Benign osteoblastoma is a rare bone tumour characterised histologically by the production of woven bone spicules, which are bordered by prominent osteoblasts. It mainly affects young adults. We report a rare case of benign osteoblastoma of the maxilla in a 7-year-old boy who presented with a painful swelling on the left hard palate. An incisional biopsy was interpreted as osteoblastic neoplasm most suggestive of osteoblastoma. After excision of the tumour there has been no recurrence for 2 years. Keywords: bone tumour, child, maxilla, osteoblastoma