Birthday surprise ideas for your son or grandson, birthday gifts ideas

Here are tons of easy DIY creative gifts ideas for your son or grandson - no matter how old they are! Here is how to surprise your son on their birthday or just because - from gift ideas for your young son to gift ideas for your teenager (plus check out these gift ideas for your grownup son) - here are some easy to make or put together surprise gifts and birthday surprise ideas for your son that are so much fun!

These would also make great well done or congratulations gifts for your son and also make great coming of age gifts ideas for him. Scroll down to see gifts for your younger or older son or grandson that are low cost, plus many ideas you can make at home!

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PS Scroll down to see gifts for your younger son and check out gift ideas for your adult son here!

Best Gifts for your Teenage Son or Older Son

1. Bake him some sneaker cookies after his favourite shoes

These will look amazing arranged in a stylish box or on a plate! This is such a cool DIY gift idea and will show your recipient how well you know them (and their taste in footwear!) 

 

Adidas Yeezy Sneaker cookie cutter 👈🏻

Nike Air Force 1 cookie cutter 👈🏻

Nike Air Jordan 1 cookie cutter 👈🏻

Converse Sneaker cookie cutter 👈🏻

2. Bake him a funny bento cake 

A mini takeaway cake just for them - you could get super creative with the message you choose to give or the decoration! 

3. Make him a Prime themed bouquet gift

Why not put together a selection of their favourite soda, sweets or snacks, arranged in bouquet formation!

Ready made Prime Hydration Glowberry hamper gift 👈🏻

Special Prime gifting box for gifting multiple Prime 👈🏻

4. Customise some neon lights for his room  

For their room or gaming setup, or both! These make great teenage boys room gifts and you can get all different kinds, even a cool lava lamp for his room will be appreciated!

  

5. Try some personalised wrapping paper 👈🏻

Personalised face and message wrapping paper 👈🏻

6. Make him a cupcake pullapart 

To make this, you will need a whole set of un iced, plain cupcakes, along with some icing in a few different colours to decorate with. Arrange your cupcakes in your chosen formation, then layer the frosting all over the top of them, like joining the dots, ice them to create one whole shape. Then decorate to bring your creation to life!

7. Bake him a custom cookie portrait 

Bake and ice a custom portrait sugar cookie of their face. Nothing is cooler or more special! You could even try to make it life size, it's such a funny and creative gift idea they are sure to love! Who doesn't want an exact cookie replica of their face?

8. Gift them a cake in a jar 👈🏻 

This concept is so cool! This makes for an amazing DIY novelty gift idea that your recipient will adore - if you are short on time you can also order one all ready made!   

9. A hilarious realistic chocolate gift 

Realistic chocolate sprouts (the best prank gift!) 👈🏻

10. A shoutout from one of their favourite gamers or streamers  

Their friends will definitely be envious and this special shoutout will mean the world to your young gamer! 

11. A box of all different kinds of soda

The perfect gift idea for teenage boys, they will love a whole different variety of new flavours to try. There is nothing like Japanese sodas in terms of variety of flavours and fizz! Try Ramune soda, Ramune being a well-known and unique element of present-day Japanese culture, that is often seen in anime, manga and j-dramas. You could gift your teenage boy an assortment of flavours, so they can have fun trying them all and find their favourite! 

12. Gift him a jar for his gaming snacks 👈🏻

Why not gift a special jar or container for his gaming snacks! You could even personalise it to your recipient's tastes. 

13. Flavoured toothpaste

Such a cute and quirky gift idea that he won't expect but will love. There are so many different flavours you can get to brighten up his morning every day!

14. Make a batch of Biscoff rocky road

With all the toppings ever! 

15. A Prime bottle candy gift 👈🏻 

This is perfect for tweens and teens! You could even DIY by grabbing a clear bottle and sticking the 'Prime' logo on one side, then filling it with colourful sweets or candy to mimic the colours of the Prime drink bottle. 

Prime logo sticker decals (so cheap!) 👈🏻

16. A darts board

The best game for older boys and teens, plus it's something the whole family can get together around and will have everyone competing at darts together! 

17. A heat transforming mug 

That reveals a funny or cool message on heating! They will get the best surprise when they go to make a drink in their mug! 

18. Bake some cupcakes with their face on them!

This is such a great inexpensive gift for your recipient and ticks all the boxes... something delicious they can eat, check! Something you can DIY for your recipient, check! Something inexpensive, yet stands out and makes them chuckle at the same time, check! This is the best way to share memories and cake with your recipient.  

Some amazing edible photo cupcake toppers 👈🏻

19. An experience day

Like tickets to a sports game, a concert or music festival, whatever they are in to, there is an event or experience day to go to! 

20. Fast food made out of chocolate 👈🏻 

They'll get the best surprise when they take a bite and realise it's actually a realistic chocolate model! The best ever prank gift for a fast food addict. 

Realistic edible chocolate burgers 👈🏻

Realistic edible chocolate french fries 👈🏻

21. A Spotify subscription

For all their favourite music! This is an amazing gift for teenage boys, especially if they are all about their music.

22. A Game gift card

Whether it's a Steam gift card or Xbox currency, this gift will be so well appreciated among gamers and gaming fans alike! It will enable them to unlock new rewards and even buy a new game, which can mean the world to young gamers, who use it as a way to socialise and connect with their friends!

23. A pick and mix assortment

An oldie but a goodie, one of the best gifts because everyone has a favourite! They'll absolutely love a variety of their favourite sweets to snack on.

24. A mini fridge for his room

Also known as a soda fridge, for keeping every manner of fizzy drink in! This is a really cool and unique gift idea that he'll be sure to get plenty of use out of.

