<p>Once again, I call on my CC pals for help. Christmas is looming and I am way behind. And I am aware that the word, “looming,” is hardly in the holiday spirit, but my level of stress is high enough that this is the word that comes to mind.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any ideas for nice gifts for 9- and 15-year-old boys? I’m thinking of special, keepsake kinds of gifts, and also nice books. </p>
<p>All suggestions gratefully accepted!</p>
<p>a pocket knife?
binoculars?
tickets to an event?</p>
<p>Lord of the Rings series, or Harry Potter series if they don’t have them as far as books. I suppose you could buy the movies as well. I consider those keepsakes as well as really enjoyed by my boys. Other suggestions: watch, leather wallet, engraved leatherman or pocket knife only with prior parent permission.</p>
<p>I have two boys and those would be favorites if one were staying away from electronic items.</p>
<p>Just cross posted with EK</p>
<p>As for event-are those boys from NY, since I see that you are from NY? If so, tickets to the new Yankee stadium might be fun (and expensive)!-Good thinking EK</p>
<p>I gave my nephew a Djembe last Christmas. I don’t know what he thought, but I liked it! They are popular around here, at least.</p>
<p>I tell everyone to get my sons gift certificates to electronics stores. Harry Potter 5 came out last week on video if they don’t have that.</p>
<p>9 year old boy might like the coffee table books Ripleys Believe it Or Not or Guiness Book of World Records, both have really cool gross facts.</p>
<p>I agree, my boys always enjoyed the Ripleys or Guiness type of books. They of course love gift cards, but realize that only their closest relatives are going to give those to them. Both my boys also really enjoy getting very warm slippers (ie: sheepskin) in the winter.</p>
<p>I would avoid the pocketknife idea unless the boy in question has specifically requested one. The penalty for accidentally leaving your pocketknife in the pocket of a jacket you wear to school is often incredibly severe.</p>
<p>When I knew a lot of 9-year-old boys (in my long-gone Cub Scout leader days), many of them liked Lego kits. I don’t know whether this is still true.</p>
<p>My son is 8 years old, and he loves those 3D puzzles. There are all kinds of buildings and things to put together.</p>
<p>I agree with others to nixing a pocketknife. I would be very unhappy if someone bought my son a weapon. And as far as the schools are concerned, that’s what it is. I don’t even like toy weapons, they promote violence as fun.</p>
<p>Play musical instruments are good for the young one. My son likes any of the building things, like magnetix.</p>
<p>Also, think outside of the box of “boys” things. I raised my daughter to play with whatever she wanted, and I will do the same for my son. I have bought my son latchhook which he made for hours. Creepy crawler ovens teach cooking skills. It’s unfortunate the easy bake ovens are so “girly”, many great chefs are male. </p>
<p>We are a camping family, so if these children camp, that opens up possibilities like metal detectors, fishing poles, sleeping bags, etc…</p>
<p>binx, I had to google the Djembe - and I came across this youtube video of a very cute 4-year-old boy playing one:</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - 4 Year Old Djembe Drummer](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZhAxbAx72U]YouTube”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZhAxbAx72U)</p>
<p>I miss having a boy that young!</p>
<p>Lots of great suggestions! Am already shopping online…</p>
<p>That is why I said only with prior parent permission. My boys really liked their pocket knives and leatherman as preteens and in teen years. They knew that they could never take these items to school! They never have. My boys have done a lot of camping, and it they used them a lot on these trips, and occasionally for other projects outside of school.</p>
<p>Things that made my older son happy when he was 9 included anything Star Wars, lots of Lego, good books (he was very into the Redwall series at that age), a “cool” watch, and pocket binoculars (a sturdy-but-fun pair will cost less than you might think). At 15, of course, interests can vary a lot more widely, as you no doubt know. Putting aside specific stuff like CDs and books, etc., the things that he received and was surprisingly pleased by included a great looking blank book (utterly blank, not ruled - he likes to draw), some unusual guitar picks, those Dickensian-looking fingerless gloves, and a very cool flash drive (again, like the binoculars, you can find interesting/funny ones for less money than you might think, and they come in such a variety of shapes & themes that you could get lucky and land one that fits some interest of his). </p>
<p>Good luck! I find the boys <em>much</em> harder to shop for than the girls.</p>
<p>My D got a pocketknife ( with an engraved blade) from one of her friends when she was about 8 or 9 and she was thrilled.
Private school though so was even able to take it for show and tell!</p>
<p>BTW I do tend to give those blue and gunmetal-gray Leatherman multis (the P4 and S4, I think?) as H.S. graduation presents to guys - and I gave the pink one to a girl once, who really loved it!</p>
<p>But seasonally, I’m getting ahead of myself here. :D</p>
<p>I just purchased some very nice headphones (the pocket size small ones) that can be used with ipods, mp3 players, etc. for 15 yr old nephew. There was a review in our newspaper this morning about how good these were as well as economical. I figure they can’t have enough of these–when son was his age he either lost them or needed more than one set esp if travel is involved. Also purchased the leatherman set for cousin who is freshman in college, and his brother who is senior in HS. Son, now a college soph loves his leatherman tool. However, he has to remember not to take it to the airport!</p>
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<p>A pocketknife or multitool is NOT a weapon. You went on to mention camping in another post. Did you know that a knife is one of the ten essentials of outdoor survival?</p>
<p>Lego’s are always popular.
One year my son received a beautiful book about Chess. A Chess set is also a lasting gift.
You can also browse your local bookstore for coffee table sized books. If you know an area of interest. Dragons, Nature, Human Body.
One gift my son got at 13 was an alarm clock that the time is set my satelite. Strange as it may sound he loved that clock. You never need to worry about the time being off. I think they are called atomic clocks.
Also nice is a Scrabble game if they don’t already have it and include a Scrabble dictionary.
Unicycle?</p>
<p>How about a “Discovery” flight? Most flying schools will offer a 30 minute - 1 hour “introduction” flight at a good rate. (They do this to try to convince the person to start flying lessons, which ARE expensive. Who knows, you might awaken the “Chuck Yaeger” in him!) Gave this to our eldest S – blew him away!</p>
<p>I like a lot of these ideas: Leatherman, Guinness book. My kids both love Rubik’s Cubes. Lots of variations now: 4x4, 5x5, 2x2.</p>