It is the third knife attack involving children in the area in recent weeks.
The victim needed hospital treatment.
Scotland Yard said the boys who tried to carry out the robbery were aged between 12 and 15.
One was white, about 5ft 6in, with blond hair and blue eyes, and was wearing a black woolly hat, dark jacket and grey tracksuit bottoms.
The other two were black, one around 5ft 2in and the other about 4ft 11in.
"It appears the suspects have attempted to rob the victim and then, after a brief altercation, the victim has then been stabbed twice," Detective Inspector Simon Harding said.
"The description of one of the suspects is quite distinctive and I have no doubt that someone will know or recognise who this is.
"This is the third stabbing involving young people in Croydon over the past couple of weeks and, whilst they are all unrelated, it will understandably cause concern within the community."
Anyone with information can call Croydon CID on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.