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Review of Favorite Toys for Boys Ages 6-12

My boys have a few favorite toys that I also love as mom. This is a review of some of the favorite toys at our house. These toys have stood the test of my three boys ages 6-12 and held their interest over and over again.

I love these toys that also have underlying educational aspect or a creative outlet. Sometimes when you buy a toy you don’t know if your kids will like it, but I fully recommend these toys. These are my favorite toys for boys ages 6-12, and most importantly my boys’ favorites.

This post contains affiliate links to toys we have in our home. My boys have played with these toys and I recommend them. The views here are 100% my own. Please see my disclaimer.

Snap Circuits

Playing with the Electronic snap circuit toy. Photo credit: Julie Hoag

This is such a favorite at our house!!!

This toy Snap Circuits SC-300 Electronics Discovery Kit by Elenco is so easy to use as the pieces just snap in place. It comes with an instruction book that my boys easily followed to create different circuits. My son was able to follow the picture directions in the manual and build circuits that worked at the age of six before he was reading. It gave him a huge sense of accomplishment when he completed the circuit to make the light bulb light up, the sound blare, or the fan spin.

Boy playing with circuit toy — This toy can give many hours of enjoyment for kids and give them a sense of accomplishment if they follow the instruction manual to make a fan go, make music, or light up a light. Photo credit: Julie Hoag

Snap Circuits SC-300 Electronics Discovery Kit

Squigz

Squiz are so awesome!!

These little suckers are the best to play with! My kids have had a blast with them. Their favorite thing to do is link them all together and whip them through the air in the yard to send the top Squigz flying. The one who got their Squigz to go the farthest would win.

My boys would also play with these in our pool and stick them to the pool walls. Many unusual and fun sculptures can be made with this colorful and unique toy.

Fat Brain Toys Squigz Starter Set, 24 Piece

Wowwee Robotic Enhanced Vehicles

My youngest bought these WowWee Robotic Enhanced Vehicles (R.E.V.) with his birthday money. My boys just love playing with these cars. They control the cars movment using their iPad so they think it’s really cool. When friends come over this is a top pick toy top play with. They learn hand eye coordination and how to use an electronic device to move the cars around (must already have an iPad to use this toy however).

WowWee Robotic Enhanced Vehicles (R.E.V), 2-Pack

Allowance Game

The Allowance Game is a fun game to play I love to play with my kids and it helps them learn real world money interactions as the play money looks like real paper money and real coins.

Younger kids may need some help with counting the money, but this is a great introduction to money counting for them. Playing this game is great practice for young elementary aged kids who are practicing money counting at school. This game really helps the kids get exposure to real world money situations and if kids can learn while they play, that’s a major bonus for this mama!!

The money amounts used in the game are low amounts so it is easier for kids newer to counting money.

Child playing Allowance board game — The Allowance game uses toy money that looks like real money, not fake make up money. Photo credit: Julie Hoag

Lakeshore Allowance Game

NFL Rush Zone

This NFL Rush Zone football game is more suited to the older kids or even tweens, but my youngest has played with the game making up his own rules too. My oldest son has spent many hours playing this game with friends he has over to our house. It consists of real NFL team pictures on the game pieces so the kids who are NFL football fans will love it. My son is a huge NFL football fan and he plays football so this game is perfect for a kids like him.

Shrinky Dinks

Shrinky Dinks are a fun toy craft I played with as a child so I know how fun they are to make. I am so happy they are still on the market so I get to make them with my own kids:) My kids love making Shrinky Dinks.

There are so many themes of Shrinky Dinks available on Amazon to fit any child’s interests. The kids get to do a creative activity because they can color the Shrinky Dinks however they want. Then they can watch them curl up and then flatten as they bake in the oven. Mine sit by the oven window and I turn on the oven light so they can watch the transformation. I get lots of happy squeals from them!

My boys have this Shrinky Dinks Monster labs kit and they just loved making the monsters. This kit includes a set up paper wall lab for play too.

Creativity for Kids Shrink Fun Monster Lab

We have the Halloween tree version of this Shrinky Dinks tree at our house too. We pull it out each year as a Halloween decoration.

Play Mags

Play Mags are colorful plastic shapes with magnets along their edges so they stick together. My kids have made so many creations with these magnets. They take these magnets out almost every single day. They have made little mazes and rooms for their guinea pigs and hamster. They have made towers, sculptures, and boxes. The versatility and creativity inducing nature of this toy makes it a winner to me as mom.

I love this toy because it gets them off screens and using their imaginations and their hands.

Playmags 100 Piece Super Set: With Strongest Magnets Guaranteed, Sturdy, Super Durable with Vivid Clear Color Tiles. 18-piece Clickins Accessories to Enhance your Creativity

Play Mag toy magnets made into a veggie vending machine corral for a guinea pig. — Kid created guinea pig veggie vending machine. Photo credit: Julie Hoag

Double corral for guinea pigs made from Play Mags magnetic plastic toy shapes — Double corral for guinea pigs. Photo credit: Julie Hoag

Related Posts about Guinea Pigs: Guinea Pigs make great Christmas gifts too!! Guinea pigs make great pets for kids. Plus check out this post on Guinea Pigs Too 🙂 10 Tricks to Get Your Guinea Pig out of His cage more and interacting with your family.

Christmas is coming!

These are toys my boys have loved playing with many times. I would buy them again after seeing how much they choose these toys over and over again. They are faves at our house!

Non-toy gift ideas

Here are some non-toy gift ideas that are favorites at our house:

movie theater tickets
amusement parks passes
favorite restaurant gift cards
money or gift cards–my boys love to go shopping when they have Christmas money to spend!
beef jerky
candy
gum
putty
books such as “Diary of the Wimpy Kid” series, “Captain Underpants” series, and “The Notebook of Doom” series

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Box of Books (Books 1-10)

The New Captain Underpants Collection (Books 1-5)

The Notebook of Doom, Books 1-5: A Branches Box Set

I hope my ideas help you with your holiday shopping! I hope you can find the perfect gifts for your kids and the young ones in your lives this Holiday Season. Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas!!

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Visit my Amazon Influencer page for Tween Gift Ideas at My Favorite Picks!