25. A box of weird snacks they've never tried

Unusual and unfamiliar snacks from all across the world! It's such a fun gift idea and it will be highly amusing to watch him try all the varieties, he might even find a new favourite! Plus teenage boys are known to be ravenous eaters, so this might be perfect for him!

26. Prank him with some cleaning products!

Perfect for if you're always asking him to clean his room or do his chores! You could prank him by gifting him some cleaning products - before giving him his real gift/s! This is such a fun birthday prank your teenager will always remember.   

 

Best Gifts for your Young Son (ages 2-9)

1. Set up a play tent system or den 

The most fun ever! 

2. Set up a fun pinata game

Not just for a party, kids will enjoy this any time and it will keep them busy for ages! You can DIY this yourself from paper mache, or even buy one ready made! There are so many cool designs to suit every taste.  

Fun jumbo pizza pinata 👈🏻

Mystery Mario inspired box pinata 👈🏻

Minecraft inspired TNT pinata 👈🏻

Minecraft inspired Creeper pinata 👈🏻

Among Us inspired green character pinata 👈🏻

3. A bake with their favourite cereal

You could make some rocky road, decorate cake pops with the cereal or make some special colourful cereal bars - or even pop it in cookies!

4. A customisable paint your own letter gift

These are so lovely to give as gifts and will keep your recipient busy; they can get super creative designing their own letter decor! 

Paint your own letter dinosaur kit 👈🏻

Paint your own letter vehicles kit 👈🏻

5. Set up a fun excavation game 

This is so much fun! For older kids you could put together an archeology style setup, where prizes could be hidden within plaster of paris and they have to excavate to find them. For younger kids, you could try sand, or even edible 'soil' (chocolate cake crumbs!) and they have to eat their way to the prizes or toys that are hidden!

6. Set up a scavenger hunt or treasure hunt

An oldie but a goodie - this is so great for all ages!

7. Some personalised colouring pages for him to colour 👈🏻

Colouring - but better! Unlock a new level of creativity by creating some personalised colouring pages for your recipient, based on funny and special photos you treasure of you together. He will love being able to colour in himself and customise members of the family! You could even frame them when they are finished, for the cutest family portrait and the best way to cement special memories!  

8. Craft a mosaic effect personalised room sign for his door 

A special DIY gift idea you can have a lot of fun with and can get super creative with it! 

9. A personalised gemstone dinosaur 👈🏻

Start a crystal collection for him by gifting him his first gemstone. You could even craft or decorate his very own crystal collecting box  and even put together a little guide, with all the types and names of the gemstones!  

10. A box of Jelly Belly beans with unique recipes

You could come up with some of your own recipes and create a little book to go with this gift! Your little one will have so much fun putting together the flavours to make the 'recipes'. 

11. Prank him with some fun chocolate vegetables  

This is such a funny sensory surprise gift and just right for a fussy eater who prefers to skip their vegetables at meal times! 

Fun realistic chocolate vegetable assortment 👈🏻

Fun realistic edible chocolate green veggies assortment 👈🏻

12. Make him some special candy bark

You could include popping candy and create some multicoloured swirls and sprinkle it with his favourite candy or sweets!   

13. Make him some unique chocolates to suit his tastes

You can have so much fun with this! Why not craft your own chocolates to make them perfectly match your recipient's tastes. You could make them dinosaur shaped - or Minecraft shaped - and infuse them with popping candy and fun candy shapes.  

14. DIY some chocolate lego to play with! 

To play with and eat!   

Ready made chocolate edible lego (42 pieces) 👈🏻

15. Create an obstacle course for your recipient 

You could even implement a special theme, such as a Spiderman or Spiderverse themed obstacle course, or a Mario theme!

16. Set up a rainbow milkshakes and sundaes stall 

With all the toppings available! You could even make a freakshakes stall with oreos, donuts, cakes and squirty cream that guests can add to their creation - freakshakes being the perfect combination of milkshake and cake!

17. Make him a sticker collecting book 

With special wax coated pages, so that they can collect and save stickers within the pages and reuse them whenever they want to. 

18. DIY some Minecraft themed treats 

You could even make extra to share with his class or friends 

19. Put together a superhero themed kit 👈🏻

This is perfect for budding superheroes and they will love the element of surprise! 

20. Make him a set of sparkly playdough, plasticine or slime

You could even theme it after their favourite thing, or whatever they are in to, after their favourite movie or tv show characters or sport or hobby! Add some mini polymer clay decors for extra decoration!  

21. A giant cardboard cutout of their favourite character 

Whether it's from their favourite tv show or favourite movie, this will be sure to delight them no end! Depending on the character, you could even task a friend or helper as transforming in to the character for the day so your little one can meet their hero! 

22. A funny chocolate toothbrush toothpaste kit 👈🏻

This would make such a fun and unique gift or stocking filler - or reward for a tooth cleaning exercise or activity! 

23. Hide little surprises in the wrapping 

The best fun extra surprise they will never expect, for the best unwrapping experience! 

24. Birthday coins in their shoes

Real coins or chocolate coins, this is a really cute and exciting surprise! 

25. An ice pop or ice lolly making game setup

Where guests can mix and make their own popsicles, with lots of colourful juices and sodas, plus blended fruit and yoghurt to make their own fruity, colourful creation!  

26. Set up a silly string fight 

Or a game of hide and seek with silly string - the more players the merrier!  

27. Gift them a set of mystery boxes or blind boxes 

These are so exciting to receive and come with a mystery collectable hidden inside! You could even hide these as part of a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt for your recipient to find.