Before you choose

Ten-year-olds are close to the top of the toy aisle, and the best presents now feel like hobby kit rather than toys. Big LEGO builds, model cars, games for the whole family: the common thread is something that takes skill. Here is what tends to suit ten-year-olds, and ten picks marked 8+ to 10+, checked with each maker.

Toys at ten

Ten is often when a child moves from playing with a model to building it for its own sake. Sets marked 10+ have more pieces, finer detail and longer instructions, and many are designed to be displayed.

Ten-year-olds still love to play, though. A Millennium Falcon with lift-off sections or a Mewtwo that breaks out of its tank gets swooshed round the room as much as it sits on a shelf.

  • Builds of 500 pieces and more
  • Sport, motor racing and space
  • Card and quiz games for groups and families
  • Collecting and completing a theme
  • Projects to share with a parent

Big builds for 10-year-olds

The LEGO Technic NASA Artemis Space Launch System has 632 pieces and a crank that separates the boosters and stages in turn. The LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon has 885 pieces, two stud shooters and four SMART minifigures, and the LEGO Minecraft Creeper stands over 21 cm tall with a first-version Creeper hidden inside its head.

LEGO Pokémon Mewtwo's Lab Break has a dial that cracks open the tank to free an articulated Mewtwo. It and the Falcon are both SMART Play Compatible: they build and play as they are, and a SMART Brick, sold separately, adds interactive features.

Sport and cars

LEGO's Cristiano Ronaldo Football Highlights set has 490 pieces, a Ronaldo minifigure and a collectible plaque. LEGO Speed Champions The Fast and The Furious Toyota Supra MK4 comes with a Brian O'Conner minifigure. Brick Shop's Hot Wheels Custom '90 Honda Civic EF is a 1:32 buildable model with decals to customise it.

Games for the whole family

Trivial Pursuit Family Edition has separate cards for adults and children, so a ten-year-old can take on parents on fair terms. Monopoly Deal is the card-game version of Monopoly for two to five players, and Hasbro says a game can take as little as 15 minutes.

Choosing for a 10-year-old

Larger sets take up time and shelf space, so it is worth checking with a parent what the child already has. LEGO Botanicals Daisies is a smaller option at 133 pieces and works well as an add-on present.

Our guide to toys for 11-year-olds is the next step up, and the 9 to 12 guide covers the whole age band.

Manufacturer-checked facts

Product details

Ten toys for ten-year-olds, marked 8+ to 10+: seven LEGO sets across seven themes, a buildable model car, and a card game and a quiz game for the family. Listed by age marking, not ranked.

Image: © Hasbro (hasbro.com)

Family trivia game

Trivial Pursuit Family Edition

In the box: 2+ players; 2,400 questions with separate adult and child cards

Age guidance
8+
Brand
Hasbro Gaming
Model / item
E1921
Facts checked
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Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Games / card game

Monopoly Deal Card Game

In the box: 110 cards (Property, Wild Property, Action and Money cards) for 2 to 5 players; the first to collect 3 complete property sets in different colours wins; Hasbro says a game can take as little as 15 minutes

Age guidance
8+
Brand
Monopoly
Model / item
G0351
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
©2026 The LEGO Group

Building set / botanicals

LEGO Botanicals Daisies

In the box: 133 pieces: 3 large daisies, 2 stems of small daisies, 3 lavenders

Age guidance
9+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
11508
Facts checked
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Construction / LEGO Technic

LEGO Technic NASA Artemis Space Launch System Rocket Construction Set 4221

In the box: 632 pieces that build the NASA Artemis Space Launch System rocket; a crank separates the boosters, core stage and upper stage in turn; 4 astronaut nanofigures and an information panel

Age guidance
9+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
42221
Facts checked
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Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO Star Wars

LEGO Star Wars SMART Play Compatible Millennium Falcon Construction Set 75426

In the box: 885 pieces: the Millennium Falcon with 2 stud shooters and lift-off top sections over a detailed interior with holochess and seating, SMART Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker and C-3PO minifigures and 4 SMART Tags; SMART Play Compatible

Age guidance
9+
Brand
Star Wars
Model / item
75426
Facts checked
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©2026 The LEGO Group

Building set / collectible

LEGO Cristiano Ronaldo – Football Highlights

In the box: 490 pieces, including a Cristiano Ronaldo minifigure and a collectible plaque

Age guidance
10+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
43012
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist
©2026 The LEGO Group

Building set / vehicles

LEGO Speed Champions The Fast and The Furious Toyota Supra MK4

In the box: 292 pieces, including a Brian O'Conner minifigure

Age guidance
10+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
77260
Facts checked
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Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO Minecraft

LEGO Minecraft The Creeper Construction Set 21276

In the box: 665 pieces that build a posable Creeper over 21 cm tall; the front of its head comes off to show a first-version Creeper and a TNT element

Age guidance
10+
Brand
LEGO
Model / item
21276
Facts checked
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Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / LEGO Pokémon

LEGO Pokemon SMART Play Compatible Mewtwo’s Lab Break Toy Construction Set 72163

In the box: 605 pieces: a lab with a dial that breaks open the tank to free an articulated Mewtwo figure, a lab monitor and a Master Ball

SMART Play Compatible: interactive features need a SMART Brick from an All-In-One set, sold separately.

Age guidance
10+
Brand
Pokémon
Model / item
72163
Facts checked
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Image supplied by The Entertainer through the Awin product feed.

Construction / buildable model car

Brick Shop Hot Wheels Custom '90 Honda Civic EF Construction Set

In the box: A buildable 1:32 scale Custom '90 Honda Civic EF with decals for customisation; no batteries

Age guidance
10+
Brand
Hot Wheels
Model / item
JHF62
Facts checked
Back to the shortlist

Questions

Common questions

What are the best toys for a 10-year-old?
Big building projects and games the whole family can play. In this guide, the LEGO Technic NASA Artemis rocket, the LEGO Cristiano Ronaldo set and Trivial Pursuit Family Edition are good starting points.
What do 10-year-olds like?
Many ten-year-olds are into sport, motor racing, space, gaming and films, and like toys that look like the real thing. Plenty prefer building and displaying models to everyday play.
Is a 10-year-old too old for toys?
Not at all. The toys simply change: larger construction sets, models, puzzles and games take over from pretend play. Every set here is marked for ten-year-olds or younger by its maker.
What does SMART Play Compatible mean?
It means a LEGO set builds and plays on its own, and can also use a SMART Brick from an All-In-One set, sold separately, for interactive features. The Millennium Falcon and Mewtwo's Lab in this guide are both compatible.

Research

Sources checked

We use official safety guidance and manufacturer sources for specific product claims. Retailer popularity can inform discovery but does not replace these checks.

Each pick's identity, age marking and contents were checked on its maker's own page: