Christmas Day is a game of two halves. There’s the eating and drinking, which everyone loves, then there’s the sitting round staring aimlessly at the TV, brain in a vegetative state, body in a food coma.

The devil makes work for idle thumbs, so to help minimise the chances of boredom (at best) and full-blown rows (at worst), we’ve pulled together a list of boys toys that will keep him occupied on Jesus’ birthday and well beyond. All killer, no filler.

We’re going to come out and say it: despite there being a theoretical cut-off point, no man is ever too old for a games console. The Nintendo Switch can be connected to the TV or used as a handheld device, so it’s ideal for encouraging silence on long journeys and crucially won’t have him hogging the telly on Christmas Day. Very smart tech.

Give him the gift of music and style by treating him to a superior pair of earphones from Jabra. After all, not only are a set of grubby old buds unhygienic, they’re not going to do him any favours in the aesthetics department either. This stylish set features everything the fashion-conscious audiophile could ask for and more. We’re talking dynamic hi-fi quality and plenty of flair to match anyones style.

Today, your digital footprint often precedes you, which is why Mobilo’s smart digital business cards are the ultimate statement for the modern gentleman. Forget the passé paper cards of yesteryears, ones that get crumpled, dropped, or left behind – these smart cards are creating networking for the 21st century. Whether you’re a high-flying executive or a budding entrepreneur, Mobilo offers a range of options that are as versatile as your wardrobe.

But let’s talk tech: these cards are NFC/RFID-enabled, making them the Aston Martin of business cards—sleek, efficient, and compatible with both Apple and Android. Got an older phone? No sweat, the QR code has you covered. And here’s the kicker: no monthly fees, rapid 48-hour shipping, and a choice of materials that range from classic plastic to luxe metal.

No man, no matter how “mature”, can resist the pull of remote control devices, and the urge definitely peaks at Christmas. Enter the BB-9E App Enabled Sphero Droid. Not just any old Star Wars spin-off merchandise, it can be controlled from a smartphone, moves like the movie droids and projects holographic environments from the film series. The infinitely better answer to a Scalextric set.

In an age of incessant one-upmanship, the theory goes if you went on holiday and it doesn’t look sick AF on your “socials”, did you even go? Behold the GoPro Hero11, an ultra HD video camera that will capture every last grain of sand and drop of water. It’s the next best thing to having the David Attenborough documentary crew on holiday with you. He’ll have to sort the voiceovers himself though.

Lego can be passed off as two presents in one. Yes, kids love it. But really it takes patience, dexterity and steely determination to get it done – ergo, it’s ideal for adult children too. The Lego Taj Mahal is suitably complex enough to keep him occupied well past Boxing Day, when the TV schedule (and family conversation) is running dry.

For a Bluetooth speaker that looks so slick you’ll want to tape it to your forehead and wear it proudly around town, this retro speaker has the perfect solution. The golden years-inspired speaker looks as stunning as it sounds.

In the eighties it looked like virtual reality (and flying cars) would be commonplace by now. Unfortunately, we’re a bit behind but Meta Quest VR headset is a promising step forward. Once he’s put his phone in the soft fabric headset and hooked it up to apps such as Netflix VR, he’s got a full-screen cinema experience at his disposal. Dollar for dollar it is way more cost effective than those rip-off IMAX tickets too.

When Polaroid announced there was to be no more instant film produced back in 2008, hipsters and film enthusiasts rightly got hacked off. Now, less than 10 years later – and with the help of some keyboard warriors – the Polaroid film camera is back. Reinvented, this retro-style film camera will allow him to capture the festive season in either color or black and white, the old-school way. There’s no selfie retakes here though, sorry.

If he’s still sore about not getting that astronomy set as a kid, now’s the time to right past wrongs. The Natural History Museum’s astronomically sound planetarium constellation star projector will let him get to grips with his inner Dr Brian Cox thanks to its handy audio guide and pointer pen. Well, it’s a start anyway.

We like a bumper list of tech specs as much as the next guy, but sometimes the greatest pleasures are the simplest. This crossfire bow Nerf gun is not ground-breaking in concept (it’s just firing soft foam tubes after all) but it’s maddeningly addictive to use. Simple yet effective.