<p>They are like skate boards - but much longer. When we visited ASU a couple years ago - lots of the kids were getting around on long boards.</p>
<p>KansasGirl- I have seen kids on them at UCSB. My S attends another Ca university and he gets around my skateboard. He prefers a shorter board.</p>
<p>A bit less intellectual, but both of my teens (D and S) have enjoyed the netflix subscription we gave them as a joint gift last year. They took turns choosing DVD’s to order. D can download movies at school. (after a bit of an issue with our internet service provider we don’t download at home anymore) I’m thinking about a shorter subscription as family gifts for my nieces/nephews this year as it will appeal to all of the various ages.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Be careful about those traditions. Last year my 24 year old married D pitched a fit when I said we weren’t buying them pj’s anymore. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>All the 12-15 yr. olds in our neighborhood have longboards. My son loves his and has requested special wheels for Christmas.</p>
<p>I just ordered the Bucky Balls for my 15-year-old son for Christmas. He loves science and gadgets and instantly wanted the Bucky Balls when he saw them on the internet a month or so ago.</p>
<p>The bucky balls look like fun, but I’m not sure they are $30 worth of fun…</p>
<p>Actually, $36 worth of fun including standard shipping 
Yup, I agree. I don’t know that they’re worth that amount of money either, but my son usually just says to “get him whatever” so I’m happy to actually buy something that he has requested by name.</p>
<p>I know the discussion is about boys, but I have a geeky, artistic, science daughter. She would love the Bucky Balls, so I ordered them! Always do a “coupon code” search before ordering anything on-line. I did and found a code that paid for the shipping!</p>
<p>Reviving this thread - still looking for ideas. I bought the wasabee balls for a stocking stuffer from thinkgeek … I’ve also bought buffs from Sahalie …can use skiing or hiking. Another good stocking stuffer. They were big hits on the slopes. My boys hate to wear neck warmers, etc - but they wore these and they would come in handy on the lifts or when the wind picked up.</p>
<p>KansasGirl, have you seen the Indo Boards? I got one for my teen last year and they have so much fun (I’ve got longboard riding, flannel lined bandana wearing teen age skiers).</p>
<p>For my son, highly valued gifts include reupping subscription for audible.com, inexpensive earphones that he can (and does) lose, expensive noise-cancelling headset for dorm room (Audio Technica, which he loves), tickets to Bonnaroo music festival. People give him gift certificates to Amazon and Best Buy, but he tends not to use these. Other than audio books, he doesn’t seem to want much. Friends gave him a Garmin GPS for HS graduation, which was a really good present as he has the directional sense of a drunk squirrel.</p>
<p>I think the best present you can get any boys are mountain or bmx bikes. Talk to some of his friends parents and see if they want to get in on it too. This way they actually get out and exercise as well as have a great time.</p>
<p>This might not work for teen boys but I still find them cute!</p>
<p>Disease Plushies!!</p>
<p>[ThinkGeek</a> :: Mega Giant Plush Microbes](<a href=“http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/plush/bc01/]ThinkGeek”>http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/plush/bc01/)</p>
<p>the bucky balls are actually pretty cheap, considering they are just 3/16" spherical magnets which for the 216 of them usually cost around $50.</p>
<p>Speaking of audible- Thanksgiving FREE Audiobook Giveaway!
<a href=“http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/LandingPages/bigListen.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes[/url]”>http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/LandingPages/bigListen.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes</a></p>
<p>I really like the buffs from Sahalie and the free audio book. Thanks for the tips.</p>
<p>Bucky Balls are a bit cheaper on Amazon.</p>
<p>No one has mentioned binoculars, which were favorite gifts of my sons - one likes them for sports events, and the other likes them for his concert attendance!</p>
<p>We saw some fascinating gift items at MOMA, so I wrote them down, and looked them up online. We liked this chess board that folds up: [Amazon.com:</a> Tripleplay 3 in 1 Game: Fat Brain Toys](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B001V9VSPA/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A154Z3BZB2CCWS&v=glance]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B001V9VSPA/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=A154Z3BZB2CCWS&v=glance)</p>
<p>We also liked various toys and gadgets from kikkerland.com. Check out their website, but double check prices on Amazon. These are a couple things we found fascinating:</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Kikkerland Rainbow Maker Double: Kitchen & Dining](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-1588-D-Rainbow-Maker-Double/dp/B00079WGCE/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_b]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-1588-D-Rainbow-Maker-Double/dp/B00079WGCE/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_b)</p>
<p>[Amazon.com:</a> Mxykikker Mechanical Wind-up Critter: Toys & Games](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-1504-Mxykikker-Mechanical-Wind-up/dp/B001F6A1LG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1258985381&sr=8-7]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-1504-Mxykikker-Mechanical-Wind-up/dp/B001F6A1LG/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1258985381&sr=8-7)</p>
<p>Anyone have, or try the hot game “mind flex?”</p>
<p>Today’s woot–Digital Blue Flix Digital Camcorder $17.99 ($39.99 at Amazon). Not the highest quality, but I think it would be fun to fool around with. I ordered a couple for young teens.</p>