Every year when Christmas rolls around, we have to put together a wish list for each of my boys for our families. I try to keep a running list all year with ideas that I come across but it is still hard to come up with ideas some years.
I want things that I know my boys will actually use but toys also need to be tough because my boys are very rough on their toys.
I have put together a list of our favorite gifts. These are toys that my boys have played with the most but that have also lasted at least a year in our house without break (if you know my boys, you will know that this is a very hard thing to ask).
My Ultimate List of Toys for Boys That Will Actually Get Played With and Last at Least a Year
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. All these items are things that we personally own and have use.
This is the absolute best toy train brand. Brio is a bit of an investment (this was the kit that we first started with) but I can honestly say that my boys play with this so much. The best part is that you can start with a small set and build on it through birthday and Christmas lists. My 3 year old is obsessed with these.
I love these No Mess Paint sticks. They are so fun for little kids to use, giving the same look of painting, but without the materials and mess to clean up. They are great for all ages too as my 8 year old still loves using them.
Melissa and Doug Interactive Dashboard and Steering Wheel
We found this gift at a local toy shop downtown and it was a HUGE hit. We gave it to my youngest when he was 2 but can honestly say that all three of my boys will play with it. It has gotten more use than I could have ever imagined.
We have had this trash truck for almost 4 years now and can honestly say that we still haven’t lost the trash cans. My boys love filling the cans up with their lego pieces dumping them into the trash truck.
If you have boys that play rough with their trucks then you NEED to invest in the Bruder brand. Like the Brio trains, these are a bit pricey but our firetruck is over 2 years old and has every piece still intact (and I can admit that I have seen this truck tossed off our play set more than once). I love that it has realistic parts including a working hose and adjustable ladder.
My boys LOVE this toy. We have had it over two years and even though it has been outside in our backyard the whole time, it is still in great condition! This is such a cool toy for any truck loving boy.
Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Set
Believe it or not, but this might be my 3 year old’s favorite toy at the moment. I have had to “eat” lots of ice cream since my 5 year old got this for his birthday, but I love the imaginative play that it creates.
Who knew a cash register would be such a hit, but pair it with the ice cream set and you’ve got yourself the perfect gift combo. My boys have played with this thing for hours.
What children’s play room isn’t complete without Magnetic Tiles? These things are amazing and I am blown about by the things my boys are able to create every time.
The Spot It! game is AMAZING! To this day I still don’t know how it works every time but these are soooo fun. The object is to be the first to find the matching animals on each card and shout Spot It! There are so many variations too. We have the Spot It! Jr, Camping Spot It! and Cubs Baseball Spot It! versions.
I am a huge fan of cooperative games (anything to eliminate the fighting in my house) and this one is a favorite. Think of this as Clue for kids. Players work together to use clues to determine which suspect fox is the actual thief.
Another amazing cooperative game is Race to the Treasure. Players work together to create a path to the treasure before the Ogre makes it to the end.
This is a lesser known game but is perfect for my puzzle loving 5 year old (heck, my kids caught my husband and I playing the “challenging” level). The object is to put up the fences to separate the animals according to a certain diagram. It may seem like a children’s game but it’s actually a great challenge for all ages.
We introduced the game of Chess using Story Time Chess to my oldest when he was 5. It is such a great game to teach kids step-by-step the moves of each piece. I wasn’t sure if a young child could learn to play chess but this game proved me wrong.
Talk about a game that you won’t mind playing with your kids. This Junior version of the popular Catan board game is a must for your house. It involves strategy and planning with a little dash of adventure as players race to buy and build ships and lairs before their opponents do.
My 8 year old son gets the biggest kick out of this game every time we play. It’s perfect for this age.
This ninja slack line has been a huge hit. We put this up in our backyard and my boys love playing with it. My 8 year old especially has gotten a lot of use out of it.
Bird and Squirrel Graphic Novel Book 1
Bird and Squirrel Graphic Novel Set books 1-6
The Bird and Squirrel series by James Burke is probably my favorite graphic novel if not favorite books to read with my kids. The bird and squirrel characters have the best personalities and go on some crazy adventures each one ending with a wonderful moral about friendship and teamwork. One thing I love most about these books though is the fact that you can actually read them aloud easily unlike other graphic novels. Book 7 just came out and it is already on my 8 year olds list.
You may be surprised to find bath boys on a gift guide list for boys, but these things have been a major hit in our house. My boys will beg me to take a bath because they love these things so much. We’ve gotten both the ninja set and the dinosaur set. They make really great stocking stuffers too.
