<p>S is turning 15 next month. He’s at a boarding school (his first birthday away from mom/dad).
We will be sending money so the counselor at the dorm can buy food for a party. But I am stumped for ideas on what to send him for a gift.</p>
<ul>
<li>He cannot have a lot of stuff in his room due to their rules/regulations.</li>
<li>Wears uniforms almost all the time (so clothing is not an option)</li>
</ul>
<p>Loves music, plays the piano and saxophone, participates in an acapella group and also is in the school musical. Loves to read (harry potter, percy jackson - he has all these books). </p>
<p>He has an iPod touch, a cell phone, an iHome for the iPod touch, an additional battery for the touch…</p>
<p>Any suggestions? iTunes cards are an option, but I am looking for something not so boring :)</p>
<p>My daughter was often invited to parties at restaurants paid for by the parents when she was at boarding school. As for gifts, why don’t you ask him what he wants?</p>
<p>If he loves music and lives in a shared room he might really like some high-end earphones (Bose, etc.) He’ll be able to listen to his favorite music with great sound quality and without disturbing his roommate.</p>
<p>A nice acoustic guitar. The Canadian brand Seagull makes very nice-sounding guitars that have a tone that is good enough to please a musician, for about $400.</p>
<p>I got my D a nook for Christmas. I was really surprised how much she liked it. She says she reads while she works out. My S has the kindle paperwhite. Oh my gosh it is so cool. So fun to read in bed. I think it’s a little expensive for what it is but did I say how cool it is lol!</p>
<p>Kindle has been my son’s all time favorite gift. He is 17 - got it two years ago. If he’s a reader - I highly recommend some kind of book reader.</p>
<p>He never asked for it - had no idea he would use it. Has read a couple hundred books at this point. The kindle keeps recommending books based on what you read - which is one of the best parts. I have no problem paying for books to read!</p>
<p>Though this may sound counter intuitive, acoustic guitars are actually harder to practice on quietly…especially during early mornings/late at nights than unplugged electric guitars. </p>
<p>Since the acoustic is designed to be played unamplified, it can actually be too noisy to practice on during those periods as several college classmates found to their dismay. </p>
<p>In contrast, classmates with electric guitars were able to practice silently simply by leaving their electrics unplugged or by using a plug-in amp that allows playback through earphones. </p>
<p>Granted, I am assuming solid-body electric guitars like the Fender/Squier telecaster/stratocaster and not hollow/semi-hollow electrics like the Gibson ES335 or its lower-end market counterpart…the Epiphone Dot which share the same disadvantages of the acoustic.</p>
<p>There’s also the factor that acoustics tend to require much more finger strength to fret the stings compared to their electric counterparts. Something which may be considered a huge negative for beginner guitarists who haven’t developed callouses.</p>
<p>I second (third?!) the idea of some type once-reader and the good quality headphones. My sons use their headphones with their iPods and laptops and love them and my whole family has some form of reader. If you get the reader you could also get gift cards got some books to go on it.</p>
<p>^^^I got my son the “Beats” earbuds for Xmas and I don’t think they’ve left his ears since December. I totally understand your feelings about the boring Itunes card but my kids love love love getting them. Sneakers? I know you said no clothing but there’s something about boys and sneakers. Or swag for whatever sport he plays if that’s applicable? A gift basket of 10 of his favorite movies on DVD? A concert/play ticket to a band or show that he likes for him and a friend over the summer?</p>
<ol>
<li> Bose headphones - My son will be 15 this month and he loves the Bose headphones his Dad got him.</li>
<li> Subscription to an online streaming video service like Netflix, Huluplus, Amazon, etc. so that he can watch TV shows if he doesn’t have a TV. (I assume he has a laptop)</li>
<li> iPad - He can read books, watch shows, play games AND use if for school.</li>
</ol>
<p>I second the suggestion of Beats - my kids use them constantly. The full headphones (as opposed to the earbuds) are especially great in a dorm situation because they block noise in the room.</p>
<p>A little “stocking stuffer” that any boy (of any age) will get a kick out of:</p>
<p>My son enjoys reading, and he really uses Kindle Paperwhite that we gave him. He has an iPad too, but the Kindle is better for reading books. It has more of a book-like experience. It’s lightweight and has a battery life that last for WEEKS, not just hours.</p>
<p>Since he has all that I gear already I would suggest an IPad Mini. He can use it as a book reader and get both Kindle and Nook books on it. We got our son a tablet for Christmas and he just loves it. We got him a Samsung one (I think). He is not an Apple fan.</p>
<p>Noise-cancelling headphones are a good idea (as mentioned above). Having two teenage boys myself, I know this age is tough for gift-giving. My boys have always loved shoes–whether it be sneakers, Top-Siders, LLBean boots. They would wear the same several shirts/pants, but love having an assortment of shoes. (My 18 year-old owns 5 pairs of Sperry’s in various colors,etc.)</p>