Holiday Gift Ideas for Young Boys Ages 3 to 5

1. Leapfrog Leappad 2

The first version of this Leappad was hard to find last year, so don’t wait until the last minute to order this one! This fun toy allows you to download educational apps that focus on reading math, science, health and so much more. Use your finger or stylus that comes with the unit. Another cool feature is the front and back cameras and video recorders. Leapfrog also has accessories for the Leappad 2 like cases, gel skins, and headphones. Amazon sells discounted app card here. Buy the Leappad 2 here.
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 2. Imaginext Samurai Castle

My boys love Imaginext. We have several playsets already and this Samurai Castle is on their list for this year. How cute are the little ninja guys? I love that these playsets start at age 3 and last for so long. It comes with two ninjas, ladders, swords and other weapons. This one will be a best-seller this year, so don’t wait to long to pick one up. Buy your Samurai Castle here.

 3. Imaginext Batcave

Imaginext released a new and improved version of this playset,  but it’s still a classic in our house! My boys love this set and they never get tired of Batman. The newer set has a bat signal that lights up, secret entrances for Batman and Robin and a real working telescope on the top of the batcave! It is endless fun for young boys of all ages. You can buy fun accessories with your batcave to add to the fun like the Batmobile or the Batwing.  Buy your Imaginext Batcave here.

4. Learning Resources Teaching Cash Register

This cash register is so much fun. All of my kids play with this one. You can use the scale, scan pretend credit cards and practice your math skills when the register helps you add your money. It comes with play coins, but this register also recognizes real money. It has an automatic shut-off feature as well, so no unnecessary battery use. Learning Resources also offers a smaller Pretend and Play cash register, but I think the Teaching Cash Register is worth the extra money. Amazon always has a great discount on the Teaching Cash Register, buy yours here.

5. Jake’s Musical Pirate Ship Bucky

If you have boys that love Jake the Neverland Pirate show, they will love this musical pirate ship. It plays songs and has a lot of fun features. It has water cannons that shoot, a crocodile that pops out and it comes with Jake the pirate and scully figures.  Bucky also has wheels on the bottom of the ship so it can be wheeled across the floor! You can find Bucky here.

6. Magnatiles

All three of my kids love Magnatiles.  I will say, my kids weren’t screaming with joy when they opened these on Christmas morning. They even sat in the corner for a few days after Christmas, until I opened the box and showed the kids how to use them. We have had them for a few years now and our Magnatiles are one of the most-played with toys in our house. If you have never seen them in action, they are very simple plastic tiles with magnets inside, but they are the perfect building tile. My kids build garages for their Hot Wheel cars, houses for their army guys, big towers and buildings and so much more. My kids have friends over for playdates and they will play with these for hours and hours. We actually own two sets because one set just wasn’t enough! Buy your 100-piece set here.

7. Plasma Car

These kid-powered cars are easy-to-use and well worth the money. Wiggle the steering handle from side-to-side and your car will go. My kids use them in the house, on the tile, but they are great for outdoors too and work on any smooth, hard surface. My youngest son started riding his plasma car at 11 months, even before he could walk! Our plasma cars have held up to years of use and are still going strong. Amazon always has great prices on several different colors of the Plasma Car here.

8. Mini Kick Scooter

This scooter has won multiple toy awards for its cool design. This three-wheeled scooter allows you  to “lean and steer” and so your body weight is used to control where the scooter goes. It almost feels like you are gliding or surfing as you ride. My oldest son was able to start using it immediately at age 2 and my second little guy is now enjoying it. It is definitely a quality scooter and has endured years of use. It also can be ridden inside the house as the wheels are designed to not leave marks on your floor and it has a break on the back. You can find Mini-Kick scooters here.

9. Stomp Rocket Jr.

Bring this little rocket out at the park and watch all of the little boys flock! We experienced this first-hand. This air-powered rocket is easy to assemble and you use the power of your foot to make it shoot. It flies up to 50 feet in the air and gently floats down. It comes with 4 rockets, but I would definitely recommend refills. This set is one of my favorite go-to gifts and Amazon always has it for a great price here.

10. Zingo

This simple game is a favorite in our house. I love that my kids can play this game together and I don’t need to help them with the instructions or referee their game. It is similar to bingo, but uses pictures as the pieces. There is a little dispenser that distributes the chips. I love that the chips are made of durable plastic and not flimsy cardboard. They love to pull this game out when friends are over and I love that it works for ages 3 to adult. Amazon always has great deals on Zingo here.

11. Hotwheels Raceways

Let me first say we have lots of Hot Wheel track sets and I personally find some of them difficult to put together. My boys get really frustrated with trying to put the tracks together and we have a lot of sets that just sit.  I do, however, really like the Hot Wheels 4-lane raceway and the Hot Wheels 6-lane raceway . There is no snap-together assembly. I love that you set all of the cars up to race each other. The highways fold out for use and fold back up into a case with a handle for storage. My boys will play with their highway for hours and hours. You can find the Hotwheels 4-lane Raceway here and the Hot Wheels 6-lane Raceway here.
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12. Be Amazing! Build-a-Fort

What little boy doesn’t want to build his own fort for adventure play? Your little boys will be able to quickly a fort themselves in minutes. There are clips, loops, ropes and suction cups to quickly pop up a fun hideaway. The suction cups can adhere to windows, mirrors and smooth surfaces and the loops can attach to objects. Your boys won’t be pulling their comforter off of their bed anymore to make their own forts. When they are done with their adventure fun, your fort-building materials all go back into the bag for quick clean-up. Find the Be Amazing! Build-a-Fort here.

Looking for more bargain holiday gift ideas and holiday shopping resources? Be sure to check out the Holiday Gift and Bargain Page.