I was a little confused on the usage of both words and didn't know if they
both meant the same thing like saying "kid" or "child" or whether there was
some nuance between the two words. Is there a case when you wouldn't use one
word in a certain situation?
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question
meaning word-choice
Is there a big difference between using "少年" and "男の子" ? Do they both mean "little boy" or "young boy"?
I would say the difference is big.

First, 少年 is a rather stilted word used mainly in novels, formal speech, news
articles, legal contexts, etc. Children themselves almost never use 少年 in
informal daily conversations unless it appears in a fixed set phrase like
少年ジャンプ. In manga, there are a few adults who use 少年 even in informal
situations, but they are usually fairly pompous speakers.

Second, 少年 refers only to boys roughly between 6 and 16 (although there is no
strict borderline). 男の子 can refer also to a male baby and sometimes a male
adult.

See also:

  * [What are the differences between 女子{じょし}, 娘子{じょうし} and 女{おんな}の子{こ}?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/57674/5010)
  * [Am I the only one who never says "少女{しょうじょ}"?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/21126/5010)
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answer