30 Gifts for 9-Year-Old Boys That Educate and Entertain

For the young artist who sometimes needs inspiration (or a bored 9-year-old boy who needs something to do), this is the perfect gift. This activity book includes 52 scavenger hunts with details on how to find items to draw and use different perspectives, lighting, shapes, and colors.

More: 30 Best Gifts for Teens

This is the perfect gift for 9-year-old boys who’ve always wondered, like, how old is the Earth? When did the universe begin? Through age-appropriate writing and whimsical cartoon illustrations, this book will teach him all about the universe, from the Big Bang to today.

This unique magnetic toy can transform into over 70 different shapes! Unlock the geometric secrets by exploring its kaleidoscope-like abilities. Entertaining and challenging, it’s fun as a fidget toy or as a challenging new puzzle. Combine with other Shashibo cubes for extra fun.

Whether he needs them for school, gaming, or simply because you’re tired of listening to his music, these wireless headphones are the perfect gift for 9-year-old boys who want to concentrate on their work or just tune out the rest of the world.

Bluetooth-compatible and rechargeable, they’re perfectly paired with tablets, laptops, and more.

He’ll have a blast building this three-level LEGO fire station — complete with everything from a garage to firefighters' quarters, a helicopter, and a truck.

When he’s done, he can play with the set, which comes complete with accessories and five mini-figs (plus a dog and a cat)! Building instructions available in the included booklet or via the LEGO app, which provides 3D blueprints.

Ever notice that constellations never really look like the thing they’re supposed to look like? (That’s a fish how…?)

With this game, your 9-year-old boy will see if they can do any better. Draw a card to see what you have to draw in the stars, but be warned: You can only draw straight lines between stars!

This functional metal detector can find objects up to 6 inches underground. While hopefully, your kiddo will find buried pirate treasure, the truth is that even finding an old bottle cap can be pretty satisfying. The manual included will give them tips and tricks on how to hit the motherlode.

The pulley is one of the most important simple machines in the history of the world, allowing humans to transfer force with reduced friction. And now your 9-year-old boy can learn all about them and how they work with the hands-on experience of this kit. With eight ways to put the various drives together, they’ll find lots of ways to learn and have fun.

Twelve-year-old Perseus “Percy” Jackson is just an ordinary kid… or so he thinks. It turns out that his father is none other than Poseidon, god of the ocean, and Percy has a great destiny as a demigod.

The complete series includes The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian.

Whether you’re hoping to conquer the seemingly impregnable city of Troy through guile and trickery or are just finding something to do with your afternoon, this kit has you covered.

OK, it’s probably not quite big enough to hide a Greek strike force, but it's pretty nifty — and it actually opens up!

The object of this family-friendly card game is to build your ultimate delicious taco or burrito with absurd ingredients (Gummy bears? Hot yogurt?!).

All worth points, use special cards to enhance your own dish (hot sauce!)… or sabotage other players (tummy ache!). The person with the most points at the end wins.

The galaxy is theirs with this simple — but powerful — telescope. This 70-millimeter aperture model includes a phone attachment, which will allow your child a better view than a traditional eyepiece, and give them a front-row seat to the moon, stars, and planets.

Everything your 9-year-old boy ever wanted to know about America’s National Parks (and a lot of things they never even thought to ask) can be found in this handsomely illustrated set of books. From flora to fauna to geology, they’ll be well on their way to becoming the country’s most knowledgeable junior park ranger!

They’re still a few years away from their license (we’ll give you a minute to take a few deep breaths over that one), but they can bridge that gap now with this remote-control car. Capable of 360 degrees of stunts, they’ll love zipping this RC around the house, yard, and neighborhood.

There once was a boy who lived under the stairs in his wicked aunt and uncle’s house… until one day, a letter arrived. The whimsical, expansive, and immersive world of Harry Potter has delighted audiences for decades now, and your kiddo is finally old enough to really appreciate the books!

Face off against your friends to win the most points in this fast-paced, fun, and challenging game. Players flip a category card and a letter card and must think of a word that begins with the letter and fits in the category. Whoever shouts it out first gets the point.

Ready, aim, fire! Wait, we have to go back: Before your 9-year-old boy takes aim against the rival castle, first they’ll have to build their catapults. It’s all the fun of being a medieval battle tactician without the risk of catching an illness because you only bathe once a year!

Encourage their creativity and long-standing love of anything with wheels with this kit. Your 9-year-old boy can build, paint, and play with three functional wooden cars. Comes with everything they’ll need to make the cars uniquely theirs, including decals. Great for sharing or making their very own mini-fleet.

Your 9-year-old boy and their friends are aliens, racing to blast off in a functional drone. Move pieces down the ramp and lift off, but be careful: Everyone else wants to get there, too! Get all your aliens airborne first to win.

Did you know that Darth Vader had a castle? He did! It’s massive, imposing, and a bit scary (as you’d probably expect), and can be found on the planet Mustafar. But your kiddo can build his own with this awesome Lego set.

Includes a TIE fighter and six mini-figures including — who else? — Vader himself.