5 Fantastic Boys Christmas and Birthday Gift Ideas 2016

As a Father of three boys I have quite a lot of insight when it comes to buying gifts for them. While I'd like to say that there is one gift that every boy would love, this is simply not the case and each boy's personality and interests is already very apparent at age 9-10.

Below I've listed several of my favorite types of gifts for just about any type of personality you may be shopping for.

Fun and entertaining, Totally Gross the game would be the perfect choice for a nine or ten year old boy. The game is recommended for ages eight and up and is brought to us by University games. This is a science based game and won the iParenting Media Award.

This game is for two to four players, so a group of friends wouldn't be left out, and introduces kids to the fascinating world of science.

This game includes over 220 science questions and activities to help science make sense. Totally Gross the game engages kids in learning about different types of science and the questions range from biology and zoology to chemistry. They learn fun facts and the major scientific disciplines. Reviews make this game look even better and kids love this game.

The activities are fun and crazy enough to make boys love them and along the way they learn scientific facts. The game also includes all of the gross science facts that boys will love to learn and the random facts will keep them coming back to this game again and again over the years. Give the gift of gross with Totally Gross the game.

Another fun choice is For Boys Only: the biggest baddest book ever by Marc Aronson. This is book very popular and gives boy a bunch of cool ideas and activities to do. They learn fun facts like how to land a plane in an emergency and escape from being tied up.

Then there are the unpractical things like how to fight off an alligator or how to turn a bone into a pretzel. Over 250 pages of information and facts that are sure to delight and amaze boys of any age. Also throughout the book are solve the code puzzles placed randomly around the book and the solution is always really cool. Costumers say that this is the best boy's fact book out there.

It is easy to read and the layout is clean cut. One customer's son has been reading it for more than a year and keeps going back to it for random things. The book is not really bad, it is just filled with intriguing things to hold a young boy's attention. If you are wondering what to give a boy in that random age range buy them For Boys Only: the biggest baddest book ever.

The Perplexus Maze Game is a bargain for the fun you get. Made by Plasmart this game is a clear ball and the players have to navigate there way inside the ball and past all the barriers. This gives the player a three dimensional gaming experience that they are sure to love. You learn as you guide the marble around the ball and you shift and flip and twist your way around. This develops fine motor skills and hand eye coordination while providing an entertaining experience.

Also this is a game that doesn't require any setup, clean up, or batteries. Simply take it out of the box and you are ready for some fun. This game says that it is "easy to play but hard to master" which makes it almost addicting to play. The kids won't want to put the game down and customers agree. This game is great for all ages, though recommended for ages six to twelve years old. My two little brothers, ten and thirteen, both love this game and it is obvious why. Instead of staring at a screen and pressing buttons you have to have control over your hands to get better at this game. Give them the Perplexus Maze game.

Snap Circuits SC-300 is a fun and amusing game by Elenco and is one of the most popular choices out there. Awards include the national parenting center seal of approval, top one hundred best children's products and best educational products.

This game has more than 60 snap together parts and you can build more than three hundred projects. The manual is clear and easy to understand and is also available online in case you lose it. One great thing about this is that no tools are required. Just buy 4 AA batteries and you are good to go. Build working electronics like a doorbell or an AM radio by connecting wires and snaps together. This is a fun hands on toy that teaches some good skills as well. You never know what a child is good at until you give them a task and watch them excel.

This product has been described as "excellent" and one of the best toys you could buy this year. Parents and children love everything they can create and how simple it is. If you want to buy a fascinating toy for a nine or eight year old boy I would choose the Snap Circuits SC-300.

Another great gift and a fascinating choice is the OWI Powered Grasshopper Kit. This is the least expensive on the list and is still amazing and popular. The little grasshopper is solar powered and allows you to explore the power of the sun in this little kit.

This is a build it yourself kit and teaches you about different forms of energy. You build your own life-size solar powered grasshopper with this educational kit. Recommended for ages 10 and up this would make a great gift choice. Parents love this little guy and he is super fun. The grasshopper works wonderfully under the sun but clouds do slow him down. For days like that a 100 watt light bulb will work fine.

There are a few concerns that the instructions are a little hard to follow, but this is a great kit. Everyone was surprised by how durable the grasshopper turned out to be. One customer has had their grasshopper for two years and it still works fine. This may be a kit that requires parental help but the OWI Frighten Grasshopper kit provides a great educational experience and would make a great gift.

I'd love to know what you're purchasing for that 9-10 year-old boy in your life. Leave your vote in our poll below!