to do it better next time. They're all fabulou skills that can help in many other areas of life too.  

diary of a wimpy kid set

When my eldest son was nine and ten, he always had his head in one of the Diary of a Wimpy kid books. 

Whether you have a reluctant reader or a boy who loves to read, these books are very popular with 9 year olds. 

The humour is just perfect for this age group. My son was always laughing when he was reading and telling me about the jokes. 

If they haven't picked up the Diary of a Wimpy kid book yet, it's a good one to try. 

arts and crafts

Both my boys have always enjoyed drawing. Sometimes a pen and paper set makes the best gift. 

Art SEt

If he loves to draw, he will be thrilled with this.

The set includes 64 crayola crayons, 40 washable markers, 20 short colored pencils and 15 large sheets all in a handy storage case.

There is a handle for easy portability. 

paper airplane

This is a great book to get kids making paper airplanes 

There are 10 different planes with a large variety of patterned papers

It comes with 40 sheets of custom-designed paper

It includes a 56 page instructional book with Klutz certified crystal-clear instructions

For the adventurer

This book is a great way of inspiring kids to get out there and do stuff. 

It's packed with facts about nature, ideas for outdoor activities, and fun-to-do crafts projects , 

There's so much information in here and there's lots of pictures and diagrams to grab kid's attention. 

Find info on camping, investigating bugs, rocks and insects. 
Find animal tracks, crack secret codes, use a compass, read a map and lots, lots more. 

Survivor Kid: A Practical Guide to Wilderness Survival

This is a great book for boys who love to be outdoors in nature whether that be hiking, camping, fishing or other activties. 

It gives kids the basics of the survival info they will need to know if they get lost in the wilderness. 

It f with safe and practical advice on building shelters and fires, signaling for help, finding water and food, dealing with dangerous animals, learning how to navigate, and avoiding injuries in the wilderness.

There are also ten projects include building a simple brush shelter, using a reflective surface to start a fire, testing your navigation skills with a treasure hunt, and casting animal tracks to improve your observation skills.        

Stocking Filler Ideas

This is such a cool little present that creative and artistic types will love.  I bought these for my then 10 year old son and he loved them. 

Scratch away notes, drawings, doodles and messages on the mini notes. 

There are 125 notes in total. 

Bright colors hide beneath the matte coating - use the wooden stylus to reveal them with a simple scratch. 
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Pretty papers which allow kids to use their imagination and sketch whatever they dream up. 

uno

Another really good and inexpensive stocking filler idea is the Uno card game. 

This is a classic but fun game which all the family can play.

The Minecraft version featured is the same as basic UNO but features Minecraft characters and includes the special creeper rule card.

Draw this card and the other players have to draw three more cards from the pile.

Uno is one of the favorites in our family and my 7 and 11 year old both play it.

It's also a good game to play when you go on vacation, camping or for a family games night. 

Watch 

This is a multifunction camouflage sports watch with lots of funtions that kids will enjoy exploring. 

They functions include stop watch,calendar,EL backlight and alarm clock. 

The watch is shockproof and water resistant. 

It's great for everyday wear and perfect to start introducing the concepts of setting alarms to make sure you get up on time and being aware of being on time for things. 

Fun toys

Stomp Rocket Stunt Planes

Stomp rocket are lots of fun, especially to take to a big open space. 

Run and jump on the pump at the bottom of the rocket and see how high or how far you can shoot it. 

This kit has three different stomp rockets.  They include a looper plane performs giant loops, glider plane soars up to 100 feet and wildcat plane does all kinds of crazy tricks

There's lots of great ways families can play with this toy. Who can get it the furthest and highest? Or shoot the rocket and hav a race to see who can get to it first to bring it back. 

goodminton 

Goodminton is a really fun game that can be played by younger siblings, adults and teens. 

The birdies slow as they spin so it's easier for young kids to get some rallies going. 

!It can be played indoors or outdoors and is a fantastic way to improve hand-eye co-ordination. It's a great introduction to racket sports. 

It's simple, can be played with or without a net and you can really have a game anywhere there is a bit of space. 

This is What an Awesome 9 Year Old Looks Like T-Shirt

This is the perfect gift to buy any 9 year old especially if it's a 9th birthday but it could also be given as a Christmas gift. 

It's 100% cotton. 

It comes in different colors and sizes. 

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More Gift Ideas 

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